How to Recruit & How to Recruit & Hire a Diverse Hire a Diverse

WorkforceWorkforce

Vallerie Maurice, Director Vallerie Maurice, Director Multicultural Diversity &Multicultural Diversity &

Assistant to the ChancellorAssistant to the ChancellorLSU AgCenterLSU AgCenter

Pathway to Diversity Pathway to Diversity 10/9110/91

Pathway to Diversity Pathway to Diversity Reaffirmed Reaffirmed 10/9310/93

The Emphasis on Diversity The Emphasis on Diversity in the Cooperative Extension Systemin the Cooperative Extension System

Extension’s EMPHASIS ON DIVERISTY addresses the many dimensions of diversity that are already a feature of the mosaic society present in our Nation, states, and territories. Its mission is to achieve and sustain pluralism as an integral part of every aspect of Extension: mission and vision; work force; programs; audiences; and relationships with other people, groups, and organizations. Many organizations have a diverse work force and diverse program audiences—but are not necessarily multicultural organizations. The

EMPHASIS ON DIVERSITY is designed to move Extension to being a multicultural organization that values diversity and pluralism.

(Pluralism is defined as an organizational culture that (Pluralism is defined as an organizational culture that incorporates mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork, and incorporates mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork, and productivity among people who are diverse in the dimensions of productivity among people who are diverse in the dimensions of human differences listed above as diversity.)human differences listed above as diversity.)

EEO/AA and the Emphasis EEO/AA and the Emphasis on Diversityon Diversity

EEO/AAEEO/AA Government initiatedGovernment initiated Legally drivenLegally driven Problem/prevention Problem/prevention

focusedfocused Focus on program and Focus on program and

employment neutralityemployment neutrality Assumes assimilationAssumes assimilation Reactive/proactiveReactive/proactive

EMPHASIS ON DIVERSITYEMPHASIS ON DIVERSITY Extension initiatedExtension initiated Productivity/effectiveness/Productivity/effectiveness/

relevance drivenrelevance driven Opportunity focusedOpportunity focused Focus on work and program Focus on work and program

environment and the use of environment and the use of work force skillswork force skills

Assumes pluralismAssumes pluralism ProactiveProactive

DIFFERENCESDIFFERENCES

Recruiting and HiringRecruiting and Hiring a more diverse a more diverse work force as current staff leave or work force as current staff leave or retire.retire.

Developing, training, and evaluatingDeveloping, training, and evaluating methods to assist current staff in their methods to assist current staff in their efforts to work with diverse programs efforts to work with diverse programs and audiences.and audiences.

Developing reward and recognition Developing reward and recognition systemssystems that acknowledge staff at all that acknowledge staff at all levels who provide affective educational levels who provide affective educational programs for diverse audiences.programs for diverse audiences.

Toward a Multicultural Toward a Multicultural OrganizationOrganization

Business Case for Business Case for DiversityDiversity

Focusing on diversity and looking for Focusing on diversity and looking for more ways to be a truly inclusive more ways to be a truly inclusive organization – one that makes full use organization – one that makes full use of the contributions of all employees – of the contributions of all employees – is not just a nice idea; it is good is not just a nice idea; it is good business sense that yields greater business sense that yields greater productivity and competitive productivity and competitive advantage.advantage.

(Society for Human Resource Management)(Society for Human Resource Management)

Business Case for Diversity Business Case for Diversity - - Key factorsKey factors Diversity Initiatives can improve the quality of Diversity Initiatives can improve the quality of

your organization’s workforce and can be the your organization’s workforce and can be the catalyst for a better return on your catalyst for a better return on your investment in human capital.investment in human capital.

Capitalize on new markets; client bases are Capitalize on new markets; client bases are becoming even more diverse than the becoming even more diverse than the workforceworkforce

Recognized diversity initiatives and diversity Recognized diversity initiatives and diversity results will attract the best and the brightest results will attract the best and the brightest employees to a companyemployees to a company

Increased creativityIncreased creativity Flexibility ensures survivalFlexibility ensures survival

(Society for Human Resource Management)(Society for Human Resource Management)

What are the demographics of your client base? (e.g. age, income, What are the demographics of your client base? (e.g. age, income, gender, education, ethnicity, etc.)gender, education, ethnicity, etc.)

How many languages are spoken by your clients?How many languages are spoken by your clients? How much does employee turnover cost your institution?How much does employee turnover cost your institution? How much does your institution spend annually on recruitment?How much does your institution spend annually on recruitment? How much have discrimination/harassment suits cost your How much have discrimination/harassment suits cost your

institution in the past year (in both legal fees and settlements)?institution in the past year (in both legal fees and settlements)? How frequently does intergroup conflict arise?How frequently does intergroup conflict arise? Is there a high level of turnover among certain employee groups?Is there a high level of turnover among certain employee groups? Are your policies and benefits attractive to potential diverse Are your policies and benefits attractive to potential diverse

recruits?recruits? Is your organization losing top talent because people do not feel Is your organization losing top talent because people do not feel

valued, included or heard?valued, included or heard? Do all employees feel that their talents and skills are well rewarded?Do all employees feel that their talents and skills are well rewarded? Is there some career advancement possibility for employees and a Is there some career advancement possibility for employees and a

focus on developing people internally?focus on developing people internally? Is diversity reflected in your procurement policies and among your Is diversity reflected in your procurement policies and among your

suppliers?suppliers?

Business Case for Diversity Business Case for Diversity - - QuestionsQuestions

(Society for Human Resource Management)(Society for Human Resource Management)

People gravitate toward people like People gravitate toward people like themselves.themselves.

People hire people like themselves.People hire people like themselves.

Everyone looks for someone they Everyone looks for someone they believe fits into their community.believe fits into their community.

Do small communities change much Do small communities change much over time?over time?

Can people learn to tolerate others Can people learn to tolerate others overtime?overtime?

Important Steps to Important Steps to Diversity Recruitment and Diversity Recruitment and Hiring Hiring

Culture of the InstitutionCulture of the Institution Perception of the InstitutionPerception of the Institution Recruitment of Diverse Applicant PoolRecruitment of Diverse Applicant Pool Preparing the Search CommitteePreparing the Search Committee Preparing StakeholdersPreparing Stakeholders Preparing the Faculty and StaffPreparing the Faculty and Staff Actual Hire – Acclimating the New Actual Hire – Acclimating the New HireeHiree MentoringMentoring

Culture of the InstitutionCulture of the Institution

Is the institution culturally Is the institution culturally competent?competent?

Does your organization reflect the Does your organization reflect the cultures of all employees and cultures of all employees and potential employees?potential employees?

Is the language inclusive?Is the language inclusive?

Don’t make assumptions!Don’t make assumptions!

Perception of the Perception of the InstitutionInstitution

Public perception of a good Public perception of a good organization is an important organization is an important intangible asset. This is also true of intangible asset. This is also true of its perception by minority its perception by minority communities. What is the communities. What is the perception of your organization in perception of your organization in these communities? Does your these communities? Does your institution embrace these institution embrace these communities?communities?

Recruitment of a Diverse Recruitment of a Diverse Applicant PoolApplicant Pool

A positive perception of your institution aids A positive perception of your institution aids in the recruitment of a diverse applicant in the recruitment of a diverse applicant pool and sets the foundation to recruit the pool and sets the foundation to recruit the best and the brightestbest and the brightest

Consistent interactions with minority Consistent interactions with minority communities is a necessity.communities is a necessity.

Utilize all minority institutionsUtilize all minority institutions Utilize local, state and national Utilize local, state and national

organizations and web sites (e.g. MANNRS)organizations and web sites (e.g. MANNRS) Offer student internshipsOffer student internships Brochures, etc.Brochures, etc.

Preparing the Search Preparing the Search CommitteeCommittee

Policies/ProceduresPolicies/Procedures Culturally CompetentCulturally Competent Seriously consider needed Seriously consider needed

requirements (e.g. disciplines of requirements (e.g. disciplines of students, etc.)students, etc.)

Review and seriously consider Review and seriously consider changing demographicschanging demographics

Screen all minority candidatesScreen all minority candidates

Preparing StakeholdersPreparing Stakeholders

When hiring someone of a different When hiring someone of a different background, the county and surrounding background, the county and surrounding counties will receive calls and questions counties will receive calls and questions as to the abilities of the new and different as to the abilities of the new and different person. People can be fearful. It is our person. People can be fearful. It is our responsibility to educate and use our responsibility to educate and use our influence to acquire assistance from influence to acquire assistance from stakeholders to create a successful stakeholders to create a successful diversity hire (of the best and the diversity hire (of the best and the brightest).brightest).

Preparing the Faculty Preparing the Faculty and Staffand Staff

Policies/ProceduresPolicies/Procedures Expectations – everyone must help Expectations – everyone must help

the new person.the new person. Positively greeting new hireesPositively greeting new hirees Lobby/Building set-up (e.g. Lobby/Building set-up (e.g.

brochures, magazines)brochures, magazines) 75 words/phrases most important to 75 words/phrases most important to

know (e.g. Spanish language, etc.)know (e.g. Spanish language, etc.) (Be tenacious!)(Be tenacious!)

Actual Hire – Acclimating Actual Hire – Acclimating the New Hirethe New Hire

Discuss Policies/Procedures – Discuss Policies/Procedures – written and unwrittenwritten and unwritten

Provide constant names for all key Provide constant names for all key areas in which employee will have areas in which employee will have contact (e.g. accounting, etc.)contact (e.g. accounting, etc.)

Provide mentorsProvide mentors Introduce to key stakeholdersIntroduce to key stakeholders

MentoringMentoring

Create a formalized Mentoring Create a formalized Mentoring ProgramProgram Use persons of color if at all possibleUse persons of color if at all possible If not, use culturally competent individuals If not, use culturally competent individuals

who want to mentorwho want to mentor Identify secondary mentorsIdentify secondary mentors Provide leadership training opportunities Provide leadership training opportunities

to allto all Review the progress from both the mentor Review the progress from both the mentor

and menteeand mentee