Diversity Strategist Trevor Wilson has created an "Equity Continuum," which categorizes organizations into six categories. Essentially, the scale rates a business on the effectiveness of its diversity practices and offers a concrete, empirical tool to measure actual organizational policies, attitudes, practices, and corporate commitment at each point on the scale. How do you measure up?
Zero: This is a company that believes it rates a five, although there is no strategic policy for managing diversity. Management and senior executives do not believe that there is discrimination within the organization. Further, employees are expected to adapt to existing corporate culture norms.
ONE: A company that pursues diversity goals simply because it believes it has to, if only to avoid the negative consequences of not implementing diversity. This company merely recruits women and minorities, but does not have any formal networks of communications or retention and mentoring programs.
Two: A business that ranks at this level is considered a "do-gooder," which means that management is motivated by a sense of altruism and a perceived desire to assist the disadvantaged. Although these firms may have diversity initiatives for certain under-represented groups, they do not have an overall clear vision or strategy for achieving workforce diversity. They do not have affinity groups, diversity committees, or a diversity officer to enforce its goals.
Three: At this level, an organization has apparent "business reasons" for enforcing diversity plans, or the company may do so because there are significant business or organizational reasons. It has a minimal diversity plan in place, but it is not interwoven into the core of its business practices. A company at level thee fails to foster an overall environment of inclusion whereby all employees feel as though they count and can participate in the business' diversity process.
Four: A company at level four is truly motivated to create and implement a well-defined diversity strategy and is taking active steps to enforce these goals. It strives to educate employees at all levels about the importance of creating and sustaining an environment which supports and values differences. It also has employee diversity training programs, unbiased employee performance evaluations, and adequate compensation and flexible benefits plans. However, such a company does not have a diversity metrics system, nor does it hold management or individuals accountable for promoting diversity.
Five: An employer at level five has developed an "equitable employment system" or one that has established itself as the employer of choice. It has created a culture that values differences and promotes ideals of inclusion in the work environment. It includes all of the initiatives outlined under point four on the scale, as well as a well- developed supplier relationship with minority-and women-owned vendors and an effective diversity metrics system intact to measure its goals.
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