In order to understand the breadth and depth of potential work on diversity issues, you should familiarize yourself with the typical steps in a diversity initiative process that are described in this section. Many of the steps below have links to relevant parts of the toolkit.

Planning and analysis steps

Review corporate-wide initiative: Your plan for diversity work within your organization must be consistent with any corporate-wide diversity initiative. You should look to adopt any new programs that are being implemented throughout the company as well as participate in any events or activities.

Review the business case for diversity: You should review the business case for diversity and select the three or four reasons why a diversity plan makes sense for your organizational unit.

Review answers to tough questions: Resistance to diversity work is very common. Often, employees resist change and diversity work involves change. You should review the Answers to Tough Questions section so you are prepared to respond to employee resistance.

Participate in diversity training: Before identifying diversity issues within your organization, you should participate in some type of diversity training. This training will familiarize you with the wide range of diversity issues and prepare you for what you may find in your organization.

Identify specific issues: The Measurement Section identifies many measurements used to assess how a company looks in terms of visible diversity. However, you also will want to identify diversity issues your employees are facing. You may want to meet with individual employees or have an internal or external consultant conduct confidential interviews and/or focus groups with employees to gather specific information on what they see as critical diversity issues within your organizational unit. If available, you should review any 360° feedback, findings from exit interviews and other post-separation follow-up. In conducting your research, you must remember that some of the employee feedback will likely surprise you --- Don't despair --- Just acknowledge the issues and use this toolkit to begin addressing them.

Mid-level and senior managers may want to undertake an employee survey to identify diversity issues in the work environment, depending upon the number of employees in their organization. For the design and implementation of the survey, you will want to utilize the services of either an internal or external consultant.

In addition, senior managers may want to consider conducting a cultural audit of the organization. A cultural audit is a comprehensive review of all relevant company data in an effort to identify diversity issues in the organization. It typically takes about six months and involves the systematic review and analysis of demographic data on representation, hiring, promotion, and turnover; in-depth research of employee opinion; and evaluation of human resource policies, programs and systems. Cultural audits are usually part of large, corporate initiatives on diversity. While conducting a cultural audit is preferable, it is not required to address diversity issues and to implement the actions recommended in this toolkit.

This toolkit is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace legal, compliance, or other professional advice. TWP assumes no liability for the use of this toolkit.
Web-based Leaders' Toolkit, © Copyright, 2002. Technology Workforce Partners. All Rights Reserved. Technology Workforce Partners was a consortium of high technology companies that worked collaboratively on diversity issues in the workplace from 1995-2005.