Workforce Opportunity Network- Spring 2010 in Review

The conversation at compliance day at the WON meeting was around OFCCP and what members can expect now that the agency finally has a new director, Patricia Shiu. Mickey Silberman, partner at Jackson Lewis and attorney for the NILG, discussed several trends with the OFCCP including the continuing issues around applicant tracking and the Internet Applicant Rule. According to Silberman, OFCCP will continue to focus its attention on applicants to hires because this is easy compared to compensation. Relative to pay discrimination, the agency is moving back to an “any difference” approach meaning questions are raised whenever there is any difference in pay between men and women or minorities and non-minorities. The focus of the agency is shifting to the effectiveness of good faith efforts in providing candidates that the employer hires. Silberman also noted that Patricia Shiu is focusing on the hiring of veterans and the disabled by federal contractors. Nora Vele of Merck and her colleagues in the Merck Veterans Leadership Network discussed the programme they had developed to help veterans translate their skills to ones that could get them hired at Merck. Bari Evans and Bart Bowne of Wells Fargo discussed a process developed to help retain the veterans in their work force.

On 4 February, social media expert Jessica Faye Carter explained to members how web 2.0 technologies can assist with corporate diversity efforts. Carter suggests a concept of Open Diversity that capitalises on the increased openness and transparency that comes with open source technology. This notion of Open Diversity would also allow and encourage the easy replication/adaption of diversity programmes and initiatives across cultural, geographic and organisational boundaries.

Some examples of how Open Diversity could work in large organisations include sharing online information about proposed D&I initiatives in an open workspace, so that planning efforts are transparent and based on input from all stakeholders. Another idea is to create opportunities for more data collection to harness collective intelligence in a company. Technology now allows for instant feedback at the conclusion of D&I events or programmes, anonymous data collection on sensitive issues, and participative processes to provide diversity leaders input on ideas in development. Carter also suggests that D&I leaders should not be afraid to experiment, modify and constantly evolve their ideas – the “perpetual beta” concept. More information on the Open Diversity presentation and other resources are available on the WON network portal www.orcnetworks.com.

WON meetings are 13-14 April at Mattel’s headquarters in El Segundo, California and 27-28 July at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.
Contact: Liz MacGillivray liz.macgillivray@orcww.com