Speaking out on diversity

Black Enterprise, Dec, 2005

BLACK ENTERPRISE'S top Companies for Workforce Diversity:

* AFLAC

* ARAMARK

* BANK OF AMERICA

* BELLSOUTH

* DAIMBLERCHRYSLER

* FANNIE MAE

* FEDEX EXPRESS

* MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.

* MCDONALD'S CORP.

* MGM MIRAGE

* PEPCO HOLDINGS INC

* PITNEY BOWES

* STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS WORLDWIDE INC

* THE COCA-COLA CO.

* YUM! BRANDS

Source: BLACK ENTERPRISE Magazine-July 2005 "30 Best Companies for Diversity"

"If you are an African, Hispanic (Latino), or Asian American trying to advance your career, working for a company that values workplace diversity is extremely important. This will give you a good indication whether your employer will value your contributions, grant you promotions, train you to take on more responsibility, and pay you accordingly."

Source: www.ethnicmajority.com/corporate_diveristy.htm

Three key factors to determine how diversity is managed within an organization:

1. Top-Level Positions. How many African Americans hold senior executive positions or manage large groups of people?

2. Diversity of Spending. How diverse is their marketing program and who are their vendors? How much business do they do with black companies?

3. Board of Directors. Having different ethnicity within the board of directors allows the company to grow and better serve their employees as well as their customers.

Conferences

The 1st Diversity Lecture Series Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute 2005-06 Academic Year Bennett College for Women

* www.bennette.edu

Source: www.bennette.edu/PR/press-release.htm

3rd Annual Chief Diversity Officers Forum Bennett College for Women March 28-30, 2006

* cdoforum@bennett.edu

Women Of Power Conference

Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, Phoenix February 1-4, 2006

* www.blackenterprise.com/wps

Resource Guide

Multicultural marketing news and information

* www.targetmarketnews.com

* www.multiculturalmarketingresources.com

* www.worklifepolicy.org * www.now.org

* www.naaahr.org

Census 2000 information

* www.census.gov

News on diversity management professionals

* www.diversityhotwire.com

Vanguard

Vanguard Takes A Process-Oriented Approach

Diversity isn't just talk at Vanguard. Given our results orientation as an investment manager, we want to know exactly how we are doing on our diversity, objectives and what we can do to improve.

We are applying the same analytical rigor to our efforts on diversity that we apply to other aspects of our operations. We knew we wanted to get better at attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce. So we began by taking a close look at the main processes that are keys to the success of those efforts: awareness, recruiting, new-hire orientation, and development.

As a result, we've worked to raise awareness in diverse communities about the great career opportunities at Vanguard. We're also changing how we go about recruiting diverse professionals and matching them to the right positions at Vanguard. When new crew members from diverse backgrounds join Vanguard, we are working to ensure that they feel engaged and productive from the outset. We're also improving the training and development that will help all crew members to reach their full potential.

Businesses often view diversity as a "soft" issue and delegate it to the HR department, but Vanguard's diversity effort is headed by our business leaders and supported by HR professionals. Why? We recognize that having a diverse crew is essential to our company's long-term business success.

We want Vanguard to be seen as an employer of choice by investment and business professionals who represent all backgrounds and perspectives. We aren't there yet, but we are holding our senior leaders accountable for our efforts to promote diversity and develop future diverse leaders. With a diverse crew and a diverse leadership team, we'll be best able to serve our diverse client base and to achieve our goal of being the world's highest-value provider of investment services.

PG&E

PG&E is a producer and supplier of energy to nearly 5 percent of Americans, a neighbor in thousands of communities, a provider of essential services, and a builder and steward of vital infrastructure. The heart of our company is a diverse workforce of nearly 20,000 individuals representing a remarkable range of backgrounds and life experiences. We believe this diversity makes us a stronger company. It is a source of new and innovative ideas. It empowers us to anticipate, understand and respond better to the needs of our customers and communities. It enables us to be more flexible and adaptable to change. And it makes PG&E an interesting and engaging place to work.

To foster diversity, we strive to create an inclusive work environment that respects all employees. One way we do this is by instituting human resource policies and practices that comply with not only the letter, but also the spirit of state and federal equal opportunity employment laws and guidelines. We also require management commitment and leadership in communicating that every member of our team is important and must be treated with respect.