In order to make its monitoring and revising effective, an institution ought to predict, as best it can, how many minorities and women it would select over time, were it successfully nondiscriminating. Organizations were expected to set and meet goals for hiring women and minorities; they were forced to analyze their hiring and retention processes. Previously, an organization with strictly white male leadership never had to think twice about why that was. Were only white males qualified for the job or was it discrimination at work? Organizations now had to qualify and quantify their activities as well as scrutinize their hiring and retention practices. They were now forced to answer the hard questions. Such as why are women only hired as secretaries or why do blacks leave the firm at a much higher rate than whites? Organizations face a shifting landscape where the population is no longer majority white or black, but every shade in between. . By 2050, the U.S. population is expected to increase by 50% and racial/ethnic minorities will make up nearly half of the population. (Futurework: Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century, 1999). Action/Equal Opportunity Employment is not only mandated but key to any organizations longevity.
Affirmative Action in my Workplace
How has Affirmative Action affected my workplace? Affirmative Action is an important push at my organization. While we don't call it Affirmative Action-based recruitment, the term we use is diversity, with Affirmative Action being the cornerstone. My organization seeks to create a culture of inclusion and diversity, our goal is to hire and promote the best, regardless of background or gender. We have programs that specifically seek to recruit minorities by attending events such as career fairs, campus events and colleges that are dedicated to African-Americans, people with disabilities or women, for example. The goal is to seek out highly qualified candidates to join our organization. My organization also has groups...
These particular forums address the opportunities and challenges they face within and outside our organization. We have a club for women, Veterans and people of Hispanic origin, just to name a few. This serves as a way for management to receive feedback and to address any issues that employees may have to take action any necessary to fix the problem. Employees are very satisfied with groups that address their specific needs. As a result, my organization is able to retain employees and keep employee satisfaction levels high. These programs serve as a vehicle to create a supportive and diverse workplace environment.
Conclusion
I can truly say my workplace reflects the population that we serve. Three decades ago the management team at my organization consisted of primarily white males. Today, almost every race, women and individuals with disabilities are members of our management staff. There are no apparent gaps between what the Government intended Affirmative Action to achieve and what the affects of Affirmative Action in my workplace. My organization has made great strides and has even received accolades for their Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity practices and successes.
References
Bohlander, G. & Snell, S. (15th ed.). (2010). Managing Human Resources (618).
Mason, Ohio: South-Western, Cengage Learning.
Styles, Marquita. (1995). The Origins of Affirmative Action. Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from: http://www.now.org/nnt/08-95/affirmhs.html
The 'No One Deserves His or Her Talents' Argument for Affirmative
Action: A Critical Analysis. (1999). Social Theory and Practice, 25 (Spring):
53 -- 60.
U.S. Department of Labor. Futurework: Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century. (1999). Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from: http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/herman/reports/futurework/report/letter.htm
