You are the HR manager for a company that has recently recei

You are the HR manager for a company that has recently received a federal contract in excess of $1 million. In conducting utilization analysis on your present workforce of operators you find that 10 percent of your work force is black, whereas 30 percent of the workforce in the relevant labor market is black. According to Affirmative action guidelines, what must be done to correct this difference?

Solution

Affirmative action in an organization\'s recruitment practices increases the pool of qualified candidates from diverse groups, black people workforce in this case. Employers accomplish this through broadening their advertising reach and via outreach programs designed to attract women and minorities. Outreach efforts include sponsoring job fairs at business conferences or colleges and universities, such as those referred to as HBCUs, or, historically black colleges and universities. Affirmative action employers may also source candidates from professionals associations.

Federal affirmative action regulations require that government contractors develop a written affirmative action plan. In addition to an affirmative action plan document, in this case the company\'s CEO or highest-ranking executive almost must demonstrate their support for equal employment opportunities in a written statement. Many companies prepare a written policy statement that affirms the organization\'s commitment to fair employment practices, building diversity within its ranks and the company\'s affirmative action plan. A copy of the written statement is posted throughout the workplace and enclosed in application packets for people interested in jobs.

An applicant flowchart is an example of affirmative action in the workplace. Work on an applicant log or flowchart occurs behind the scenes within the human resources department. An applicant log reveals the race, sex, ethnicity or national origin, and veteran or disability status age of people who apply for jobs with the company. This information isn\'t used to make hiring decisions; it\'s filed and maintained separately from other employment records. An applicant log may also contain the recruitment source or where the applicant learned of open positions. Companies that are required to have written affirmative action plans must be able to produce copies of their applicant flow log upon require by the Department of Labor\'s Office of Contract Compliance Programs.

Here are some general examples of affirmative action programs in the employment context:

•Identifying and dismantling discriminatory barriers such as biased testing or recruitment and hiring practices;

•Conducting outreach to underrepresented women and minorities (black workforce in this case) by targeting colleges, ethnic media, or women and minority organizations;

• Increasing workplace diversity by allowing factors such as race, ethnicity or gender to be among those considered in evaluating qualified candidates;

• Instituting and reviewing mentoring and targeted training programs;

• Addressing hidden biases in recruitment, hiring, promotion, and compensation practices, such as unnecessary job requirements; and

• Setting flexible goals for managers and supervisors.