Diversity Executive - September 2008 - (Page 12)

LEADERSHIP | Robert Rodriguez Inclusion Exclusion Diversity practitioners must continually examine their own biases My friend heads up recruiting for a Fortune 100 ﬁrm. He was frustrated with a frequently recurring scenario: He would present a diverse slate of candidates to hiring managers only to see the hiring managers select non-diverse candidates. In most cases, this involved a white male manager hiring a white male candidate. It wasn’t that unqualiﬁed white males were being hired, but that equally qualiﬁed female and minority candidates weren’t. When my friend pressed the hiring managers on why they passed on female and minority candidates, he often heard subjective reasons such as, “They didn’t seem like a good ﬁt” or, “They didn’t interview well.” I shared with my friend the concept of “homosocial reproduction,” an academic term that refers to the tendency of those in positions of power to prefer to work, associate, hire and do business with others like them. This happens because we have a tendency to establish trust more easily and feel more comfortable with people like us. As diversity practitioners, our role is to promote an inclusive work environment and equally champion diversity initiatives supporting employees of all backgrounds. It is important for us to realize homosocial reproduction does not only apply to white males. Anyone in a diversity leadership role easily can advance attitudes, values or programs that are favorable to those “like us.” Given the almost natural tendency we all have to practice homosocial reproduction, albeit subconsciously, we in diversity need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We must periodically assess if we have given enough of our time, energy and resources to groups, efforts and initiatives to promote and nurture those who are “not like us” in our organizations. If we are, even inadvertently, guilty of homosocial reproduction, we quickly will lose credibility with our business partners. This does not mean we should avoid being involved in any efforts with those of a similar social identiﬁcation. I, for example, will continue to be involved in a Latinos in Diversity association that I and fellow Latino colleagues began earlier this year. However, I will be equally involved in efforts that support other protected groups at Kaplan, such as helping to develop high-performing, mid-level businesswomen by serving as a mentor through the organization called Menttium. And I’ll continue to help work groups more effectively manage a workforce with members of four different generations. We all have limited resources, and we can’t possibly support every diversity effort or organization. However, as diversity executives, we must realize we have the power, inﬂuence and ability to act in both inclusionary and exclusionary ways. If we want to perform our role effectively and advance the ﬁeld of diversity, we must continuously ask ourselves, “Am I favoring people and programs of those who resemble me at the expense of others?” Ask yourself, “Am I guilty of homosocial reproduction?” You may be surprised at the answer. « Dr. Robert Rodriguez is an assistant dean at Kaplan University and author of Latino Talent: Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain & Develop Hispanic Professionals. He can be reached at editor@diversity-executive.com. As diversity executives, we must realize we have the power, influence and ability to act in both inclusionary and exclusionary ways. Homosocial reproduction often occurs during job interviews. It is not uncommon for a white male hiring manager to give the beneﬁt of the doubt to — and then hire — a minimally qualiﬁed white male candidate because he trusts the candidate will ﬁgure out the job due to a history of past success. However, if a woman or minority candidate has the same minimum qualiﬁcations and background, research shows white hiring managers aren’t as likely to select them because these candidates don’t have exactly the proﬁle they were looking for, even though the white male candidate may not either. Homosocial reproduction also allows those in the dominant group to preserve their position of power and inﬂuence because it excludes those who do not look or act like them. Since white males have been the primary decision makers in organizations, by “reproducing themselves,” those in charge help promote a status quo advantageous to themselves. After speaking to my friend, I wondered if those of us in diversity are guilty of homosocial reproduction. Have I, as a Latino executive, tended to recruit, select, nurture or promote other Latinos for trusted positions? Similarly, does an African-American chief diversity ofﬁcer favor or support African-American initiatives more so than initiatives supporting other groups? 12 Diversity Executive | www.diversity-executive.com | September/October 2008 http://www.diversity-executive.com

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Diversity Executive - September 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Leadership Connections Guest Editorial Diversity Executive Online 2042: A New Business Era Begins The Rules of Attraction Where to Look for Diverse Talent Like Minds Think Great Culture Teams Target Business Opportunities at Luxottica Retail Special Section Rebalancing Gender At ING Americas, the Color of Diversity Is Orange Profile Business Intelligence Case Study Strategies Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources

Diversity Executive - September 2008

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