DIVERSITY AT WORK：THE BUSINESS CASE FOR EQUITY

Diversity at Work: The Business Case for Equity explains why you should strive for a more diverse and equitable workforce: not because you have to comply with legislation and not to feel warm and fuzzy inside, but because it makes good business sense.

Diversity at Work: The Business Case for Equity is a hands-on, practical guide to the why and how-to of striving for diversity and equity in the workplace:

• Creating a fair employment system for all employees
• Accommodating and valuing difference
• Hiring and retaining the best-qualified person for the job
• Basing all recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions entirely on merit and equal opportunity
• Overcoming backlash associated with controversial affirmative action and employment equity legislation
• Successfully implementing a sound and effective diversity strategy in your organization
• Achieving improved bottom-line results

Trevor Wilson is Canada's leading consultant specializing in diversity management and employment equity. He is the President of TWI INc. His firm's clients include some of North America's largest and most progressive employers, including: IBM, Nortel, Ernst and Young, SHL/MCI Systemhouse and Bell Canada. Wison also won a world-wide search to work on a major diversity educational project for one of South Africa's largest employers, South African Brewery (SAB). Before founding TWI Inc. in 1996, Trevor Wilson was the President of Omnibus Consulting. Trevor has held several posts in the Ontario government, advising on issues of multiculturalism, race relations and human rights. He has been active in community affairs, serving on the City of Toronto Mayor's Committee on Race Relations, as Vice-President of Government Affairs for the African-Canadian Entrepreneurs, as well as the board of directors for the United Way of Greater Toronto. Trevor has been profiled often by the media, including the Financial Post Magazine, Venture, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.

Mary Ann Sayers, former Organizational Development Manager for Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd., has over seventeen years of marketing, advertising, and communications experience. Her clients have included such major corporations as Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd., Manulife Insurance, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Vickers & Benson Advertising. She has a degree in Journalism and a background in Human Resource Management.

Foreward
Preface
Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: Diversity: The Demographic Reality of the Work Force
Stories from the Front Line
The Changing Demographic Reality
Our Changing Work Force

• Women
• More Dual-Earner Families
• More Single-Parent Families
• More Women with Responsibility for Infant Children
• An Older Work Force
• More Workers Caring for Elderly Parents or Relatives
• People of Colour and Ethnic Minorities
• People with Disabilities and Employees Caring for People with Disabilities
• Gay and Lesgian Workers
• Aboriginal People
• Changing Worker Values

The Consequences of a More Diverse Work Force
Time for a New Human Resource Strategy

The Age of Inequality (1950-1960)

The Age of Equality (1960-1990)

The Age of Equity (2000 +)

The Diverse Strategy

Chapter 2: The Goal of a Diversity Strategy
How Does an Equitable Employment System Operate?

Attitudinal Discrimination

Jane's Case

Systemic Discrimination

The Case of Union Gas

Inequitable Affirmative Action
The Business Case for Equity
The Case of New Era Technology
The Model for the Business Case for Equity

Customer Value

Customer Value Links to Customer Satisfaction

Customer Satisfaction Links to Customer Loyalty

The Link Between Customer Loyalty and Increased Revenue/Profit
Summary

Chapter 3: The Equity Continuum
Fives— Equitable Employment Systems

Zeros— No Problem Here!

Ones— Legislated Fairness or the Sheriff is on the Corner

Twos— Good Corporate Citizens

Threes— The Business Reasons

Fours— Transition

Fives— Still Only a Goal
A Brief History of Legislated Fairness in the United States and Canada
1961
1964
1965
1968
1969
1972
1978
1980
1984
1986
1991
1992
1993
1995
Business to the Rescue— A Return to Diversity

Chapter 4: The Essential Components of a Diversity Strategy
Lesson 1: Link Diversity Strategies to Business Objectives

Why Do Legislated Programs Fail to Motivate Organization to Pursue Effective Equity Programs?

The Work-Force Link

Links to the Marketplace
Lesson 2: A Diversity Strategy Must be Inclusive for all Employees

Women-in-Management Programs

The Inclusive Approach
Lesson 3: Protect the Merit Principle

Defining Merit
Lesson 4: Don't Rely on the Numbers

Numbers are Tangible Evidence

The Number-Setting Process Does Not Require Major Change

No Other Way to Measure Progress

Numbers are the Oil Light
Summary

Chapter 5: Linking the Diversity Strategy to the Business Strategy
Linking the Diversity Strategy
Step 1: Establishing the Key Business Objectives

The Six Business Objectives
Step 2: Identifying the Relevant Diversity Issues
Step 3: Linking Relevant Diversity Issues with E&Y; Business Objectives

To Develop Our People

Client Expectations

Teamwork and Integration of Services

Innovation and Market Positioning

Superior Profitability
Summary
CIBC: Linking Diversity to the Changing Marketplace
Diversity: More Than Human Resources Initiative

Chapter 6: Achieving Management Commitment to and Employee Awareness of Diversity
The Executive Briefing Session

Lack of Awareness

Hostile Reactions

Apathy
Summary
The Communications Strategy
Developing an Effective Diversity Communications Plan
1. Why Do You Want to Communicate?
2. What Do You Want to Communicate?

Key Message 1: What is Diversity?

Key Message 2: The Business Approach

Key Message 3: The Goal of the Diversity Strategy— Equitable Employment Systems

Key Message 4: The Key Elements of the Diversity Plan
3. How Do You Want to Communicate?
4. What Result Do You Want to Achieve?

The Most Commonly Asked Questions
Education

Shift the Focus

Dealing With Backlash Issues

Facing the Most Contentious Diversity Issues

Identifying Attitudinal and Systemic Discrimination

To Introduce Participants to the Benefits of a Diverse Work Force

Intigrating the Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
Summary

A Generic Outline for a Diversity Education Program

Chapter 7: The Employment Systems Review: How to Involve Employees in Developing the Diversity Strategy
The Employment Systems Review
Establishing the Equity Advisory Committee

Employment Systems Review Subcommittees

Reviewing the Recruitment Systems

Reviewing the Selection Systems

Reviewing the Training and Development Systems

Reviewing the Promotion System

Reviewing the Job Evaluation System

Reviewing the Compensation and Benefits Systems

Reviewing Working Conditions

Reviewing the Performance System
Conclusion

Chapter 8: Effective Measurement in a Diversity Strategy
The Self-Identification Questionnaire (SIQ)

Common Questions and Answers Regarding SIQ
Measuring Equity

Measuring Employee Perceptions

Informal and Structured Interviews

Focus Groups

Non-Normed Climate Surveys
The Equity Quotient— A Normed Opinion Survey

The Union Gas Case

Linking the Qualitative and Quantitative Data
Another Approach— Benchmark Commitment Surveys
Conclusion

Chapter 9: The Seven Steps to a Five
The Case of Sunnybrook Health Science Centre

Identifying the Need for a Diversity Program

Integration with the Business Strategy
Step 1: The Needs Analysis and Preliminary Work Plan
Step 2: Communications and Education
Step 3: Quantitative and Qualitative Data Gathering
Step 4: Data Analysis
Step 5: Planning
Step 6: System Change
Step 7: Implementation
Criteria For Successful Implementation

Integration With the Vision

Accountability

Measurable

Workable/Achievable

Chapter 10: The Fairest in the Land: Best Practices from Diversity Leaders
Accommodation

The Ernst & Young Alternative Work Arrangement Policy

Other Best Practices in Accommodation
Diverse Work Teams

Wellington Insurance Company

Other Best Practices in Effective Work Teams
Equitable Opportunity

The CASCO Selection Process

Other Best Practices of Equitable Opportunity
Dignity and Respect

IBM— Respect for the Individual

Other Best Practices in Dignity and Mutual Respect
Summary

Index