Nearly Half of US Employers Fail to Implement Formal Diversity Recruitment Programs

Monster and Diversity Best Practices Unveil Diversity Recruiting Survey Revealing Prevalent Employer Practices and Job Seeker Attitudes

Monster, the global online careers and recruitment resource and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), and Diversity Best Practices today announced the availability of a new research study: Bridging the Gap: Diverse Job Seekers, Employers and the Internet. The report reveals that 82 percent of ethnically diverse online job seekers believe that the resources a company dedicates to diversity recruiting reflects the company’s overall commitment to creating a diverse workforce. Yet, only 54 percent of U.S. employers implement such recruitment programs.

Drawing on surveys conducted with more than 200 HR professionals at U.S. employers with 500 or more employees, and nearly 500 online, ethnically diverse job seekers, the report provides new insight into corporate diversity recruiting practices, attitudes held by African-American, Hispanic and Asian job seekers about diversity issues in the recruitment process, and the connection points and gaps between employers and these seekers.

Key findings regarding ethnically diverse online job seekers in the U.S. include:

86% agree that it is important that the organization I work for actively tries to recruit and retain a diverse workforce

82% believe that you can tell how much effort and resources companies put into diversity recruiting whether they are truly committed to creating a diverse workforce; and
Nearly 60% look for information on organizations’ diversity policies and programs when they are looking for a job.
U.S. employer-specific key findings include:

66% of companies have an official written statement conveying the organization’s mission or vision regarding diversity

54% have a formal diversity program, which may include initiatives such as diversity training, diversity recruitment, employee forums or mentoring programs
37% have specific diversity targets or goals; and
3% have a separate diversity recruitment budget.

The data suggests that the issue of diversity remains important to minority job seekers when they are evaluating potential employers, said Steve Pemberton, Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, Monster. They are actively looking to companies to prove their commitment to building workforce diversity. Clearly, the survey findings show that there remains a significant opportunity for a large percentage of U.S. companies to implement formal policies and programs that will help make diversity a reality within their organizations and make them more appealing to prospective employees.

Edie Fraser, Founder of Diversity Best Practices added, According to our findings, the majority of U.S. employers and job seekers alike believe that diversity engenders two important qualities necessary to maintain a competitive edge: innovation and creativity. It is imperative that a company dedicate resources to help promote a culture of inclusion, and to ensure it presents a clear, consistent message to future employees about its commitment to diversity in order to recruit and retain the best talent.

Bridging the Gap: Diverse Job Seekers, Employers and the Internet details how the Internet is one of the most effective means of reaching diverse job seekers, and provides further insight into how the medium can be better used by employers looking to reach diverse seekers. Also, in addition to examining the practices of employers, the study delves into the perceptions and attitudes of diverse job seekers. The full findings of the survey are available for free at: http://diversityresearch.monster.com/.

Survey Methodology: Human Resources Professionals Study
The survey findings presented here are the results of a telephone study conducted August 5-24, 2005, by Roper Public Affairs & Media - a part of GfK NOP - of 202 Human Resources professionals. Respondents were selected from a nationally representative sample of companies with 500 or more employees, as identified by Dun & Bradstreet. Data was weighted using Dun & Bradstreet data to accurately represent the proportion of companies with 500-999 employees and 1,000 or more employees. Therefore, for this research, midsize companies refer to those with 500-999 employees, large companies have 1,000 or more employees.

Survey Methodology: Online Diverse Job Seekers Study
The findings presented are the results of an online study conducted August 16-25, 2005 by Roper Public Affairs & Media - a part of GfK NOP - of 486 adult Americans ages 18 or older. Respondents were recruited from an online panel and qualified for the study on two criteria: (1) ethnicity (African-American, Hispanic or Asian) and (2) having recently looked for a job using online resources.