“My attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does, in every institution and walk of life,” Obama said, noting that the Boy Scouts provides young people opportunities and leadership and that “nobody should be barred from that.”

Boy Scouts to Lift Gay Ban?

Corporate pressure from companies such as Ernst & Young, AT&T and Merck & Co. certainly contributed to the Boy Scouts of America’s apparent decision to end its ban on gay scouts and troop leaders, with a formal announcement expected as early as next week. The new policy would leave membership decisions up to the Boy Scouts’ 290 local councils and 116,000 sponsors, which are comprised of religious and civic groups.

“The Boy Scouts of America have heard from scouts, corporations and millions of Americans that discriminating against gay scouts and scout leaders is wrong,” said Herndon Graddick, President of GLAAD, an advocacy group for LGBTs. “Scouting is a valuable institution, and this change will only strengthen its core principles of fairness and respect.”

“Last year Scouting realized the policy caused some volunteers and chartered organizations … to act in conflict with their missions, principles or religious beliefs,” said Boy Scouts of America spokesperson Deron Smith. “It’s important to note this policy would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles or religious beliefs.”

Change of Heart?

However, many news sources say the Boy Scouts’ sudden reversal is less about conflicting missions—after all, the policy had been in place since before the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in 2000—and more about societal pressure to shift toward more inclusive practices.

The announcement comes just seven months after Boy Scouts of America was slammed nationally for reaffirming its anti-gay membership policy after nearly two years of examination, and just one month after Merck & Co ended its funding to the Boy Scouts.

In addition to continual chiding from the public, Boy Scouts of America evoked strong reactions from senior executives and other diversity leaders at top corporations—in particular, Ernst & Young Chairman and CEO Jim Turley and AT&T Chairman, CEO and President Randall Stephenson, who are both BSA board members. Turley very publicly urged the Boy Scouts to reconsider the policy to better reflect the times; the Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs and the U.S. military all have policies of inclusion.

“I support the meaningful work of the Boy Scouts in preparing young people for adventure, leadership, learning and service. However, the membership policy is not one I would personally endorse,” Turley said last June. “As I have done in leading Ernst & Young to being a most inclusive organization, I intend to continue to work from within the BSA board to actively encourage dialogue and sustainable progress.”

Ernst & Young is No. 6 in the DiversityInc Top 50 and No. 4 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees. AT&T is No. 4 in the DiversityInc Top 50 and No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees. Merck & Co. is No. 16 in the DiversityInc Top 50. All three companies have a 100 percent rating on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign, which designates those organizations demonstrating workplace equality for LGBT employees.

The post Obama Joins Corporate Outcry Against Boy Scouts’ Gay Ban appeared first on DiversityInc.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which falls on the third Monday of January, is a federal holiday around the time of Dr. King’s Jan. 15 birthday. It was declared a federal holiday in 1986 and is now observed in all 50 states, with South Carolina the last to adopt it, in 2000. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, about a third of private employers now give employees the day off. A questionnaire sent to the 587 participants in the DiversityInc Top 50 survey found that 61 percent close their offices—and all but two of the companies on the DiversityInc Top 50 list are closed.

• 96 percent of the companies in the survey observe the holiday in some way.
• 65 percent of the companies that close also plan additional events and volunteer efforts for employees.
• 91 percent of the participants that stay open plan additional events and volunteer efforts for employees.

In addition to office closures, the responses show that companies rely on four strategies to commemorate MLK Day: Volunteerism, Resource Groups, Events and Corporate Communications. Below, we share best practices from more than 20 companies.

Volunteerism

Forty percent of the companies we surveyed encourage employees to utilize the holiday as a day of service and volunteerism. Several companies, including Kaiser Permanente (No. 3 in the DiversityInc Top 50), Marriott International (No. 21) and Accenture (No. 12), give employees the day off to serve nonprofits aimed at underrepresented groups in their communities through a call to action for the National Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

• “For the ninth consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente is proud to participate in the National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On this day, thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians will step out of lab coats and suits and into painting caps and tool belts, rolling up their sleeves in community service to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his commitment to improving lives through dedicated service. Last year, employees broke records with more than 7,000 volunteers, including physicians and senior leaders, a 10 percent increase from the previous year. Volunteer activities took place at over 130 sites across the country, serving an estimated 35,000 people.” —Rosalind Padilla, Senior Project Manager, Workforce Diversity, National Diversity, Kaiser Permanente

• “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day of Service has become an annual call to action for volunteers across the country to get involved in meaningful community service. In this spirit of celebration, Accenture people in Detroit and Washington, D.C., will take time to give back by participating in local MLK Day events in January 2013. … Accenture’s Carolinas African American employee resource group in Charlotte will be joining with the Charlotte Experienced Hire employee resource group to serve the Charlotte community through the Habitat for Humanity MLK Day Build project. Accenture volunteers in the Miami office are invited to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and participate in various service activities. Volunteer groups will also be participating in landscaping, mural painting and gardening projects to help beautify the school grounds.”  —Stacey Jones, Senior Director, Corporate Marketing, Accenture 

• “Marriott International honors the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in many ways. We host ongoing volunteer activities in various geographical regions where associates can serve as volunteers.”  —Maruiel Perkins-Chavis, Vice President, Workforce Effectiveness & Diversity, Marriott International 

• “At Walmart, Dr. King’s message aligns with our company’s three basic beliefs: respect for the individual, service to our customer, and striving for excellence. 2013 will mark Walmart’s 17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. In addition to a home-office program where Mayor Dennis, the Honorable Alexis Herman and Tavis Smiley have served as guest speakers, the company has also collaborated with community-based organizations and school districts in community programs. The company also has a Day of Service project that encourages our associates to give back to our community. As Dr. King represented a lifetime of service, Walmart is committed to serve our associates and our customers.” —Donald Fan, Senior Director, Global Office of Diversity, Walmart

• “Altria encourages our employees to use Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service volunteering in honor of Rev. King. We sent a communication that went out to our company employees letting them know how they could get involved: Make It a Day On, Not a Day Off. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (MLK Day) marks the beginning of the year of service as millions of Americans honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by volunteering in their communities. The Altria Volunteers program is one of the cornerstones of ‘Contributing Together,’ giving employees the opportunity to get involved in their community by participating in volunteer events. In support of our volunteer program, Altria Group and its companies have partnered with the HandsOn Network to positively impact local communities nationwide while simultaneously promoting strong corporate citizenship and employee-engagement goals.” —Nancy Adams, Senior Manager – Diversity / AAP / HR Client Services, Altria Client Services

• “Last year, as in previous years, Harland Clarke has encouraged our employees to take on the true spirit of Martin Luther King Day by serving the community. Rather than taking the day ‘off,’ our employees take a day ‘on’ of service.” —Stacy Franklin, Vice President of Human Resources, Diversity and Workforce Performance, Harland Clarke

• “Independence Blue Cross’s corporate volunteerism group, the Blue Crew, participates in the Martin Luther King Day of Service.” —John F. Clayton Jr., Manager, Diversity, Inclusion & Workforce Initiatives, Independence Blue Cross 

Resource Groups

Thirty percent of companies’ Black resource groups take the lead in planning celebrations, events and communications to promote Dr. King’s message of inclusion to all employees. The resource groups frequently volunteer within their communities as well.

• “Some of Ernst & Young’s Black Professional Networks (BPN) have convened client events in honor of Black History Month. For example, our West Sub-Area BPN co-hosted a ‘Black History Month Executive Roundtable’ last year with the Kaiser Permanente African-American Professional Association. The event featured a panel moderated by Tony Kendall (Chairman and CEO, Mitchell & Titus, LLP) and panelists from Gilead Sciences, Kaiser Permanente, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, AAA Northern California, Textainer Group and CBS Interactive. … Our Boston office BPN held its second annual Black History Month celebration last year, where it recognized members and champions alike for their involvement and support.” —Emily Lobel Kameros, Associate Director, Inclusiveness, Americas People Team, Ernst & Young (No. 6 on the DiversityInc Top 50)

• “This year, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield’s African-American affinity group, Enlightenment and Empowerment Enterprise, had invited the League of Women Voters of New Jersey to participate in our celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. They showcased their organization by distributing literature informing our employees about the importance of registering to vote as well as how they can get involved in the voter-registration drive. Bookmarks, which contained a reprint of one of Dr. King’s speeches, were also distributed to our employees. In addition to our affinity group’s luncheon, we run excerpts of several of Dr. King’s videoed speeches as well as various quotes and historical facts regarding Dr. King on our internal television monitors during that time as well.” —Alison Banks-Moore, Chief Diversity Officer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (one of DiversityInc’s Top 10 Regional Companies)

• “Accenture’s Detroit African American employee-resource group will convene for an interactive panel discussion entitled ‘Living the Dream … the Accenture Way’ to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and how diverse workplaces like Accenture, and our clients, are providing an inclusive environment and what things can be done as we continue to move forward. In coordination with the event, Accenture employees will host a canned-goods drive to collect nonperishable foods that will be donated to Detroit-based Capuchin Soup Kitchen. … Accenture’s African-American employee-resource group in Philadelphia will work with the YWCA for a day of workshops and mentoring.” —Stacey Jones, Senior Director, Corporate Marketing, Accenture

• “AT&T’s African American resource group—Community NETwork—participates in several January events across the nation: The Connecticut chapter sponsors a bus trip to the Presidential Inauguration and reflects on Martin Luther King Jr.’s life too as we pay tribute to President Barack Obama’s being elected to a second term in office; the Detroit chapter’s MLK Oratorical Program will have singing and liturgical dance, featuring 10 students reciting the ‘I Have a Dream Speech’; Chicago and Charlotte chapters will participate in A Day of Service, honoring Martin Luther King Jr.; and San Antonio chapters are the major sponsors of the largest MLK parade in the nation. We expect to have close to 100 employees marching in the parade. Also, the Oklahoma City Community NETwork chapter will participate in its local, Oklahoma City MLK parade.” —Forrest Parrott, Executive Director – Internal Communications, AT&T (No. 4 on the DiversityInc Top 50)

• “Each year, H.O.N.O.R. (Helping Our Neighbors With Our Resources) and the A.A.L.C. (African American Leadership Council), two of Johnson & Johnson’s enterprise-wide resource groups, celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This annual ceremony, now in its 35th year, also serves as a means to honor members of the Johnson & Johnson companies and the local community who have inspired and demonstrated a passion for others through caring and service.” —Anthony Carter, Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Johnson & Johnson (No. 11 on the DiversityInc Top 50)

• “IMPACT, Humana’s African-American Network Resource Group, coordinated an ‘Impact Day’ for Humana associates to give a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Members from all five of our Network Resource Groups volunteered at the following nonprofit organizations: Newburg Boys & Girls Club, Christian Care Community Rehabilitation Center and ElderServe. —Kai Vaughn, Inclusion & Diversity Consultant, Humana

• “Our resource groups take the opportunity to educate Kellogg employees about Dr. King’s work via communications, newsletters, etc.” —Mark King, Chief Diversity Officer, Kellogg (No. 49 on the DiversityInc Top 50)

• “Progressive’s African American resource group PAAN plans a celebration for those who are working through a process we call ‘Celebration in a Box,’ which allows various groups using several formats to celebrate the occasion.” —Neil Lenane, Director of Employee Experience, Progressive Insurance

Special Dr. King & Black History Events

Almost 30 percent of companies host corporate events with guest speakers to discuss the significance of Dr. Martin Luther King, civil rights, diversity and inclusion, and Black History Month.

• “Wells Fargo buys local and national print-media advertising as well as radio spots to honor the life of Dr. King. A number of regions participate in MLK Day parades, breakfasts and other volunteer activities to support the communities where our team members live and work. In 2012, Wells Fargo served as the official financial-services-sector sponsor of the premiere of the George Lucas film Red Tails. With a special connection to the Tuskegee Airmen, Wells Fargo honored two of its retired Wells Fargo team members, Colonel George S. Roberts and Lieutenant James Walker.” —Jimmie Paschall, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Diversity & Inclusion, Wells Fargo, No. 33 on the DiversityInc Top 50

• “The North Shore–LIJ Health System has held an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Program honoring Dr. King for the past 42 years. This year’s theme is ‘Living the Dream … the Next Generation.’ The program, hosted by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Literacy, is held in the auditorium of one of our larger hospitals and is also telecast to all of our sites (15 hospitals) through the Health System’s videoconferencing network. This year’s keynote speaker for the 43rd annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Program will be John Quiñones, Emmy Award–winning co-anchor of ABC’s Primetime and sole anchor of the series What Would You Do? … We also sponsor a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Creative Arts Contest for the children of our employees. The winners are presented with prizes at the event.” —Barbara Felker, Vice President, Community and External Affairs, North Shore–Long Island Jewish Health System

• “We start our branded Black History Month celebration—”AT&T 28 Days”—every year on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s a six-week program with TV, radio, digital integration and live events in seven markets. This year, we will begin in Chicago on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We also have an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration luncheon in Atlanta with prominent speakers that is open to the members of our 11 resource groups.” —Forrest Parrott, Executive Director – Internal Communications, AT&T

• “In 2012, Kellogg commemorated Dr. King’s legacy by being a sponsor of the Rainbow PUSH’s annual MLK Scholarship Breakfast in Chicago.” —Mark King, Chief Diversity Officer, Kellogg

• “Army and Airforce Exchange Service always has an official program during commemoration week with a guest speaker and display posters. Our guest speaker is Theron Bowman, Ph.D., Deputy City Manager, former Chief of Police, Arlington, Texas; Consultant, Nation Builder, Police Practices Expert, and Entrepreneur.” —Carlyn Houston, EEO Programs Specialist, EEO Diversity and Inclusion, Army and Airforce Exchange Service

Internal Office Communications

Approximately 21 percent of companies send messaging via emails, newsletters and/or corporate intranets to communicate the relevance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to employees. Some companies, including Ernst & Young, pair these efforts with messaging about Black History Month as well.

• “Comcast and NBCUniversal have changed the homepage of our new corporate website to feature a compelling 1965 Meet The Press interview with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During the interview, Dr. King discusses the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., to help raise awareness of the difficulty faced by black voters in the South and the need for a Voting Rights Act, which passed later that year. Additional historic photos and videos from NBC News’ coverage of the civil-rights movement can be found within the story. Please share this link to help share an important piece of American history.” —Katie Lubenow, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, Comcast (one of DiversityInc’s 25 Noteworthy Companies)

• “Ernst & Young’s local offices/regions (and their associated BPNs) do a variety of communications in recognition of Black History Month. For example, last year our McLean BPN ran a series of profiles of black leaders. In addition, they ran a giveaway with complimentary tickets to see Red Tails, the movie based on the real-life heroics of the Tuskegee Airmen.” —Emily Lobel Kameros, Associate Director, Inclusiveness, Americas People Team, Ernst & Young

• “Marriott disseminates communications to our associates that advises them of local community-service opportunities, events and celebrations they can participate in to celebrate of this day of service.” —Maruiel Perkins-Chavis, Vice President, Workforce Effectiveness & Diversity, Marriott International

• “Humana produces an all-associate communication that informs associates of the work of Dr. MLK Jr. and how we at Humana can pay tribute through community service.” —Kai Vaughn, Inclusion & Diversity Consultant, Humana

• “Deloitte shares messages on our intranet and leaders send messages to their teams about the importance of remembering Dr. King.” —Wendy Berk, Senior Manager, Inclusion, Marketing and Communications, Deloitte (No. 8 in the DiversityInc Top 50)

• “Celebrations of Black history held during the month of February have, from time to time, commemorated the life and work of Dr. King. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois plans to post a tribute to Dr. King on our intranet site this year.” —Carolyn Clift, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Health Care Service Corporation (No. 19 in the DiversityInc Top 50), which operates Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

• “McGraw-Hill proudly recognizes MLK Day as an official holiday and the offices are closed. We generally post an article or commentary on our intranet site.” —Terri D. Austin, Chief Diversity Officer, The McGraw-Hill Companies (one of DiversityInc’s 25 Noteworthy Companies)

 Additional Recognition & Charity Contributions

• “This year will be our 21st Peoria-local luncheon. Caterpillar was the first company to sponsor the luncheon financially. This year, we have Condoleezza Rice as our guest speaker and Caterpillar has not only generously provided financial contribution, but has two tables and is flying Dr. Rice into Peoria on the corporate jet.” —Alma Brown, Communications Representative, Caterpillar Inc.

• “The majority of Johnson & Johnson’s contribution efforts go toward the Frank R. Steele Scholarship Fund, set up by the H.O.N.O.R organization in 1984, that provides financial assistance through the Middlesex County College Foundation to African-American students studying for degrees in Business Administration and Science.” —Anthony Carter, Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Johnson & Johnson

• “Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois celebrates Martin Luther King Day as a corporate holiday.  All employees get the day off. Our Illinois headquarters building is illuminated on Martin Luther King Day with MLK [across the façade].” —Carolyn Clift, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Health Care Service Corporation

• “In Bentonville, Ark., Walmart sponsored the essay contest for local sixth graders where students reflected on Dr. King’s message of equality and discussed how they were living Dr. King’s dream.” —Donald Fan, Senior Director, Global Office of Diversity, Walmart

The post Dr. King & Civil Rights: How Walmart, AT&T & More Keep It Relevant appeared first on DiversityInc.

During this 90-minute web seminar, Joanne McDonough, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ former Office of Diversity Director, and Debbie Storey, AT&T’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Chief Diversity Officer, explain how integrating diversity management into every facet of a business can increase market share and business innovation. PwC rose to No. 1 on the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 list, up from No. 3 in 2011 and No. 6 in 2010. AT&T (No. 4) has maintained a ranking in the top five since 2009, rising from No. 22 in 2008.

Data from our survey show that excellence in diversity management is directly correlated to five best practices:

1. Linking compensation to diversity management.
2. Having diversity councils with rotational positions.
3. Establishing cross-cultural mentoring programs with senior-management participation.
4. Using resource groups for recruitment and understanding the marketplace.
5. Increasing supplier-diversity spend.

During the web seminar, you will learn:

• How PwC’s diversity-department structure is set up to achieve maximum effectiveness.
• How the Candid Conversation Series enhanced cultural dexterity at PwC with all employees.
• The business advantage in adopting LGBT tax-equalization benefits for employees.
• The innovative types of resource groups AT&T is launching that directly tie into its business process.
• How AT&T was able to increase its spend with diverse suppliers by 31 percent in one year.

This 90-minute web seminar is available to DiversityIncBestPractices.com subscribers. Please log in to watch the presentation and download the slides.

Not a subscriber? Buy this web seminar now, or request subscriber information and pricing for DiversityIncBestPractices.com.

The post Best Practices From DiversityInc Top 50: How to be on Top of the List appeared first on DiversityInc.

The six CEOs and eight senior executives at our event demonstrated how their personal passion and commitment to diversity have become a critical factor in making strategic business decisions. In many cases, this helped gain traction within senior leadership and generated measurable results in workforce diversity, while sometimes improving market share.

The two-day event featured two panels with six chief diversity officers—one focused on best practices for executive diversity councils and the other on using compensation to drive diversity-management results. Additionally, DiversityInc Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Barbara Frankel presented exclusive advice on what companies need to do to improve their DiversityInc Top 50 rank.

Watch all the presentations from this event via the players below or view our YouTube playlist. Videos of all the speakers will be posted throughout the day.

Also, be sure to save the date for our upcoming 2013 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity Announcement Dinner, April 23–24, 2013.

How New York City Drives Diversity Results
R. Fenimore Fisher, Deputy Commissioner, Chief Diversity & EEO Officer, City of New York
How does the City of New York drive diversity metrics and results? Find out from a world-class diversity expert.

Diversity in the Workplace: Leadership Counts
Jorge Benitez, Managing Director – North America, Chief Executive – United States, Accenture
This CEO really values work/life issues. He tells us how he includes spouses and encourages family priorities.

Panel: Best Practices on Executive Diversity Councils
Debbie Storey, AT&T; Rhonda Crichlow, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Michelle Lee, Wells Fargo 
Three companies with the best practices—and results—on diversity councils talk about CEOs chairing the councils, setting goals and accountability.

Building a Strong Diversity Brand
John Bryant, President and CEO, Kellogg
The CEO of Kellogg tells us why his company has invested so much over the last two years in its diversity-management efforts.

Workplace Diversity: The Personal Connection in Leadership
Forest T. Harper, CEO, INROADS 
The son of migrant workers, who went on to be a top Pfizer executive, talks about how INROADS helps Black and Latino college students become corporate leaders. Click here to download the presentation slides.

Corporate Diversity at the Top: Q&A With Luke Visconti
Steve Howe, Area Managing Partner – Americas, Ernst & Young
The U.S. head of Ernst & Young discusses how corporate values drive business decisions at his firm

Diversity & Inclusion: Accountability & Your Business Future
Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO, University Hospitals
The CEO of this Cleveland hospital system tells us how outreach to Blacks and Latinos is driving hospital growth.

Workplace Diversity: Using Leadership to Save Lives & Talent by Creating Inclusive Workplaces
Dr. Eliza Byard, Executive Director, GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network)
The head of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) tells you about young lives saved through the help of corporations like yours.

Panel on Diversity Metrics: Using Compensation to Drive Results
Maruiel Perkins-Chavis, Marriott International; Joy Fitzgerald, Rockwell Collins; Chad Johnson, Sodexo
Three companies with the most effective diversity metrics tell you what’s on their diversity scorecards and how they link goals to compensation.

Corporate Diversity: A Personal Story of Why Corporate Values Matter
Michelle Lee, Executive Vice President and Northeast Regional President, Wells Fargo
This exec shares her remarkable story of how and why she became a banker and the challenges she faced as the only young, Black woman in her management-training program.

DiversityInc Benchmarking: Tips on How to Move Up on the DiversityInc Top 50 List
Barbara Frankel, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, DiversityInc
See our tips on the best ways to answer questions on The 2013 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity survey. Click here to download the presentation slides.

The post 8 CEOs Prove the Intersection of Diversity, Engagement & Innovation appeared first on DiversityInc.

Despite entreaties from GOP leaders, including presumptive vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, Akin is continuing his run for the Missouri Senate seat. And all this focus on what he said, his alleged sources of information and the backfighting in the party are proving a negative distraction for the Republican national convention in Tampa next week.

The greater organizational issues one can take away from this are both of a preventative and a reactive nature. From a preventative perspective, how can an organization create a culture of inclusion and respect so people do not feel they can make blatant—and erroneous—statements that are harmful to others? And once a statement is made or action taken, what are the legal and ethical ways to respond? How do you prevent negative stereotypes from seriously impacting productivity?

Without proactive efforts to create an inclusive culture, organizations run the risk of permitting inaccurate stereotypes to flourish, which hampers engagement and productivity. Dr. Claude Steele spoke about this to a DiversityInc audience, highlighting stereotype threat and how it impedes talent development for people from underrepresented groups. [Scroll down to watch the video.]

What’s Legal?

DiversityInc legal columnist Bob Gregg, who specializes in discrimination law, says our laws encourage the ability to have different viewpoints. “We recognize that if we have people from so many races and religions, all these differences create frictions. We address our differences with laws as opposed to guns and bullets … Our policies have to be flexible enough to allow difference but not to allow discrimination.”

Many of these statements are voiced as “religious beliefs.” In the private sector, the Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees that employees cannot be discriminated against because of religious beliefs. Employees can believe whatever they choose but cannot take actions that violate a company’s policy. However, the company must be very clear in its communications on the policy.

AT&T, No. 4 in The 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, ran up against this issue in 2004. The company had adopted a diversity policy requiring its employees to “value the differences” in all employees. A Christian employee, who said he believed that being gay is a sin, requested clarification on the policy and did not receive it. He then refused to sign the policy and was fired. He sued for religious discrimination and won because, according to Gregg, “AT&T failed to accommodate his religious beliefs by failing to provide an explanation and ordering him to sign the policy.”

But in another 2004 religious-discrimination lawsuit against Cox Communications, No. 25 in the DiversityInc Top 50, the outcome was quite different, says Gregg. A supervisor was fired for violating the anti-harassment policy (which had been clearly explained) when he told a lesbian employee during an evaluation that being a lesbian was a sin and that he would pray about her sexual orientation. The court found that the behavior violated a reasonable company policy, and the firing was upheld.

“Our policies should not prohibit beliefs; they should focus on behaviors. If it’s not a matter of public concern, a religious belief or something protected by the whistleblower law, a company can say that if a person doesn’t go along with company values, they can work elsewhere,” Gregg says, adding that it also depends on the person’s job. A vice president of HR, for example, would have more at stake for making a comment perceived as biased than a file clerk. It also matters whether the comment was made on company or personal time, he says.

Can You Prevent These Incidents? 

From these cases, it’s obvious that an organization must communicate its values clearly—and that those values must emanate from the top.

DiversityInc Top 50 companies all have consistent diversity and inclusion policies and statements from the CEO on their websites supporting them. In almost all of these companies, the mission statement also includes a diversity component.

Organizationally, it’s important to engage employees “whose thoughts around their personal values may differ from corporate values,” says Dr. Walter McCollum, senior director of Organizational Development at Sodexo, No. 2 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Dr. McCollum, who will be the luncheon speaker at DiversityInc’s Sept. 13 event on “Managing Relationships Between HR & Diversity Departments,” says it’s critical to recognize the interplay between departments, sub-units and identity groups.

“By paying attention to the impact of actions on different populations, we make sure we account for key aspects of the system, and, therefore, create comprehensive and lasting change. Attending to diversity increases the likelihood that a change process will benefit the system as a whole along with its many parts,” he says.

An essential way to do that is through the use of resource groups, which are a major source of cultural education in an organization and a conduit between mid- and low-level employees and senior executives. All of the DiversityInc Top 50 companies use their resource groups for these purposes, and they make sure the groups are inclusive—so anyone can join, even if they are not of the direct “affinity” of the group. That increases the ability to reach those who have different views, as does mandatory diversity training for the workforce, which 66 percent of the DiversityInc Top 50 has.

Corporations don’t have power over freedom of thought or speech. But companies with clear communications and diversity-management initiatives in place are better equipped for the legal and organizational challenges of dealing with those whose views collide with corporate values.

–Barbara Frankel

The post Can You Prevent a ‘Todd Akin’ Moment at Your Organization? appeared first on DiversityInc.

Photo credit: Northfoto/Shutterstock.com

Augusta National Golf Club announced former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and business executive Darla Moore as its first female members this week. But many media reports and social-media comments question the sincerity and timing of the club’s decision to end its 80-year-old men-only policy.

Some Twitter users said Augusta National’s “motives were questionable at best” and wondered why an LPGA “pro wasn’t first or even at all” offered membership. Some “suspect sponsor pressure had something to do with it.”

IBM’s Female CEO

Augusta National’s men-only policy came under increased scrutiny during the Master’s Tournament this April after Augusta National failed to extend membership to IBM’s CEO Virginia Rometty, the company’s first female CEO. Augusta National traditionally offers membership to CEOs of the tournament’s sponsors—this year, that included IBM, AT&T and Exxon—that contribute about $18 million annually. IBM is No. 17 and AT&T is No. 4 in The 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list.

All four of Rometty’s male predecessors received membership. Rex Tillerson of Exxon and Randall Stephenson of AT&T are also members.

Rometty, who does play golf, later attended the Master’s sporting a pink jacket, reports Forbes, creating further criticism of Augusta as well as its corporate sponsors’ decision to endorse its discriminatory practices.

Stephenson applauded Augusta’s addition of Rice and Moore. He said in a statement: “As a sponsor of The Masters, we applaud today’s historic announcement by Augusta National and warmly welcome Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore as members of Augusta National.”

The club’s membership policies have come under attack multiple times in the last couple of decades. Augusta’s first Black member was admitted in 1990 as a response to civil-rights protests at Alabama’s Shoal Creek Country Club.

Similarly, National Council of Women’s Organizations’ Martha Burk organized a protest in 2002 that pressured Augusta National to remove its gender barrier, as DiversityInc reported in “What in the @#!% Is Wrong With Golf?” But then-chairman William “Hootie” Johnson stood firm on the club’s policy, refusing to allow what he termed “social pressure” to be the catalyst for change.

Burk notes to news sources that her protest greatly influenced Augusta, along with continued attention from other women’s groups. “My first reaction was, we won — and we did,” Burk says. “We gave them a pretty big black eye in April … And I think they knew they could not sustain it.”

ESPN journalist Bob Harig writes that Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne was “waiting for the right time, the right place, the right way” to veer away from his predecessor’s decision.  He notes that Payne may have shown his more inclusive sentiments after the 1996 Olympics had to exclude golf because of  Augusta’s men-only policy. Payne said the event was his “biggest personal disappointment.”

Charlie Hanger, executive editor of Golf.com, disagrees. “Payne seemed genuinely flustered with the harsh questioning this year, and I wonder if behind closed doors that led him to push for the change. The issue was clearly not going away, so they really didn’t have much of a choice,” he writes.

Baby Steps to Gender Equality

Is Payne’s decision purely out of good will? Or is it a PR-savvy play? One article on BleacherReport suggests that Augusta’s motives remain gray and highlights that two women among the club’s speculated 300 male members isn’t enough to “all join hands and start singing.” Augusta’s new 0.6-percent representation is well below the total 20 women now serving as Fortune 500 CEOs (a total of 4.0 percent).

Rice is the first Black woman to serve as secretary of state, and Moore, vice president of Rainwater, was the first woman to be featured on a cover of Fortune magazine.

The golf industry has traditionally been a white and male sport. The formation of the LPGA in 1950 and star Black golf players Joe Louis in 1952 and Tiger Woods in 1997 helped the sport gain publicity in the public eye. In 2010, core golfers totaled 18.0 percent women, up 17.8 percent from 2005, according to the National Golf Foundation. Black core golfers total 3.9 percent, Latinos total 7.7 percent and Asians total 8.9 percent of core golfers, says research from the 2009 World Golf Foundation.

Diversity & Inclusion at Your Office

Currently, women account for 50.8 percent (157.2 million) of the total U.S. population and about 49.8 percent of the world population. Our Women’s History Month Facts & Figures show that women increasingly are obtaining educational degrees and assuming management roles.

DiversityInc Top 50 companies, in particular those in The 2012 DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women, have made progress in achieving parity in representation. That’s why they have more women in top management and CEO positions (8 percent) than the Fortune 500 and are able to connect to the marketplace better.

Here are their best practices for recruiting and promoting women:

Resource groups: Also known as business resource groups or networks, resource groups are particularly helpful for enhancing the talent development of women, providing a peer support system and gaining insight into the key concerns/needs of your female customers.

Mentoring: Our DiversityInc Top 50 data reveals that mentoring is a key way to improve retention, engagement and promotion rates for women. More on mentoring is available in this diversity web seminar.

Work/Life Benefits: Keeping women in line positions so they can reach senior management is one of the top challenges organizations face. Providing telecommuting, flexible work schedules and onsite childcare, among other work/life options, are not just company “perks” anymore but key strategies for approaching the global talent war. Additionally, a DiversityInc networking event on global female talent development revealed that leaders also need to educate managers about the need for flexibility. Watch the video below.

The post Augusta National Found Only 2 Qualified Women Out of 3.3 Billion on the Planet? appeared first on DiversityInc.

During this 90-minute web seminar, Joanne McDonough, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ former Office of Diversity Director, and Debbie Storey, AT&T’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Chief Diversity Officer, explain how integrating diversity management into every facet of a business can increase market share and business innovation. PwC rose to No. 1 on the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 list, up from No. 3 in 2011 and No. 6 in 2010. AT&T (No. 4) has maintained a ranking in the top five since 2009, rising from No. 22 in 2008.

Data from our survey show that excellence in diversity management is directly correlated to five best practices:

1. Linking compensation to diversity management.
2. Having diversity councils with rotational positions.
3. Establishing cross-cultural mentoring programs with senior-management participation.
4. Using resource groups for recruitment and understanding the marketplace.
5. Increasing supplier-diversity spend.

During the web seminar, you will learn:

• How PwC’s diversity-department structure is set up to achieve maximum effectiveness.
• How the Candid Conversation Series enhanced cultural dexterity at PwC with all employees.
• The business advantage in adopting LGBT tax-equalization benefits for employees.
• The innovative types of resource groups AT&T is launching that directly tie into its business process.
• How AT&T was able to increase its spend with diverse suppliers by 31 percent in one year.

This 90-minute web seminar is available to DiversityIncBestPractices.com subscribers. Please log in to watch the presentation and download the slides.

Not a subscriber? Buy this web seminar now, or request subscriber information and pricing for DiversityIncBestPractices.com.

The post Best Practices From DiversityInc Top 50: How to Be on Top of the List appeared first on DiversityInc.

Both companies are long-time diversity and inclusion leaders; Ernst & Young is No. 6 on The 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list and No. 4 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees. AT&T is No. 4 in the DiversityInc Top 50 and No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees. Both companies have a 100 percent rating on workplace equality for LGBT people from the Human Rights Campaign.

Boy Scouts & Gay Issues 

While undeniably a great American institution for youth development, the Boy Scouts have battled the issue of gay scoutmasters and volunteer leaders, as well as openly gay scouts, for more than a decade.

Last summer, the scouts announced they would review a resolution that would allow individual chapters to decide whether to accept gay and lesbian adult leaders, in response to an issue surfaced when Jennifer Tyrrell, a lesbian mother in Ohio, was ousted as a den mother. Petitions circulated on her behalf.

Turley’s public statement was the first by a board member and a corporate leader and is demonstrable of the public stands he has taken to support diversity and inclusion. Turley spoke at DiversityInc’s event last year about his public pronouncement for the rights of women in Saudi Arabia, for example.

In his announcement on the scouts, he said: “I support the meaningful work of the Boy Scouts in preparing young people for adventure, leadership, learning and service; however, the membership policy is not one I would personally endorse. As I have done in leading Ernst & Young to being a most inclusive organization, I intend to continue to work from within the BSA Board to actively encourage dialogue and sustainable progress.”

Stephenson did not go as far as Turley, but he stressed the importance of diversity and inclusion, saying they “are part of AT&T’s culture and operations, and we’re proud to be recognized as a leader in this area. We don’t agree with every policy of every organization we support, nor would we expect them to agree with us on everything. Our belief is that change at any organization must come from within to be successful and sustainable.”

Why Diversity Leadership Makes a Difference

These two CEOs are examples of the type of real diversity leadership that moves corporate policies and changes external organizations. DiversityInc’s  interviews with CEOs from several companies show their CEOs are publicly supportive of diversity management and efforts to create workforces that clearly are inclusive. They also hold executives accountable directly for diversity-management results that benefit the business, a best practice emphasized in our recent diversity web seminar on CEO commitment.

Externally, they take a very visible and proactive stance to support diversity and inclusion. Both Turley and Stephenson are examples of the type of leadership that changes an organization and changes American and global culture.

–Barbara Frankel

The post Real Diversity Leadership: CEOs of E&Y, AT&T on Boy Scout Gay Ban appeared first on DiversityInc.

How are these companies attracting more talented recruits? Jennifer Terry-Tharp, director, staffing, talent attraction and analytics of AT&T, No. 4 in The 2011 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and KiKi Lorenz, college relations manager of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. (Toyota Motor North America is No. 46), share their companies’ best practices and case studies for successful recruiting in this 90-minute recruitment web seminar. The seminar includes data trends from the DiversityInc Top 50, showing best practices that yield measurable human-capital results. Those best practices include the use of resource groups for recruitment and on-boarding, as well as formal, cross-cultural mentoring.

AT&T has demonstrated great success with its recruitment strategies. Terry-Tharp attributes its success in large part to its commitment to preventing high-school dropouts, especially Latinos and Blacks. AT&T is a major sponsor of the Aspire program, which launched in 2009, and works with job shadowing, mentoring and intervention strategies to cut the dropout rate of at-risk students.

Read Increasing Diversity in Talent Development for best practices in developing leadership.

Lorenz similarly emphasizes the importance of a targeted and well-planned internal and external recruitment strategy at Toyota. “Our challenge has been how to create a meaningful recruitment presence but with a smaller footprint,” she explains. “It’s much more than setting up a booth at a business fair.”

She said recruitment doesn’t stop once candidates are hired. “We have to re-recruit and re-engage our associates. If we don’t, other companies will, and we will be left with empty pockets in our workforce.”

To strengthen its efforts, Lorenz said that Toyota looks to community involvement to share its corporate culture and communicate its values to current employees and the public. Some of these relationships include outreach with TELACU and the Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as investments in its local Toyota plant and office locations. Read more about these initiatives in this interview with Toyota Financial Services’ CEO George Borst.

Other best practices that Terry-Tharp and Lorenz detail in the webinar include:

• Holding interactive events online and in-person
• Using resource groups to identify talent internally and externally
• Developing a targeted media and posting strategy for job listings
• Creating a detailed and focused career portal for candidates
• Building relationships and partnering with select organizations and schools

The post What’s Missing From Your Diversity-Recruitment Strategy? appeared first on DiversityInc.

In its 14th year, HACEMOS National High Tech Day aims to reach and inspire more than 1,800 teens and at-risk high school students in 28 cities across the country through collaboration with the AT&T/Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide Job Shadow Initiative, which is a part of AT&T Aspire –a $100 million philanthropic commitment to improve high school success.

HACEMOS National High Technology Day is designed to give students insight into the many opportunities available in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields—areas where people of color have been historically underrepresented. The sessions and job shadow opportunities will give students close access to AT&T employees and help them experience a corporate environment firsthand.

“We’re thrilled to once again offer our future leaders real-world insight and guidance by offering them full access to our company’s senior leaders, employees, and program speakers,” said Delia Hernandez, national president of HACEMOS, the Hispanic/Latino Association of AT&T.  “Careers in science and engineering are extremely rewarding and we hope to spark our participants’ interest in these fields.”

Teens will also tour AT&T facilities, participate in technical demonstrations and workshops including intensive Arduino training, attend an interactive National Webcast, and participate in hands-on activities to learn about careers in technology.

The theme for this year’s National High Tech Day is Transform Your Future, a clear reflection on AT&T’s longstanding commitment to transforming the future of individuals and businesses through continued network investment and innovation. As the wireless carrier that leads the way in the creation of emerging products and technologies, we strive to train and inspire our very best future employees. By helping transform the future of these young students, we’re also helping meet our bottom line and fulfill our commitment to be an innovative company.

In addition to the interactive workshops, students will be able to connect with thousands of other high schools using AT&T Telepresence Solution®, an advanced, high definition videoconferencing service that gives the participant a virtual, face-to-face meeting experience with people across the country and the globe. Each student group will be able to virtually interact with other participating students in other cities as if they were in the same room with them.

HACEMOS National High Tech Day will broadcast a National Webcast featuring CoolSpeak –The Youth Engagement Company – both with a live audience and via webcast with over 25 chapters expected to tune in. CoolSpeak presentations will be held from Dallas, Texas, and Chicago, Ill. HACEMOS chapters will also feature presentations by various AT&T leaders, including Paul La Schiazza, President-Illinois; Carmen Nava, Senior VP-Customer Information Services; Jose Gutierrez, President and CEO, Advertising Solutions; and Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility.

This year’s event will link nearly 1,800 high school students from close to 65 schools in:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Austin, Texas
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Chicago, Illinois
• Dallas, Texas
• Florham Park, New Jersey
• Fresno, California
• Ft. Worth, Texas
• Houston, Texas
• Joplin, Missouri
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Lake Mary, Florida
• Los Angeles, California
• Mesa, Arizona
• Middletown, New Jersey
• Nashville, Tennessee
• New Haven, Connecticut
• Norman, Oklahoma
• Orange County, California
• Orlando, Florida
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Sacramento, California
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Diego, California
• San Ramon, California
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Southfield, Michigan
• Tampa, Florida
• Washington, D.C.

Through the AT&T/JA Worldwide Job Shadow Initiative, a $5.5 million commitment, AT&T will provide job shadow opportunities for 100,000 students across the United States over five years and is on target to reach that goal in March 2012. Since the initiative started in 2008, more than 95,000 students have participated in 216 cities. AT&T employees have volunteered more than 32,000 times for Job Shadow, dedicating more than 260,000 volunteer hours, to help students learn.

AT&T’s Hispanic/Latino Association HACEMOS, with approximately 2,000 members, recognizes the importance of educating Hispanic youth and preparing them for a technology-intensive future. Its members are dedicated to developing and supporting technology education projects in communities where they live and work. For more information about National High Technology Day, please visit HACEMOS.

AT&T is deeply committed to the Hispanic community and organizations that support education and community vitality. For more information please visit espanol.att.com. 

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 126 individual area operations reach four million students in the United States, with an additional 5.8 million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. 

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

CONTACT:  Vanessa Astros of AT&T Corporate Communications, +1-713-513-9521, vastros@connected.att-mail.com

The post AT&T’s Hispanic/Latino Association Inspires Teenagers to Pursue Careers in Science and Engineering With National High Technology Day appeared first on DiversityInc.