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“A Conversation in Diversity,” Valerie Hicks-Powe
By Susie Smith
This year, 70% of
those entering the workforce will be women and minorities,
and 30% will be white men. In recent years, the number of
Hispanics and Asians entering the national workforce has
doubled. Citing these statistics, Valerie Hicks-Powe
addressed the issue of diversity in the workplace in her p resentation
“A Conversation in Diversity” on Wednesday morning, February
6, at the 2008 Fire Chiefs Conference in Tuscaloosa. The
question she posed to attendees was “How do Alabama fire
departments diversify their workforce?”
Formally an
attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
Ms. Hicks-Powe acknowledged the difficult task of Alabama
fire chiefs—balancing the needs of their organizations with
the necessity of having a diverse workforce. “It’s not that
everyone should have a job; it’s that everyone should have
the opportunity to get a job,” she said. For those doing the
hiring in our ever-changing global economy, finding the
right employee should include considering qualified
candidates whose race, background, and culture may be quite
different from candidates chosen in the past. The personnel
of a fire department should reflect the diversity of the
community at-large.
Hicks-Powe
facilitated discussion about addressing the problems raised
by several scenarios she presented to attendees. The
problems presented in the scenarios and the discussion that
followed highlighted the legalities associated with
employment decisions. To ensure all applicants a fair and
equal opportunity for being hired, Ms. Hicks-Powe advised
those in attendance to:
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Be honest with
yourself about your attitudes about diversity; make an
effort to interact with and understand people who are
different from you.
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Understand and
follow federal and state laws and local
policies/regulations related to hiring, promoting, and
firing.
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Use the best
information possible in making employment decisions.
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Remove your
emotions from hiring decisions. Emotion usually plays a
significant role in legal actions related to employment.
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Administer the
prescribed standards for hiring in the same way for all
applicants. A hiring decision that is intentionally
discriminatory is illegal.
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Ensure that
all standards and rules for hiring actually impact the
job; arbitrary requirements can (and will) be challenged
legally.
In answering the
question she posed at the beginning of her presentation, Ms.
Hicks-Powe urged the fire chiefs to address the barriers to
having a diverse workforce in their organizations. Having a
diverse workforce adds value to an organization, and, she
said, “It’s the right thing to do.”
2/15/08
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