Diversity at the top level often gets just lip service

Diversity. That's a term used to describe the equal hiring and promoting of women, minorities, disabled and gay employees in the workplace.

But is it a buzzword or a real factor in corporate hiring practices today?

According to Susan R. Holland, president of HollandRusk & Associates, an executive-search firm based in Chicago, diversity is an "evolving" term. Holland, who has been in the search profession since 1976, has observed the evolution firsthand.

"Today, diversity means looking at ways of answering business needs," said the recruiter, who handles searches for positions of director and above with salaries starting at $125,000 annually.

"In a perfect world, diversity is something positive that drives companies to hire someone other than only the white-male majority."

Looking at diversity in this manner, Holland said, "takes the idea beyond color, gender, disability or lifestyle to being a way of thinking and operating a successful business."

She pointed out that diversity was called affirmative action in the 1970s.

"The real breakthrough comes when a company sees a bottom-line need to service a marketplace that is diverse," she said.

Too often, however, at the very top levels — which remain almost overwhelmingly white and male in the United States — the term diversity is just window dressing.

That's despite the fact that having a diverse work force, from top to bottom, is an absolute need.

"Studies over the years show diverse teams come to solutions faster and are better able to meet the needs of consumers," Holland said.

Her concept of diversity gives hiring officers a "positive approach, not a negative one."

Today, compliance with anti-discrimination laws usually is enforced only at lower levels of the company, where numbers are counted, Holland said.

Too often, a company's mantra about diversity at the executive level is this:

"Admit weakness, get sympathy and still do nothing about changing it, and therefore, when it comes to explaining the lack of diversity at senior levels, to continue with the smoke screen and keep the country club private."

Employers still have plenty of excuses to explain why senior managers are usually white men.

"They often say the minority not promoted hasn't been with the company long enough or that they can't hire an outsider because they have to promote from within, or the candidate doesn't understand the culture," Holland said.

"And they also often fear that diverse candidates are going to bring problems with them, such as possible litigation."

Companies that are sincere about having an all-inclusive work force can take several steps to ensure it, Holland said.

"Build a database of potential people of diverse backgrounds to hire, so then when you have an opening that needs to be filled quickly, you will have women or minorities available," she advised.

"Have real mentoring programs, outside the golf course, with structured ways of allowing senior people to help develop the younger talent. And have a proactive work/family program that acknowledges that a diverse population also values personal and family time."

As much as Holland values diversity — and equal opportunity for everyone, including white men — she would like to see a new evolution of the word.

"It should be replaced with, 'We hire the best.' "

E-mail questions to Carol Kleiman at ckleiman@tribune.com. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.