How to make money out of the melting pot
September 4th, 2007 by moniesMehta, a trained accountant, had no work permit. But more than anything he wanted to get back behind the desk.
Firms did not want to take me in, he says, looking back on some tough times. They didn’t want to sponsor me.
Luckily, a friend took the trouble to forward his resume to the Garden City-based accounting firm of Margolin Winer & Evens. The Long Islanders liked what they saw and decided to sponsor him.
It was a very good break for me, Mehta says.
He’s now a senior accountant at a prestigious regional firm. And at 27, he can foresee a great future. Diversity experts say that’s exactly the point.
With a shortage of talent in the industry, individuals are grateful that employers take the time and trouble to do things like secure visas for potentially valuable employees. That’s the view of Robert Micera, director of human resources at Mehta’s employer. You just built some loyalty.
Loyalty and retention are just the starters. Other perks for companies embracing diversity include the tapping of new talent pools and skill sets, plus the often-overlooked factor that the diversity of a new employee actually could help his boss tap entirely new markets. As MWE partner Craig Savell puts it, clients appreciate working with a staffer who knows their language and culture.
On Long Island, diversity efforts are vital, especially as the region’s population grows more diverse. The latest Census figures show a surge in the minority population between 2000 and 2004. The Long Island Hispanic community has grown by nearly 17 percent, Asian by 37 percent, and black by 4.4 percent.
To get in tune with these changes, the private sector is making changes:
VENDORS: Nowadays many major corporations are prompted to ask their vendors how diverse their own workforces are, points out Joseph Ortego, a partner at Nixon Peabody who serves on the Garden City law firm’s diversity committee. What’s more, they even want to know about the promotion rate of the company’s minority workers, including its attorneys and support staff. Ortega notes that when they send out requests for proposals, right up front they ask the question: What is your diversity?
RECRUITING: To gain an edge, smart firms such as Nixon Peabody look for job candidates through such organizations as the National Bar Association, a network of African American professionals in the legal field, and the Hispanic National Bar Association. At Margolin Winer & Evens, they like to find their candidates at colleges all over the metropolitan area and upstate New York that are known for having diverse student bodies.
ACCLIMATING: It’s equally important to welcome these staffers into the firm, especially as Long Island is ranked the third most segregated suburban region in the nation, as noted in the Long Island Index 2005, a report sponsored by the Rauch Foundation of Garden City. And a continuing focus on training and development fosters employee loyalty.
PERSONALIZING: For all employees, the scheduling of assignments can be tricky. But as part of a company’s diversity efforts, Micera says that it must be aware of employees’ special needs. A woman, for instance, may be working a flextime schedule, so the firm must figure how to balance her personal goals while still serving their clients. It’s a challenge, he says, but nothing that can’t be worked out with ongoing programs.
All these efforts must be seen as normal part of doing business, emphasizes Nixon Peabody. The firm makes a real effort to mentor its minority members to guarantee them every opportunity to excel.
Author: Adina Genn
Posted in Uncategorized |