Taking diversity further

A conference here next month to help businesses build the right work force

By Mary Chao
Democrat and Chronicle

(04/16/2000) -- Students at St. John Fisher College not only are exposed to an array of cultural experiences, they also are taught about diversity and its importance in the work force.

''We really help bring the college environment to the work environment,'' said Arlette Miller Smith, associate dean for diversity programs and an English professor.

The college isn't trying to be politically correct. It's trying to best prepare its students for a world in which global markets and increased competition for talented workers has business more committed than ever to developing a diverse work force.

''As many companies get more globalized, they realize their work force changed dramatically,'' said Mike Streeter, who works as a diversity consultant to employers. ''The broadening expansion caused more companies to think about diversity.''

Streeter is a member of the Greater Rochester Diversity Council, a trailblazing group of local employers and colleges that wants businesses to think even more about diversity. That's why the focus of the council's third major conference, set for May 16 and 17 at Nazareth College, is on setting a community action plan.

The conference, ''Diversity 2Thousand -- Hear It! Feel It! Live It!,'' is designed for managers and employees who want to foster change in their work and community environments.

Eastman Kodak Co. is the principal sponsor, joined by 18 other companies including Bausch & Lomb Inc., Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. and West Group.

Kodak Chief Executive Daniel A. Carp will be one of the keynote speakers, along with Debra L. Lee, president and chief operating officer of BET Holdings Inc., the parent company of Black Entertainment Television, and Howard Bingham, an award-winning photographer who has spent nearly four decades chronicling the life of Muhammed Ali.

Participants can choose from more than 20 seminars at which experts will present the nuts and bolts of diversity programs -- everything from peer career development groups, to humor and theater techniques, to global leadership training.

The initiative has deep roots in the Rochester community. Four years ago, more than a dozen area employers came together to form the diversity council, the first organization of its kind in the country.

Since then, there have been some inroads made.

Law firm Nixon Peabody LLP attempts to recruit minorities by developing relationships with law schools and tapping their minority students, said Bill Simpson, human resource director at the firm and a founding board member of the council.

But despite such efforts, Simpson thinks there are larger issues to overcome.

''Rochester is not Atlanta or Raleigh, North Carolina,'' Simpson said, noting the region does not have a national reputation for being a diverse community. Because Rochester is relatively unknown compared with larger cities, it is vital that companies and civic leaders promote the region and all it has to offer, he said.

Addressing diversity is more important than ever if a company is to maintain its ability to compete, Streeter said. As companies' work forces become more diverse, so do their customer bases. Customer's expect a company's employee make-up to reflect the diversity of the community it serves, Streeter said.

Area employers must work even harder to prove to potential employees that the area's culture is welcome to many different ethnic groups.

The promotions are needed in a tight labor market that has employers competing aggressively to attract talented workers.

Yet, as companies have been individualizing their benefits, companies also must start customizing their recruiting efforts if they are to have diverse work forces.

That's exactly the tactic Xerox Corp. uses to attract minority employees. The company takes minority job candidates around the community, pointing out key places that would be of interest to them, said Ernest Hicks, Xerox manager of external diversity partnership.

For Nicole Fox, an African-American, it was not the community that sold her on moving to Rochester but the work environment at West Group. When Fox graduated from the State University at Buffalo School of Law last year, she was surfing the Web in search of a job. She stumbled across West Group, a nationally known legal publisher with an editorial unit in Rochester.

The more she researched West Group -- its mission, its culture and its benefits -- the more she became intrigued with the company.

''This is an aspect of law I never thought about,'' Fox said. ''I was hesitant to take the job at first because I didn't know anyone in Rochester, but I thought the job opportunity was too great to pass up.''

Seven months later, Fox is ecstatic with her decision. She was recently promoted from legal research specialist to attorney editor.

''I love my job right now,'' Fox said.

The 26-year-old said she has no regrets about forgoing a career in New York City and is comfortable with the work culture, where there are other people from similar backgrounds. Already, she has formed friendships with co-workers.

''I like Rochester a lot,'' she said. ''There are a lot of cultural things to do.''

At West Group, the human resources department taps top minority candidates by aggressively recruiting at schools with a large concentration of minority students. They are offered the same flexible benefits as all new employees; once they are at the company, managers work with them to develop a career track, said Karin Munksgaard, spokeswoman for West Group.

For West Group, like many employers, having a diverse work force makes economic sense. ''We value diversity because we serve diverse groups of people as clients,'' Munksgaard said.

Diversity includes more than race and gender, employers are quick to point out. The concept crosses boundaries such as age and personal values.

And, employers add, the more committed top executives are to a diverse work force, the more successful their efforts will be.

''You do it because it's the right thing to do,'' said Simpson of Nixon Peabody. ''The more diverse your work force, the more powerful your organization.''