mdep report - asian retention by c york

Retention of Asian Staff in the YMCA Movement

By: Cecilia York & Tanya Bluford (212º)

Subject Matter Expert: Gussie Monks

Problem Statement

There are 452 Asian & Pacific Islanders YMCA exempt staff, representing 2.4% of total YMCA staff nationally.

We will determine whether there are factors that affect the retention & upward mobility of Asian staff and recommend strategies to significantly increase the retention of Asian staff in the YMCA movement.

Overview

What is the YMCA of the USA baseline for Asian staff retention?

Who is “Asian”? Population by ethnic group Asian factoids Interview methodology & results Best practices Proposed strategies to increase retention of Asian

staff Summary Research Sources

YMCA of the USA Employee Statistics

Asian & Pacific Islander Full-Time Exempt Since 2004

Year # Staff Percentages2004 319 1.82005 328 1.92006 354 2.02007 358 2.12008 432 2.3

As of July 2009, out of 452 Asian & Pacific Islander staff, there are 5 CEOs and 59 staff with Senior Directorship status.

Asia Elevation Map 1999

Source: www.askasia.org

http://www.askasia.org/images/teachers/media/19.gif

http://www.askasia.org/images/teachers/media/19.gif

Over 50 Nations that can be considered Asian countries:Afghanistan Indonesia Maldives SingaporeArmenia Iran Mongolia South KoreaAzerbaijan Iraq Myanmar (Burma) Sri LankaBahrain Israel Nepal Syria Bangladesh Japan North Korea TajikistanBhutan Jordan Oman ThailandBrunei Kazakhstan Pakistan Timor-Leste TurkeyCambodia Kuwait Peoples Republic of China TurkmenistanCyrus Kyrgyzstan Philippines United Arab EmiratesGaza Laos Qatar UzbekistanGeorgia Lebanon Republic of China (Taiwan) VietnamHong Kong (PRC) Macau (PRC) Russia West BankIndia Malaysia Saudi Arabia Yemen

Sources: www.Wikipedia.com

Source: US Census Bureau

US Asian Population by Ethnic Group %:

Chinese 23.9 Cambodian 1.8

Filipino 18.3 Hmong 1.7

Asian Indian 16.2 Laotian 1.6

Vietnamese 10.9 Pakistani 1.5

Korean 10.5 Thai 1.1

Japanese 7.8 Other Asian 4.7

87.6 12.4

Asian Factoids

Forty-nine percent of Asian Americans 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher compared with 27 percent for all people 25 and older.

Two million people in the United States speak Chinese at home. Next to Spanish, Chinese is the most widely spoken non-English language in this country.

The $83,804 in average income enjoyed by Asian-American married-couple households is 8 percent higher than that of non-Latino white households. Moreover, on average, Asian Americans working full time earn more than their non-Latino white counterparts ($47,189 vs. $46,794).

Cities with highest Asian-owned firms are New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Francisco.

Sources: The U.S. Asian-American Market, 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

Faces of Asian YMCA Staff

Gussie Monks, Manager of Inclusion, National Diversity & Inclusion, YUSA

Kathy Cheng, CFO of YMCA of San Francisco

Glenn Tsugawa, SVP & CFO of YMCA of Greater Seattle

Emily Oshima, Newcomer-Immigrant Program Coordinator, YMCA International Group

Paul Mohabir, CEO of Valley-Shore YMCA, CT

Denise Lam, Executive Director of Leaning Tower YMCA, IL

Kendall Hirai, SVP Branch Operation, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles

Claudia Soo Hoo, Aquatics Director, Lawrence Branch YMCA, MA

Lawrence Kameya, VP of YMCA Resources, YUSA

Doug Nakashima, President & CEO, YMCA of Central New Mexico

Cecilia York & Fred Hoshiyama

Interview Methodology 20 Staff Interviewed 7 states (California, New York, New Jersey,

Massachusetts, Washington, Washington DC, Connecticut & Illinois) Asked series of questions (see next slide) Assured them of confidentiality Demographics of interviewees:

a. Age Range 26 - 61 b. Years with the YMCA 6 months – 35 yearsc. Ethnic Groups:11 Chinese 3 Japanese 3 Asian Indian 2 Filipino 1 Koreand. Immigrants: 8 1st Generation: 7 2nd Generation & up: 5

Interview with Marina Luk, General Manager, East West Bank, HK Interview with Shelley Mau, Financial Planner, Ameriprise, USA

Interview Questions Part I: Question #1Rate the following factors on 1 to 5 point scale.

1. Money2. Sense of belonging3. Appreciation for loyalty4. Strong relationship with supervisor5. Education, training & career development6. Potential career success7. Balancing work & family

Sources: Factors based on “Recruiting and Retaining Asians into the YMCA Movement” by Gussie Monk & Jeffrey Thomas, results from 2008 Seers survey from YMCA of San Francisco and http://www.pacificbridge.com on employee retention

Survey Results:Part 1: Question #1

Sense of belonging (4.4) Education & training (4.3) Strong relationship with supervisor (4.3) Appreciation for loyalty (4.3) Potential career success (4.0) Balancing work & family (3.9) Money (3.4)

Note: Rating affected by position level, gender & birth status.

Part II of Survey:Question 2 to 10

Survey ResultsPart II: Question 2

As an Asian professional, what are the thingsyou would like your supervisor or management do for you based on the factors identified in question #1? Recognition & Appreciation Trust Career advancement support Supportive supervisor

Key Satisfiers (Gussie Monks & Jeffrey Thomas 2008 survey results)

• Staff Development• Communication • Recognition • Supervisor's management capabilities• Relationship with supervisor• Clear and consistent feedback at work• Willing to promote staff• Provide sufficient staff training• Fair reviews• Reasonable work expectations • Listen to staff• Knowledgeable about staff’s work


Being Asian, do you feel fairly treatedcompared to your other colleagues?

Most feel they are treated fairly & some experienced occasional bias

A few people felt that they have to work harder than their Caucasian counterparts

View as opportunities rather than entitlement

Survey ResultsPart II: Question 4a

Are there attributes of being Asian that you areproud of and would like to be recognized in theworking environment?

Strong work ethic & being responsible Do whatever it takes to get job done & do not mind

going beyond Intelligent Loyal to the workplace Do not complain

Survey ResultsPart II: Question 4b

Do you feel that your YMCA values Asian staffin the workplace?

Perceived Asians as being trustworthy people

Most Asians work at the branch level in lower positions rather than executives at Metro


When facing advancement opportunities, doyou think there are more obstacles beingAsian?

Self-promotion & advocacy not a value in the Asian culture

Do not speak up and more quiet & reserved, perceived as having lack of presence

More obstacles when you are foreign born Depends on the part of the country Difficult to move out if work at the Chinatown branch


What is the attractiveness about working in theYMCA that is different from otherorganizations?

Organization’s mission & community impact Global footprint, rich history & stability of the YMCA Largest non-profit in the US; provides more

resources & career opportunities Non-corporate working environment, family oriented

with work flexibility & good fellowship All inclusiveness


What could an affinity group, e.g. AsianLeadership Network do to help you?

Networking & support Share thoughts & learning experiences Mentorship Motivated by successful Asians within the YMCA National exposure

Survey ResultsPart II: Question 8a

Have language, cultural differences or typical Asiantraits such as being “passive aggressive” affect yourcareer at the Y?

Most felt being “passive aggressive” to be a common trait which needs to be overcome to achieve career success

Respect organization hierarchy & cognizant of “saving face”

Value humbleness Expect advancement from quality of work, not

personal advocacy

Survey Question:Part II: Question 8b

Do you have any suggestions that would helpmanagers remove these barriers?

Good supervisor should encourage Asian staff to communicate & speak up without repercussions

Provide more thoughtful performance evaluations Show recognition & appreciation Ensure access to training Provide Asian staff with opportunities to be more

outspoken


What can management do to retain you?

Recognition & being valued Provide career opportunities & expand scope of

work Provide flexible work opportunities Embrace diversity & create an inclusive environment Provide financial incentives


As an Asian in the workforce, has AffirmativeAction impacted your career at the Y? If so,how?

Most responded no, however a few found Affirmative Action helpful in securing current position

Few said it opened doors that they were able to walk through

Want to be recognized based on merit and not due to Affirmative Action

Interview Video

Nelson Louis, CEO of Greater Bergen County YMCA in New JerseyVideo can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYx_wOIVo7Q

Top 3 Companies in Diversity for Asian Americans

Abbott Laboratories #1 17% of new hires are Asian 14% of US workforce

Wells Fargo & Co #2 Asian member on 17-member Board of Directors 22% of its philanthropic endeavors to multicultural non-profits which

includes several Asian foundations

American Express Co #3 10% of all US Managers are Asian Asian staff receive 19% of all management positions

Source: Diversity Inc. – These companies demonstrated a long-term commitment to hiring,retaining, compensating and promoting Asian Americans.

Best Practices in Diversity for Asian Americans CEO commitment & executive accountability for

diversity success Human capital – Composition of workforce,

promotions & retention Communications

Organizational - Mentoring programs, active employee resource groups & employee surveys Corporate – Philanthropic contributions, multi-cultural marketing, use of website

Diversity procurement program– Ensure use of suppliers owned by Asians

Strategies for retaining Asian staff in the YMCA Movement

3 Key Areas:1. Research2. Marketing3. Training & Development

Strategies for retaining Asian staff in the YMCA MovementResearch Participate in Diversity Inc. Benchmark Study YMCA of the USA should track staff retention

numbers; exempt & non-exempt by race in order to understand the hiring trends

Send survey/questionnaire to YMCA Asian staff and management for suggested retention strategies

Contact top companies in diversity for Asian Americans to learn from their successes

Strategies for retaining Asian staff in the YMCA Movement (Cont)

Marketing Continue to promote Asian recruitment --- we can’t retain them if they

are not here! Some of the marketing efforts may affect both recruitment and retention

Marketing efforts and materials (in ethnic publications & newspapers) should be inclusive to specifically outreach to the Asian community

Market career success of Asian staff in the YMCA movement to both internal & external audiences

Develop partnerships with YMCAs in Asia which could be incentives for Asian staff

Develop strategic partnerships with Asian organizations & institutions (include universities) nationally & locally, e.g. US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Asian Professionals, Asia Society, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics & various local non-profit agencies

Promote diversity at local YMCAs by celebrating or acknowledging major Asian holidays & festivities


Training & Development Develop a process within the YMCA to promote supervision best

practices including, understanding the importance of: Recognition Show trust, do not micro-manage Encourage training & continued education Give more responsibilities & provide exposure Constructive feedback and provide help & support Understand the culture of their staff Encourage communication Fair compensation Ensure welcoming & inclusive working environment Appreciate loyalty Show support of family life with flexible schedule Show interest in career development of staff

Strategies for retaining Asian staff in the YMCA Movement. (Cont)

Training & Development (Cont) Heighten the awareness of low representation of Asian staff

within the YMCA movement relative to Asian population growth within the US

Continue to promote diversity & value cultural differences through the work of the Diversity & Inclusion Department of the YMCA of the USA

Enhance visibility of Asian Leadership Network & increase Asian staff active participation

Support scholarships to Asian staff through the Fred Hoshiyama Scholarship Fund

Encourage Asian staff participation in Multicultural Executive Development Program


Training & Development (cont) Encourage Asian staff participation in Multicultural

Mentoring Program Encourage Asian staff to apply for key leadership

positions within the YMCA movement Engage Resource Directors (liaison to local YMCA) in the

promotion of Asian staff retention throughout the YMCA movement

Include Asians on the Board of Directors and volunteers for diversity across the YMCA movement

Develop and engage a cultural competency training for staff & volunteers

Summary The Asian population will likely be tripled by 2050.

There are unique attributes and traits in the Asian culture that YMCAs’ management should understand in order to build an effective working team.

The YMCA needs to focus on recruiting, retaining, marketing and training of Asian staff.

Review best practices from top companies that the YMCA could adopt.

The YMCA needs to be proactive in securing the human and financial commitment to better serve the changing market.

Research Sources 2000 United States Census, US Census Bureau Survey results and meetings with 20 YMCA staff of Asian descent Survey on Recruitment of Asian YMCA Staff by Gussie Monks, 2008 Interview with Marina Luk, General Manager, East West Bank, HK Interview with Shelley Mau, Financial Planner, Ameriprise YMCA of the USA R&P, June 2008 http://www.Diversityinc.com http://www.Wikipedia.org http://www.Asiasociety.org http://www.Asian-nation.org http://www.AskAsia.org http://www.Asst.Wordpress.com http://www.Pacificbridge.com http://www.NAAAP.org Hyun, Jane. Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

mdep report - asian retention by c york

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