affirmative action and diversity (101 lesson: two different things) are two topics that can go hand-in-hand with both having many, many layers, and many, many angles. let me say this first, and now, and loud: i'm not a big fan of diversity programs. i have always had a hard time getting behind them because really, too many organizations go about approaching diversity too lightly, or too naively. in thinking again about Malcolm Gladwell's thoughts achievement shortages, versus talent shortages, diversity programs are on my mind. some food for thought - and more on why i think most diversity programs stink...
let's say you have diversity targets or quotas so that your workforce better reflects the general population. each year, you review your applicant pools and workforce stats to see how they stack up and where you may have fallen short... not enough women, not enough Native Americans, not enough of this or that. you target your recruitment efforts to try to improve those stats by placing advertisements on "strategic" websites or newspapers or associations... but beyond "outreach" attempts, are you actually talking to these communities you're trying to recruit from? where's your relationship with them?
and what if the reality is that in some situations, if not many situations, those highly qualified A-player candidates who are "underutilized" based on your affirmative action plan output simply don't exist? are you doing anything about that? there are industries and professions that have systemic, institutional barriers for why people of certain backgrounds do not enter... it's not usually for a lack of interest that they aren't there. and it isn't that they aren't capable, so they aren't "making it" in your field. there's an achievement shortage which means outreach has to start at a grassroots level and work may need to be done to encourage new blood into such fields and then work to help them be successful in the said field. (think women in engineering for example...)
if diversity is so important to organizations... and in this market, if your reqs are dwindling and you're looking for other talent acquisition or talent management initiatives to take on... i'd challenge HR pros and recruiters to go grassroots. there isn't a shortage of talent in that "diverse" talent pool where your numbers have fallen short... there's an achievement shortage and but placing ads in Latino Times or with HBCU Connect isn't going to fix the problem. you've gotta go deeper. it's no different from when we tell people they need to engage to tap into and become part of a social media communities. you've gotta talk. it's a conversation.
some other good thoughts on diversity (and unemployment) here and some interesting thoughts on what's next for the race discussion post-election of Obama here.
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