HR MANAGEMENT — 7/15/02
Promote diversity with focused plans

Fostering diversity in the workplace has become a top priority at many successful organizations. Jose Berrios, Vice President of Staffing and Diversity for the Gannett Company, shared his insights into this vital subject at the 2002 Annual Diversity Conference held in Chicago, Illinois.

Think big. Building diversity in all human resource systems is a necessity, urged Berrios. This includes recruiting, training, rewarding, succession planning and promotions. Moreover, diversity must be built into all positions within an organization. While most companies succeed at recruiting diverse talent, they are not as successful in diversifying senior levels. you must look at every layer of organization,” advised Berrios.

You must also look beyond gender and race, suggested Berrios. For example, in traditional areas such as publishing, gay and lesbian representation is a “tough nut to crack.” To try to break this barrier, Gannett (a publishing company) recently implemented same-sex partner benefits.

A good development plan involves monitoring and tracking high-potential women and people of color, as well as developing these people for future and special assignments, said Berrios. Senior executives should also be involved in the review of high-potential candidates. Berrios emphasized the importance of having internal “champions who can identify the talent and move them up the line.”

Analyze why people leave. It is critically important to know why people leave, suggested Berrios. “Look at everything at your disposal to figure out why people are leaving you. Then address those issues.”

Employers should analyze turnover and conduct exit interviews, as well as conduct employee surveys. They should also look into whether they provide challenging work, opportunities for advancement, recognition, training and development opportunities, a work/life balance and mentors. Berrios noted that “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.”

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