Diversity as an Employment Brand Driver in the US

1. Recommending a Strategy
Ideas for Today and Tomorrow
“Diversity can Improve your
Employment Brand”©
Revised April 2013 (version 2.0)
Author: Johnny Torrance-Nesbitt, MBA
© Registered with US Copyrights

2. Improve your Diversity, improve
your Employment Brand

Many companies today are incorporating Diversity into
their core business practices

Creating Diversity statements

Diversity Training for Senior Management and employees

Diversity Recruiting efforts

Diversity Supplier programs

Employee Affinity Groups, etc.

However, most companies have not considered
incorporating Diversity into the development of their
Employment Brand

3. Goal

The desired goal of a Diversity effort is to
create an environment that allows each
employee to contribute whatever he or she is
capable of contributing

The desired goal of an Employment Brand is to
create an image [and perception] that makes
people want to work for the firm because it is a
well-managed firm where workers are
continually learning and growing. Once the
image is set, it generally results in a steady
flow of applicants*
*Dr. John Sullivan, “Building an Employment Brand”, July 1999*Dr. John Sullivan, “Building an Employment Brand”, July 1999

4. Goal

The desired goal of a both of these is for the
firm to become an “Employer of Choice/Best
Place to Work”

5. 
Diversity can aid the building of a company’s
Employment Brand

Diversity can help to create an image and
perception of a company where diverse candidates
(and Employees who are diverse) would want to
work and stay

Diversity can improve your employee engagement

Diversity leads to Diverse perspectives which leads
to problem solving innovation

Workforce Diversity engenders an inherent
understanding of the unique requirements of
different markets

6. 
Diversity can help define your culture and in turn benefit
your Employment Brand

Diversity can create (and reinforce) a message of the firm as
a Diversity-driven Employer and a “great place to work” for
Diverse candidates

Diversity can be mentioned in the firm’s EVP.Diversity can be mentioned in the firm’s EVP.
You can state how your firm values Diversity andYou can state how your firm values Diversity and
People of difference in your firm’s EVP, thePeople of difference in your firm’s EVP, the
Employee Value PropositionEmployee Value Proposition

If your Employees experience exactly how your firm would
like to be represented in the area of Diversity, then you will
have a ready pool of Employment Brand Ambassadors

7. *Diversity Defined

Primary Dimension: Age, Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Physical
Ability & Sexual Orientation

Secondary: Geographic Location, Income, Personal Habits,
Recreational Habits, Religion, Educational Background,
Work Experience, Appearance, Parental Status, Marital
Status

Organizational Dimensions: Management Status,
Functional Level/Classification, Work Content Field,
Divisional/Dept Unit/Group, Seniority, Work Location,
Union Affiliation, Management Status
*Source: Scendis & Monsanto: Diversity and High
Performance Relationships Workshops Module 8:
Diversity Layers

8. *Quick List of Possible Metrics for establishing baselines
and evaluating Diversity’s ROI

Metrics should be used to evaluate how well the
organization is doing on their diversity and inclusion
program. These proposed metrics are for the US
only. Keep in mind, rolling out a Global metrics
program is challenging given regional variations in
the demographics of the populace in other countries.
For example, metrics typically around race and
ethnicity tend to be much used in the United States.
*Source: Diversity Metrics, Measurement, and
Evaluation, by Marc Brenman, Workforce Diversity
Network

9. 
Percentage of minorities, EEO targets

Increase in minority representation overall

Increased representation of minorities at different
levels of firm

Employee satisfaction surveys

Better relationships among diverse staff members

Fewer discrimination grievances and complaints

Fewer findings of discrimination by adjudicators and
government agencies

Improved labor relations

Reduction of noose, graffiti, and hate incidents

More diverse hiring

10. 
Improvements in productivity

More innovation and creativity. (There are various
metrics for this, such as patents granted per capita.)

Improved job satisfaction

More career development over time for underrepresented
group members

Better retention of underrepresented staff

Decrease in pay disparities

More positive responses on exit interviews

Higher ranking of the organization in terms of best
places to work

11. 
Awards from special interest and advocacy groups

Inclusion of diversity in corporate social responsibility
efforts

Independence and professionalism of the diversity
officer

Savings in recruitment costs from achieving higher
retention rates for 'minority' employees through building
a more inclusive culture

Reductions in absenteeism for underrepresented affinity
groups when effort is put into fostering an inclusive
culture for everyone

Engagement ratings for employees from different affinity
groups in annual engagement surveys.

Fulfillment of an affirmative action plan, if any

12. *Qualitative measures

Employee climate surveys with questions
about perceptions of diversity, welcomeness,
trust, fairness, etc. should show improvements
over a baseline

13. **Source: The Power of Diversity ROI Measurement Alignment —
Part 2, by Edward E. Hubbard

**“Employer of choice” ratings versus top 5-10
competitors.

Percent favorable ratings on cultural audit
demographic group.

Retention rates of critical human capital.

Number and type of policies and procedures
assessed for diverse workforce impact.

14. High Diversity Awareness
Low Employment Brand Awareness
Preferred State
High Diversity Awareness
High Employment Brand
Awareness
Undesirable State
Low DUndesirable State
Low Diversity Awareness
Low Employment Brand
Awareness
Low Employment Brand Awareness
Low Diversity Awareness
High Low Diversity Awareness
High Employment Brand
Awareness
Employment Brand Awareness
H
I
G
H
L
o
w
HIGHLOW Employment Branding Awareness
Diversity/Employment Brand Awareness Matrix

15. YourYour EmploymentEmployment Brand Diversity ReviewBrand Diversity Review

Questions

Is your Company a Diversity Champion

Has you firm created a work experience for
Employees revolving around Diversity and its
concepts?

Does your Firm have a set of messages and actions
which convey a set of behavior patterns to
Employees and Applicants on Diversity?

16. YourYour EmploymentEmployment Brand Diversity ReviewBrand Diversity Review

Questions

Is your Employer Brand communicating everything you
want it to around Diversity? Are you sending a
consistent picture of your firm as a Diversity-driven
place to work?

Are your diverse Employees enthusiastic about
recommending your firm as a “great place to work” for
all

17. YourYour EmploymentEmployment Brand Diversity ReviewBrand Diversity Review

Questions

Are you sending a consistent picture of your firmAre you sending a consistent picture of your firm
as a Diversity-driven place to work?as a Diversity-driven place to work?

Are your diverse Employees enthusiastic aboutAre your diverse Employees enthusiastic about
recommending your firm as a “great place to work”recommending your firm as a “great place to work”
for allfor all

18. Steps

If you are not managing a part of your Employment
Brand through Diversity, then you will be at a
disadvantage in the war for talent!

19. Why this is Important
When expertly managed, your “Diversity
Employment Brand” will give you the tools to
communicate with Employees and Applicants at
every turn

It will give applicants a reason “to look” and it can attractIt will give applicants a reason “to look” and it can attract
new talentnew talent

It will drawn in recruits who will be most likely to succeedIt will drawn in recruits who will be most likely to succeed
in a Diverse organizationin a Diverse organization

It will give new Employees a reason to engage deeplyIt will give new Employees a reason to engage deeply

It will give all Employees a reason to believeIt will give all Employees a reason to believe

It will help retain those Employees who are most alignedIt will help retain those Employees who are most aligned
with your Firm’s Diverse culturewith your Firm’s Diverse culture

20. Appreciations to for their insights
and comments and suggestions:

Dr. David Ulrich

Dr. Nancy DiTomaso

Dr. John Sullivan
Author: Johnny Torrance-Nesbitt, MBA
© Registered with US Copyrights

21. Johnny Torrance-Nesbitt, MBA is an award-winning Global HR
professional across several industries and with outstanding
successes in Global University Relations, Employment Branding
and Global Talent Acquisition, and Diversity Strategies most
notably at several leading global Fortune 500 businesses such as
Monsanto, Lockheed Martin, and the dot.com start-up,
Unext/Cardean University in Chicago and London, England. He
built the Employment Branding function at Monsanto and the
Best Place to Work Awards efforts and volunteered to be a
Diversity Trainer (training being conducted by Management
Dynamics & Scendis) and built and led University Relations (with
Global reach).