Diversity Executive - September 2008 - (Page 24)

attracti A true commitment to a heterogeneous workforce means even the C-suite reﬂects the multiplicity of today’s society. In the future, organizations will have no choice but to be diverse, as the combined race and ethnic minority population is projected to grow from 79 million in 2000 to 235.7 million in 2050, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections released in August. “A sensible business in 2008 has to look at the changing face of the customer and employees, and understand how they’re going to manage their company effectively in a multicultural environment,” said Gerald Fernandez, president and founder of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, an educational nonproﬁt working to maximize inclusive business opportunities in the food and hospitality space. “You better understand how to engage them in ways that make them want to A) come work for you or B) use your products or services,” he said. “If you only have diversity in your entry-level employees, you’ll have a disengaged group of leaders making decisions.” Make the Entire Enterprise Diverse Before organizations can recruit diverse executives, they need to ensure there is diversity at every level so potential candidates see a commitment to a heterogeneous culture. “If your organization does not have a track record [for] being diverse friendly, it becomes very difﬁcult to convince a diverse executive to come over,” said Steve Lowisz, president and CEO of Qualigence, a recruitment research and professional search rules easy to say an organization is an equal opportunity employer, but to recruit executive talent, leaders must implement targeted recruitment strategies that position the company as an employer of choice. The o Successful recruitment of diverse executives requires that organizations search beyond traditional talent pools, illustrate the business case for diversity to all employees, groom internal talent and develop retention measures. By Lindsay Edmonds Wickman It’s Minorities in the Majority The combined race and ethnic minority population in the U.S. is projected to grow from 79 million in 2000 to 235.7 million in 2050, with minorities becoming the majority in 2042. The working-age population is projected to become more than 50 percent minority in 2039 and 55 percent minority in 2050 (up from 34 percent in 2008). In 2050, it is projected to be more than 30 percent Hispanic (up from 15 percent in 2008), 15 percent black (up from 14 percent in 2008) and 9.2 percent Asian (up from 5.1 percent in 2008). Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 24 Diversity Executive | www.diversity-executive.com | September/October 2008 http://www.diversity-executive.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity Executive - September 2008

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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