Diversity Management . . . A New Approach

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

In order to have a work force with a wide array of capabilities, it is important to have a diversified staff. A successful diversity initiative must change with the times and grow with the organization. In response, Chesterfield County launched it's "Diversity Management ... A New Approach" campaign in order to progress toward its goal of attracting and retaining a diverse work force. Since 2009, Chesterfield County has changed its diversity direction and charted a new course that is currently employee focused, employee owned and employee administered. This was a natural progression, since many years were previously spent educating employees concerning diversity. That foundational training helped to mature the work force, and now employees have taken the reins regarding leading diversity programming in Chesterfield County. To initiate this new approach, the county conducted a cultural competency survey of all departments. As a result, the committee produced a number of Web-based diversity programs, allowing more employees the opportunity to receive training and exposure to diversity in the county. In 2010, the committee created and added a monthly news article series, What My Heritage Means to Me, featuring articles written by individual employees about their ethnic heritage. Foundational diversity training remains a major function of the county’s diversity initiative and program. As a direct result of implementing the diversity initiatives previously described, the county has made significant progress toward achieving its goal of increasing diversity in the work force at all levels and in all areas of county government in an effort to be reflective of the community. Also, the county continues to maintain a low turnover rate for minority employees and has increased employee satisfaction for minorities in the work force, as evidenced by the biennial Organizational Climate Assessment statistics.