Ethnic diversity from employment consideration - 03/2001

When it comes to diversity, actions speak louder than words, according to results released today from a WetFeet study entitled Diversity Recruitment Report 2001. The study found that 16 percent of respondents looked at a diverse workforce as a key indicator of a company's commitment to diversity while one-third of respondents indicated that they eliminated a company from employment consideration because of lack of gender or ethnic diversity. Among African American candidates, this number is even higher, with 44 percent of those surveyed reported to have dismissed a company on that basis.

Improvement in diversity recruiting is one of the highest priorities of companies today-and it's driven by their recognition that a diverse workforce will strengthen their organization and increase their business success, said Steve Pollock, president of WetFeet. However, our research shows that companies that are the most successful in this area utilize creative recruitment practices, supported by a strong track record of deployment and promotion of diversity employees within their organizations.

WetFeet's Diversity Recruitment Report 2001 surveyed 748 female and minority candidates and included interviews with 12 leading corporations on their diversity recruitment practices. The report, which explored career expectations, job search methods and effective recruitment messaging, was designed to help companies develop more effective recruitment strategies, the make up of a company's executive team and employees as key indicators of that company's commitment to diversity.

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