91视频

As businesses become more global, workplace diversity has become an imperative. Whether it鈥檚 a regional law firm or a multinational company, employees and clients alike want to do business with and work for an organization that reflects a range of views and backgrounds.

鈥淭here鈥檚 increasing demand to have diverse teams of lawyers,鈥� said John Frisch, chairman at Baltimore-based Miles & Stockbridge. 鈥淎s the firm has become diverse, our leadership team is more diverse. We get higher-quality decisions when the participants in the groups are more diverse.鈥�

Miles & Stockbridge, which was ranked No. 2 on Law360鈥檚 2016 list of the nation鈥檚 best firms for black attorneys, has implemented a range of strategies over the years to both hire and retain attorneys of color.

More than 10 percent of the firm鈥檚 non-principals are black, along with 4.6 percent of the principals. The firm also recently hired a full-time director of diversity and inclusion to grow the firm鈥檚 engagement with clients and in the community.

In 2015, the firm started a hiring practice modeled after the National Football League鈥檚 鈥淩ooney Rule鈥� that requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for each vacant coaching position. Similarly, Miles & Stockbridge interviews at least one woman, minority or LGBT lawyer for each open position.

The firm has seen a dramatic increase in the diversity of its new hires. In 2016, 48 percent of the firm鈥檚 new lawyers were minorities.

But diversity in the workplace isn鈥檛 driven simply by hiring.

鈥淚f you retain a diverse workforce, that in itself is a recruiting tool,鈥� said Kim E. Ruyle, president of Inventive Talent Consulting in Melbourne, Florida.

There are two ways to retain good people: reward them monetarily or engage them, Ruyle said.

鈥淓ngaged employees feel a sense of ownership in the business,鈥� he said.

That engagement comes from the employee鈥檚 relationship with his or her immediate boss. Companies that want to retain good people need managers capable of building relationships, Ruyle said.

Supervisors are most successful at building those relationships when they can find common ground among their employees through shared values, he added.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the diversity of the workforce, it鈥檚 the inclusion of the workforce,鈥� he said.

TGS, a Houston-based company that provides geoscientific data and services to the oil and gas industry, has followed a similar philosophy to retain the company鈥檚 international staff 鈥� especially the company鈥檚 large group of Chinese employees.

The company conducts panel interviews to give candidates a sense of TGS鈥� culture. Once employees are hired, the company reinforces an inclusive culture through its management style and more tangible steps. For example, a lot of TGS employees enjoy pingpong, so the company put a pingpong table in its communal bistro area.

鈥淎t the end of the day, regardless of race, people want to be able to interact with other people,鈥� said Heather Barker, human resources director at TGS.

Following Ruyle鈥檚 philosophy on retention as a recruitment tool, TGS is able to hire through its existing workforce.

鈥淥ur industry is very tight-knit as well so that word of mouth spreads quickly,鈥� Barker said.

TGS is particularly cognizant of what motivates people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. For example, it has found that in Norway, the company鈥檚 financial headquarters, employees prefer team accolades over individual ones.

Inclusion plays a role in retention not just within teams but in leadership roles.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e in a growing business, employees think about growth,鈥� Ruyle said.

Miles & Stockbridge officials say they take that philosophy seriously.

鈥淚t is a really high priority that (firm attorneys) understand that the firm is making a very significant investment in becoming more diverse and investing in its employees,鈥� Frisch said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 achieve our objectives unless they鈥檙e successful.鈥�

When the firm evaluates practice group leaders, leadership positions and board of directors, it makes sure to build diverse teams. Senior attorneys also work closely with junior attorneys through internal and external mentorship programs.

鈥淟awyers of color when they see people like themselves in leadership positions, that is one thing that will get them to stay,鈥� said Demetria Johnson, director of diversity and inclusion at the firm.

Her goal is to get the Miles & Stockbridge to a point where the firm is evenly split across gender, race and sexual orientation.

鈥淭he legal industry has a long way to go, but we feel like that we鈥檙e off to a great start,鈥� Frisch said.