Diversity in the Workplace The Effect of Diversity Training and Initiatives on Business Recruits Presentation by: Anne Koutoufas

About Me….. I am an Administrative Specialist working in College Athletics I am interested in Diversity training because I work with many people of different ethnicities and feel that I benefit from the diversity of those I interact with. I feel that having diversity in the workplace helps it to function better and wanted to see it’s effects on the people who are recruited to work there (i.e. if training has had an impact on their jobs).

Widely Held Beliefs  Diversity training and initiatives are effective in recruiting and retaining a non-traditional workforce  Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce is good for a company’s bottom line

The Reality  Training and initiatives result in a diverse work force.  Training and initiatives do little to retain that diverse work force.  Training and initiatives may create a backlash  Training and initiatives do little for the company’s bottom line.

A Surprise Few organizations evaluate their diversity programs

Background on Diversity  Goal: To acknowledge that everyone is different while behaving in ways that cause everyone to feel the positive feelings associated with sameness or being around people we perceive to like us

Background on Diversity  Diversity encompasses GenderSexual persuasion Race Disability EthnicityLanguage ReligionPerspectives AgeBackground

Origins of Diversity Programs  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act  1965 Executive Order

Reasons for Programs  Personal Effectiveness  Social Change  Demographic Change  Fairness  Profitability  Equity  Productivity  Litigation

Reasons for Programs  Workforce 2000: Work and Workers for the Twenty-First Century

Statistics  $300 million spent by U. S. companies alone  $10 billion spent by companies, institutions of higher learning, and government offices  76% of U. S. organizations have diversity management initiatives

Actual Impact  7.5% drop in overall number of women in management  10% drop in number of Black female managers  12% drop in number of Black men in top positions  Similar drops for Latinos and Asians

Accounting for Results  Training is mandatory  Training is undertaken to avoid litigation  Companies “unspoken policies” may counter the initiatives

Three Common Practices  Efforts to moderate bias through training  Efforts to attack social isolation through mentoring and social networking  Efforts to establish responsibility for diversity

Effective Ways to Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce  Goal setting  Programs in place in coordination with accountability  Voluntary training  Group processing skills  Coordination with mentoring and social networking  Examination of a company’s culture