Monday, 29 September 2008
The Value of Diversity by Design
One of my major initiatives as president was to attempt to address the workforce and diversity issues facing our profession. I am pleased to report that the Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering has just completed and published "Diversity by Design: Guide to Fostering Diversity in the Civil Engineering Workplace." This groundbreaking document is the first ever collection of best practices for attracting and retaining diverse civil engineers. It has chapters on a roadmap to diversity, the diversity landscape, retaining, recruiting and managing.
One might ask, "Why is a diverse force important?" If civil engineering is to be a "full service profession," then that profession must represent the people it serves. Currently, approximately 18 percent of civil engineering enrollment is comprised of women, and all other underrepresented groups represent 22 percent. This is significantly below the national percentages for these groups. Unfortunately, these percentages are not increasing but decreasing.
You only have to read a few statements from key employers such as CH2MHill, who state "Global companies must have an awareness and appreciation of other cultures, so that we are prepared to deal with issues that arise from doing business with them." Another from Klotz Associates is "Certainly, as the world becomes smaller and the issues become international, the more understanding you have of other cultures and people, the better the firm can perform."
Diversity is not simply sex or race or ethnicity or religion based, but is also affected by age. Clearly, those over 62 and a part of the silent generation have characteristics that are very much different than the Gen Xers or the millennials who were born after 1980. These differences can create conflict within organizations. The guide provides an overview of the working styles of these generations along with some challenges that may be faced within the workplace. It indicates that studies have found that effective workplace programs focus on organizational responsibility through affirmative action plans, diversity staff and diversity task force or diversity committees. Networking and mentoring programs demonstrated positive results. Throughout the guide are best practice examples of engineering firms and other organizations.
This guide is a must for every HR department in every consulting firm, government organization, business or university. I urge all of you to obtain a copy for yourself and your HR department, but like other documents, it is only useful if you embrace is and employ the techniques presented within the book.
One might ask, "Why is a diverse force important?" If civil engineering is to be a "full service profession," then that profession must represent the people it serves. Currently, approximately 18 percent of civil engineering enrollment is comprised of women, and all other underrepresented groups represent 22 percent. This is significantly below the national percentages for these groups. Unfortunately, these percentages are not increasing but decreasing.
You only have to read a few statements from key employers such as CH2MHill, who state "Global companies must have an awareness and appreciation of other cultures, so that we are prepared to deal with issues that arise from doing business with them." Another from Klotz Associates is "Certainly, as the world becomes smaller and the issues become international, the more understanding you have of other cultures and people, the better the firm can perform."
Diversity is not simply sex or race or ethnicity or religion based, but is also affected by age. Clearly, those over 62 and a part of the silent generation have characteristics that are very much different than the Gen Xers or the millennials who were born after 1980. These differences can create conflict within organizations. The guide provides an overview of the working styles of these generations along with some challenges that may be faced within the workplace. It indicates that studies have found that effective workplace programs focus on organizational responsibility through affirmative action plans, diversity staff and diversity task force or diversity committees. Networking and mentoring programs demonstrated positive results. Throughout the guide are best practice examples of engineering firms and other organizations.
This guide is a must for every HR department in every consulting firm, government organization, business or university. I urge all of you to obtain a copy for yourself and your HR department, but like other documents, it is only useful if you embrace is and employ the techniques presented within the book.
Posted by at 10:00 AM in Planning for Future in Civil Engineering