Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Staff

1. Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Staff Diane L. Finnerty Diversity Resources Coordinator Office of Affirmative Action University of Iowa

2. Overview • Introductions • Discussion of Elements to Consider • Worksheet Reflection • Resource Sharing Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

3. Elements to Consider • Composition • Competency • (Organizational) Culture • Commitment • Community Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

4. D. Identifying Commitment • What are the motivations for why you believe your organization should care about recruiting/retaining a diverse staff? • How would the presence of a functioning diverse staff benefit the work of your organization? • How do the decision-makers in the organization currently articulate the need for a diverse staff? Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

5. Diversity Initiative Involvement How Diversity Initiatives Help an Organization Keep a Competitive Advantage Percent Responding (n=106) Improves organizational culture 83% Improves employee morale 79% Higher retention of employees 76% Easier recruitment of new employees 75% Decreases complaints and litigation 68% Increases creativity 59% Decreases interpersonal conflict among employees 58% Enables the organization to move into emerging “markets” 57% Improves client relations 55% Increases productivity 52% Improves the organization’s bottom line 49% Maximizes brand identity 34% Reduces training costs 13% Source: SHRM/FORTUNE Survey on Impact of Diversity Initiatives on the Bottom Line, June 2001 Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

6. Provides possibility for increased creativity & richer outcome Presence of diverse individual and social group identities requires greater attention to relationship building Enables (requires) mind-ful participation Provides possibility of quick formation & speedier outcome Less potential for real/anticipated conflict due to similarities of ideas, communication styles, experiences Enables mind-less participation Work Groups Diverse vs Homogenous Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

7. Motivations for Competency Keeping a Competitive Advantage “Keeping your Edge: Managing a Diverse Corporate Culture” http://www.shrm.org/diversity/members/0601edge.pdf Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

8. C. Organizational Culture • What are the (un)spoken cultural expectations that someone needs to know to thrive as an employee in your organization? • What are the consequences if someone acts differently than these norms? • What are the (un)spoken cultural expectations that someone needs to know to thrive as a decision-maker in your organization? Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

9. Organizational Culture • Monocultural • Conscious/unconscious exclusion of “other” • Dominant group standards applied; others deficient • Compliance • Reactive to external forces; Heightened attention to behaviors which might get one in ‘trouble’ • People ‘invited’ in, but not present in decision-making roles • Diversity; Culturally Competent • Integration of difference as strategic component throughout organization • Importance of individual competence of all • Awareness of potential barriers and opportunities integrated throughout recruitment, training, retention Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

10. B. Competence • Is “cultural competence” an expectation of all staff? • What type of education/training, on-going resources, rewards support staff’s “professional development” in this area? • What occurs when staff act in biased and/or discriminatory ways toward each other? Toward clients? Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

11. (Inter)Cultural Competence • Cultural competence involves the awareness of cultural differences and the integration of this awareness into practical skills which enhance one’s ability to competently serve diverse populations. (Adapted from Chen) Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

12. Cultural Competence • Awareness of one’s own cultural values, beliefs, communication styles. • Awareness of other’s values, beliefs, communication styles. • Awareness of historical events and contemporary experiences of marginality and privilege. Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

13. New Face of Workplace Bias • Classic Definition of Discrimination • “Conscious efforts to withhold opportunities from individuals/groups” • Changing Paradigm of Discrimination • “Intentional and unintentional, conscious and subconscious, attitudes, behaviors and actions that have a negative and differential impact on segments of the society, or favor one segment of the society” • Shackelford, William G., “The New Face of Bias in the Workplace.” Featured in Cultural Diversity at Work on-line newsletter: www.diversitycentral.com, September, 2000, p 1. Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

14. A. Composition • Using the “Elements of Diversity” circle, estimate the current demographic make-up of your organization. • In what ways are you satisfied with this composition? In which ways not? • What forces do you believe have created and perpetuate the existing composition? • What strategies have you tried to increase the diversity among the staff? Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

15. Adapted from Loden and Rosener, 1991 Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

16. What difference does difference make? • Perceptions Regarding the Cause of Crime • Interventions with Youth • Visible Presence that Affects Youth • Values, Beliefs, Communication Styles • Access to Differing Resources “Keeping your Edge: Managing a Diverse Corporate Culture” http://www.shrm.org/diversity/members/0601edge.pdf Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

17. Resources Sharing • Successful strategies for working with: • Commitment, Organizational Culture, Competence, Composition, Community • Challenges to working for improved: • Commitment, Organizational Culture, Competence, Composition, Community Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

18. Strategies from SHRM SurveySource: SHRM/FORTUNE Survey on Impact of Diversity Initiatives on the Bottom Line, June 2001 Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.

19. Where there’s a will… there’s a way. Reproduction of these materials only by author's explicit permission.