By J.D. Booth
November 1, 2007
Some of the best run organizations today have discovered the real “killer app” goes beyond technology and infrastructure. It’s people. And more to the point, it’s people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. In short, it’s our differences that not only set us apart but make us better. But how do we get there? And more to the point, who are the people who are driving the issue of diversity in the workplace? Corp! asked the question and you gave us the names of individuals…and organizations…that continue to raise the bar. This issue of Corp!, presented in cooperation with the Michigan Business and Professional Association and the Michigan Food and Beverage Association, is part of a Salute to Diversity that includes a Tuesday, Nov. 13 event at the Michigan State University Management Education Center in Troy, Mich. The event is sponsored by Comcast, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, DTE Energy and Plunkett Cooney. Vivé la difference!
Diversity Focused Companies
Chrysler
Chrysler LLC (the automaker recently unshackled from its former German-based parent) appears to be redoubling its efforts to become even more diverse when it comes to suppliers. The automaker’s strategy now includes not only increasing the number of minority suppliers it has, but the numbers of minority employees who work at those companies. “For us, it’s not just about the ownership of our minority suppliers, but it’s the number of employees that our suppliers use that are minority employees,” said Simon Boag, executive vice president of procurement and supply, speaking at its eighth annual Matchmaker event in September. Chrysler has a strong network of employee resource groups that serve as a platform for networking and mentoring. “We know that diversity isn’t just something mandated from the top,” said Monica Emerson, Chrysler’s executive director of its corporate diversity office. “You have to engage the employees in the process to create a culture of inclusion, where awareness and education continue to grow.” Chrysler has been recognized by numerous organizations, including the Native American Business Alliance, which named it Corporation of the Year, and its naming to the 2007 list of “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” by DiversityInc. magazine. For the last 10 years, Chrysler executives have earned honors in the Black Engineer of the Year awards. Most recently Byron Green, group vice president, truck and activity vehicle assembly, was named one of the Top 100 Blacks in Technology and Richard Owusu, plant manager at Jefferson North Assembly, received the 2007 Professional Achievement in Industry Award.
Comerica
The bank may be getting a bit of a bad rap by moving its headquarters to the Lone Star state, but Comerica is still very much a presence in Michigan and, as its employees attest, one where diversity is more a way of life than a program. With the company’s chief diversity officer, Linda Forte, having a direct reporting relationship to the CEO and diversity included as a Comerica core value, the bank seems determined to build on its strengths in that area, regardless of where its headquarters may be. Comerica’s National Diversity Roundtable sets strategy and addresses key issues and topics related to diversity and sets direction for 11 local diversity roundtables, each of which is charged with promoting diversity within a divisional or geographic area. On a day-to-day basis, Comerica staffers take mandatory training (Diversity 101 for employees; Diversity 201 for managers), courses which focus on building an understanding and boosting skills required in a multicultural environment. Even beyond the initial training, senior level executives have diversity built into their performance plan and company divisions have a “diversity scorecard” that outlines goals and measures progress in meeting them. Comerica has some 14 diversity or market segmentation groups, with staffers charged with developing strategic plans intended to reach out to their constituencies. The goal: demonstrating that Comerica understands the groups and their financial needs. The company was named as a “Top 50 Companies for Diversity in the U.S.” by DiversityInc. and has a host of other awards related to various cultural groups.
Compuware Corporation
Differences. For the management of Compuware, one of the world’s largest independent software vendors, it’s something to celebrate. And like any good software developer, the company Peter Karmanos Jr. built has incorporated a process whereby it’s able to benefit from the differences the people who work there bring to the table. Training at Compuware includes mandatory courses intended to teach managers and employees alike how to create an inclusive environment. And the performance of recruiters is judged on how well (and widely) they’re able to “cast the net” for diverse candidates. In addition, the company has designed a strategy that includes recruiters partnering with community and professional groups, locally and throughout the U.S., who are aligned with potential Compuware employees. Once on board, Employee Resource Groups help provide networking opportunities as well as a connection to the communities they represent, among them African American, Chinese, Indian and Latin American. Compuware supports the network through formal mentoring, a “Voices Diversity Newsletter” and a high school intern program designed to spur interest in technology among women and minority students. The reward: a $2,000 college scholarship and the prospect of returning throughout their schooling, with possible employment on graduation. Contributions and community relations efforts are also linked to the diversity initiative, notably through diverse organizations such as the New Detroit Race Relations Summit (Compuware was a major sponsor) and the NAACP Fight for Freedom Dinner and Freedom Weekend. Compuware also works with minority vendors as a way to build supplier diversity.
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