Diversity Executive - September 2008 - (Page 41)

to smaller or otherwise disadvantaged businesses. Along with recruitment and supplier diversity, IKON engages in educational and internal mentoring programs. The company has developed metrics so it can regularly check the progress of these initiatives, and it has seen gains in diversity recruitment and has enhanced its diversity training offerings and employee awareness of these courses. These results reﬂect the company’s movement toward Espe’s identiﬁed corporate goal: “In an increasingly competitive business environment, cultivating a diverse workforce, supplier base and culture are key elements to IKON’s business strategy,” he said. “Attracting, motivating, developing and retaining a diverse workforce helps make us a stronger company that’s able to best meet all our customers’ needs.” – Meagan Polakowski Diversity is not just another program at Johnson & Johnson. It’s an integrated strategy supported by the Ofﬁce of Diversity & Inclusion that fosters respect and acceptance of diversity, develops strategies to achieve diversity, helps share and leverage best practices and presents to the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee on diversity. Johnson & Johnson also has afﬁnity groups that are voluntary and employee-driven. Through these groups, employees have the opportunity to network and participate in mentoring programs, community outreach, career development and cultural awareness activities. In terms of education, Johnson & Johnson’s Diversity University is an online resource that helps employees understand and value differences. To ensure there is diversity in recruiting, developing, promoting and retaining employees, each manager must educate him or herself about diversity and synthesize that knowledge into good management practices. Similarly, each associate must work to create an inclusive environment through respect and sensitivity to differences. In part because of its inclusive environment, in 2007, Johnson & Johnson was ranked as the No. 2 “Most Respected Company” in an online survey by Barron’s magazine. Johnson & Johnson also was named “One of the Best Places to Work” by the Human Rights Campaign. – Lindsay Edmonds Wickman William C. Weldon Johnson & Johnson Healthcare company Johnson & Johnson has a legacy of empowering the diversity of its 119,500 global employees. Its credo, which was crafted in 1943, states: “Everyone must be considered as an individual. We must respect their dignity and recognize their merit.” Rooted in these words, Johnson & Johnson’s diversity and inclusion strategy serves to develop a diverse global workforce that can then serve the organization’s diverse global customer base. “As a worldwide organization, we believe in having a diverse and inclusive workplace that reﬂects the global world in which we do business,” said William C. Weldon, chairman and CEO. “We believe it’s not only the right thing to do, it also helps us drive sustainable, superior business results by enhancing our ability to deliver products and services to advance the health and well-being of people throughout the world.” While U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity and afﬁrmative action programs are a part of diversity, the focus at this health care company is global diversity, which includes age, gender, race, religion, national origin, physical ability, sexual orientation, thinking style, background and any other characteristic that makes an individual unique. To achieve the organization’s global diversity vision and drive better business results, Johnson & Johnson seeks to develop a high-performance workforce, representative of the global marketplace. This diversity drives innovation and allows business leaders to identify market opportunities for consumers across diverse demographic segments. George C. Halvorson Kaiser Permanente At nonproﬁt health care company Kaiser Permanente, diversity is not an addon; it’s a core business principle and a critical piece of the organization’s values, according to Chairman and CEO George C. Halvorson. “It would be impossible for us to improve the health of the communities we serve if we didn’t recognize and support the diversity in those communities,” he said. Thus, diversity is fully integrated into the company’s business plan. “Changing demographics dictate that diversity considerations play a signiﬁcant role in how we deliver care,” Halvorson said. “Being culturally competent as caregivers both helps us serve existing members and attract new ones.” Kaiser Permanente’s strategy is to attract the best and most diverse workers by reinforcing its standing as a “best place to work,” nurturing an inclusive, welcoming workplace environment and encouraging internal movement that ultimately yields more women and minority executives. September/October 2008 | www.diversity-executive.com | Diversity Executive 41 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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