Council’s HR Roundtable
Citizen Paine
February 28, 2013
Meeting Agenda
• 4:00 - Welcome
• 4:15 – Diversity Distinction in PR Awards Best Practices
• Jaya Bohlman -Founder and Chief Consultant, Designing Communication
• Judith Harrison – SVP Staffing and Diversity & Inclusion, Weber Shandwick
• Scott Widmeyer – Chairman & CEO, Widmeyer Communications
Also, words from Gideon Fidelzeid, PRWeek
• 5:15 – Future Meeting Topics and Wrap Up
Update From the Council
• “Take Flight with PR” Talent Initiative
• Career Fairs
– April 17, Chicago
• 2013 Harvard Program
– May 16-17th, NYC
• 2013 Entrepreneur Forum
– June 10-11th, Chicago
Diversity Distinction in PR Awards
• Five Award Categories
• Awards presented at the Council’s Annual Dinner
Diversity Distinction in PR Awards
Key Dates for 2013
• April 26 – Submission Collection Begins
• June 21 – Deadline for Submissions
• October 23 – Awards Announced at the Councils Annual Dinner
Scott Widmeyer
Chairman & CEO
Widmeyer Communications
Best Diversity Initiative
Firm Less Than $10 million in Revenue
DIVERSITY STARTS AT HOME
AND THE BUCK STOPS WITH
THE CEO AND LEADERSHIP
2.28.2013
“Having senior level minorities among
your workforce serves as a magnet for
attracting minorities at all levels.”
-- QEM 1992
9
What Has Widmeyer Done
Walk the Walk; Talk the Talk
10
Diversity Comes in Many
Shapes, Sizes and Colors
• LGBT
• Women
• African-American
• Hispanic
• Geographic
• People with disabilities
11
Timeline
• 1993--Widmeyer begins Fellows Program to attract
minority candidates; create new pipeline.
• To date, more than 60 Fellows have gone through
program including about 2/3 considered minority on
some level.
12
• 1998—Widmeyer Communications Introduces Scholarship
Program for First Generation and African American Students at
West Virginia University.
• Program is now in its 15th year and to date, about 40 students
have benefitted.
13
Diversity Is a Multi-Step Process
• What Does that Mean at Widmeyer?
14
• *We increased minority recruitment from Fellow to
S.V.P. level. We strive to be the best we can be and
reflect feedback from top clients (W.K.K.F.)
• *Increased overall flow of new job candidates to get
best qualified candidates without tag of “minority
hire.”
• Our HR director continues to seek out campuses with
large minority populations—Fordham, Howard, CUNY,
SUNY, Rutgers, Montclair. Works job fairs.
15
• CEO Scott Widmeyer sets aside time each month for
key interviews/meetings with job candidates. Actively
involved in POSSE, GW’s Prime Media Movers.
• CSO Margaret Dunning on board of College
Summit/DC and participates in other forums.
• Widmeyer/NYC involved in PENCIL and partners with
a local school as well as host for high school senior to
get OJT in summer months.
16
• Two Widmeyer SVPs are teaching at local colleges and
make connections with key up and coming grads.
• HR Director Peg Toomey brought new interviewing
skills to our staff so that they are more sensitive,
inclusive and asking the right questions in interviews.
Too often, many of us have been in a job interview
and we were asked a question that is very off-putting.
• Widmeyer also recruits at LGBT job fairs in DC and
NYC.
17
Facts Tell Our Story
18
• In 2 year period (2011-2013), in our firm of 45
employees, we have hired 10 minorities from SVP, VP,
Director to Fellow level.
• Promotions of 6.
19
How Sustainable is the Widmeyer Approach?
• Must keep focused.
• Have an open mind set.
• Skilled interviewers.
• Keep up contacts.
• Be sure your hires are part of the chatter.
20
THANK YOU!
21
Judith Harrison
Senior Vice President, Staffing and Diversity & Inclusion
Weber Shandwick
Best Diversity Initiative
Firm More Than $10 million in Revenue
Weber Shandwick
Building a Diverse and Inclusive Organization
Weber Shandwick D&I Program Overview
• Objectives
 Recruit, retain and develop more diverse talent
 Create an inclusive environment to drive peak performance
• Strategies
 External
 Aggressively recruited people of color, particularly at senior levels
 Partnered with PRSA and other groups to raise awareness of local diversity
challenges and share best practices
 Partnered with diverse organizations on sponsorship, leadership and
recruitment
 Internal
 Live, customized, level-appropriate training
 D&I champions in multiple offices created events and ongoing activities
 Employee Business Resource Groups
 Career development for high-potential POC staff
Start with a Strategic D&I Plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
DO
Develop inclusive definition
and vision
Make a strong business
case
Build in collaboration of
leadership, line and HR
staff
Sequence strategically
Emphasize recruitment and
talent development
Include metrics, timing and
accountability
Measure everything
relevant
•
•
•
•
•
•
DON’T
Focus definition and vision
narrowly, i.e., compliancebased
Fail to develop a business
case
Concentrate ownership
with HR and/or Diversity
Council
Create ambiguous metrics
and accountability
Provide “one size fits all”
education
Be afraid to shift tactics if
necessary
Educate, Engage and Elevate
• Educate
 Create understanding about what diversity is, what inclusion is, how they
work together and how they benefit the business.
 Make classes interactive and include level-appropriate information and
tools.
• Engage
 Make D&I a shared commitment with active participation among people
across levels, functions, offices and demographic groups.
 Create D&I Council to advocate for engagement and share best
practices
• Elevate
 Add D&I commitment to agency vision/mission/values
 CEO and agency leaders communicate importance of D&I internally and
externally
Watch your efforts take root and grow
Jaya Bohlmann
Founder and Chief Consultant at Designing Communication
2011 & 2012 Diversity Distinction in PR Awards Judge
Observations & Insights
1.
2.
Growth year over year in entries; improvement in
quality of programs entered
Unclear definition of diversity and inclusion


3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Multicultural marketing
Global operations
Few leadership level programs
Emphasis on events vs. integration and culture
shift
Minimal emphasis on inclusion
Quality of submissions sometimes sub-par
Many creative programs in place; commitment
to D&I is clear
Recommendations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Create a clear, articulated and measurable D&I
strategy that is enterprise-wide.
Look at leadership teams and pipeline for senior
management.
Refine definition of D&I and remember diversity
of background, professions, work environments.
Learn from and partner with clients.
Emphasize culture and mindset transformation
(more than actions and behaviors)
Communicate all D&I positioning and programs
clearly and often to employees.
Conclusion
 Diversity
and inclusion do not belong to
HR, branding, nor compliance… they are
leadership areas and belong in the Csuite, deeply embedded and integrated
within a company’s culture, programs,
capabilities.
 D&I should show up in everything a firm
does and how they do it.
More information





http://prsay.prsa.org/index.php/2013/02/14/diversi
ty-inclusion-good-common-sense-corporategovernance-critical-path-to-prs-long-term-impact/
http://www.prweekus.com/pages/login.aspx?retur
l=/a-strong-case-for-female-inclusion-at-the-toplevel/article/277265/&pagetypeid=28&articleid=27
7265&accesslevel=2&expireddays=0&accessAndP
rice=0
www.diversityinc.com
www.designingcommunication.wordpress.com
http://www.mckinsey.com/features/women_matt
er
Council’s HR Roundtable
Citizen Paine
February 28, 2013