Home >> Development Initiatives >> Diversity Management

The ultimate goal of diversity management initiatives is to create a high-performing organization by ensuring the full use of employee talents and skills. Not only must employees be competent and well-trained, but the work environment should be inclusive and supportive. The State of North Carolina has viewed diversity management as a critical component in achieving high performance and it is integrated into the fabric of all our human resources programs. Our model for implementation of a successful diversity management program is outlined as:

1. Achieving leadership commitment
2. Developing a diversity strategic plan
3. Identifying qualitative and quantitative measures
4. Designing a diversity infrastructure
5. Developing the special emphasis program
6. Providing diversity learning programs
7. Providing diverse leadership programs
8. Implementing internship and mentorship programs

Leadership commitment

This requires that leaders inspire the employees of an organization to do whatever is appropriate to successfully accomplish a goal or objective. This commitment often involves leadership that empowers others, providing them with the confidence that their work has meaning and purpose beyond the tasks they perform each day. In the area of diversity management, this process involves not only a change in practices and policies to meet the objectives, but also a transformation of the mind-set of the organization. Leadership involves clearly communicating the organization's purpose and direction while inspiring enthusiasm and commitment to that goal. This is the first step in moving toward organizational transformation and the development of an inclusive environment.

Strategic plan

A diversity strategic plan involves the formal consideration of an organization's current situation and the development of a plan that provides direction for an organization's future. These future targets are often defined as short-term, medium-term and long-term goals for the organization. In the State of North Carolina, several items reflect future diversity goals and objectives:

• Reflect the population of the State of North Carolina at all levels in the workforce, specifically in policy-making positions
• Develop a performance culture that includes valuing diversity
• Support programs related to worklife balance, cross-cultural communication, workforce planning and other programs that support diversity management
• Associate diversity management with the employment value proposition to enhance attraction and retention of employees
• For real organizational change to occur, three conditions must be met:

1. There must be dissatisfaction with the way things are
2. There has to be a vision of where the organization wants to go
3. There must be a process by which to get there

As the state of North Carolina seeks a more prosperous and profitable future, we embrace the challenge of change. The strategic plan is designed to implement a process to connect the vision with the needs of a changing reality at home and abroad. Diversity initiatives become a useful option in achieving this end.

Measures

Diversity measures are designed to serve as guides for organizations to assess their performance in relation to achieving diversity objectives. Identified are some indicators of measurements that are, or could be, used to evaluate organizations in the area of diversity.

Qualitative

Quantitative

Diversity Infrastructure

A diversity infrastructure is designed to support and enhance the implementation of diversity initiatives. It may involve the structure of an organization, the positions and roles of those who coordinate the efforts, the communication of and management accountability for the diversity strategic plan, and the visible commitment of leadership to diversity. Within the State of North Carolina, some of the components of the diversity infrastructure include:

• Broad-based leadership commitment
• Accountability system for managers and supervisors (under development)
• Equal employment opportunity planning and review process
• Diversity communication
• EEO Officer Network
• Business case for diversity
• Diversity-based employee orientation program

The Special Emphasis Program

The Special Emphasis Program is a unique program developed by the State of North Carolina. It is designed to research the employment trends associated with specific demographic groups and develop policy and program responses to address the less favorable findings. The program has completed research and policy development in the following areas:

Program Areas:

• Special Emphasis Project: African-American Male Employees
• Special Emphasis Project: Female Employees
• Special Emphasis Project: Older Workers
• Special Emphasis Project: Disabled Employees
• Special Emphasis Project: Other People of Color such as American-Indian, Asian and Latino employees (under development)

The term "Special Emphasis Programs" refers specifically to employment-related programs that focus special attention on groups that are conspicuously absent or underrepresented in a specific occupational category or grade level in the agency's work force. It also refers to groups who are adversely affected by specific organizational policies and practices. These programs serve as a channel to management officials. The goals of the Special Emphasis Programs are to:

• Improve employment and advancement opportunities for minorities, women and people with disabilities in the Federal service
• Identify systemic causes of discrimination against minorities, women and people with disabilities
• Seek ways to help minorities, women and people with disabilities to advance by using their skills more fully
• Monitor agency progress in eliminating discrimination and adverse impact on minorities, women and people with disabilities in employment and agency programs
• Educate State employees and managers about the extent of various forms of discrimination within the State government

Diversity Learning Programs

These are employee-based learning programs designed to increase awareness of diversity concepts. Although each course may include some skills training, the associated focus is to increase the awareness and sensitivity to others in the workplace. Training initiatives developed by the State of North Carolina to achieve these objectives include:

• Integration of Personnel Functions and EEO
• Americans with Disabilities Act (on-line and classroom)
• Broad-based Employee Diversity Training (under development)
• Managing Differences: Reaching African-American Males
• Successful Change in the Workplace
• Managing Differences: Women in the Workplace
• Preventing Unlawful Workplace Harassment (on-line and classroom)
• African-American Male Accelerator Program
• Guidelines for Affinity Group Development

Diverse Leadership Programs

In addition to broad-based employee training, diverse leadership programs target managers and supervisors to provide a similar skill building foundation in diversity management as well as an emphasis on topics such as cross-cultural relationships and communication, personal empowerment, change management processes and legalities of the work environment. Some of these courses include:

• Equal Employment Opportunity Institute (EEOI)
• Cross-Cultural Communication (under development)
• Leadership Initiative for Female Employees (LIFE)

Intern and Mentorship Programs

An integral component of attracting and developing a diverse workforce is a formal program of internships and mentoring. Internship programs focus on providing work experience opportunities to high school and college age students in order to develop their interest in and understanding of state government as an employer. These programs are often targeted at hard-to-recruit areas, women and people of color. North Carolina is recognized as the first public employer to use the services of In-Roads to assist with internship opportunities. Mentorship programs, both formalized and those that occur naturally, recognize that there are many skills required to make it to senior leadership. Mentors are asked to provide guidance and sponsorship of someone less senior than themselves and can do so through the following programs:

• In-Roads Program
• Model Co-op Program
• Youth Advocacy Program
• Department of Transportation Summer Internship Program
• Mentoring Policy (including guidelines)