0210 Bernard Hodes

Ryder, Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, Office Depot, Inc., NCCI HoldingsInc. and Florida Power & Light Co. wanted to position themselves as thediversity employers of choice in South Florida. They were faced with perceivedand actual barriers to the recruitment and retention of minority candidates, andthey were all working with a limited budget. The objective was to attract andthen retain a diverse staff there in a cost-effective manner.

Strategy/Solution
    Our strategy entailed the formation of a Florida corporate recruitmentalliance: “The South Florida Avenue Coalition.” This unification wouldprove more effective for exhibition at national professional associationmeetings, conventions, and career fairs—specifically those sponsored byHispanic and African-American associations. Creating the coalition would alsomaximize exposure of Florida-based corporations, while achieving cost benefitsresulting from economies of scale. We needed to create an interest in thecultural activities and family oriented environment found in the area,propelling individuals to consider relocating for a career in Florida.

We coordinated the participation, design elements, public relations, andadvertising for all events. The coalition attended and marketed their unifiedimage at the 2000 and 2001 National Black MBA Association and National Societyof Hispanic MBAs. We promoted the participation of the South Florida AvenueCoalition to conference attendees with special advertising and public relationsactivities, and branded the companies as employers committed to buildingdiversity. (Editorial coverage included Equal Opportunity magazine, IN FOCUSinteractive magazine, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, BlackVoices.com, Miami Herald,Palm Beach Post, and Miami Times.) On both occasions, a section of theexhibition hall was converted into “South Florida Avenue.” Boothspace, advertising and public relations displayed a consistent message,effectively branding the Coalition and their commitment to diversity.

Research on diversity has yielded an indisputable fact: prospective employeesseek out jobs where people like them hold senior-level posts. Given that morethan 13.3 million immigrants arrived in the U.S. during the 1990s, and that thepopulation growth in the U.S. over the next 25 years will be concentrated amongpeople of color, filling posts within the dated modus operandi of homogenizedwork cultures is simply bad business. Failing to capitalize on the bestpractices of diversity nowadays means jeopardizing your company’s bottom line.

Marty Hanaka, chairman and CEO, The Sports Authority, Inc., now a Coalitionmember, said his company is devoted to the best practices surrounding diversityinitiatives.

“It is a business imperative that our company reflects the growingdiversity of our global community and enriches our customers’ experience bydrawing from each individual’s unique perspective on life and the businessenvironment,” said Hanaka. He added “The South Florida Avenue approachassists us in achieving this effort.”

Sam Mathis, vice president of Diversity, Office Depot, echoed this sentiment.“Office Depot is pleased to continue its partnership with the South FloridaAvenue Coalition. Our participation has enabled us to find quality and talentedemployees. We are committed to promoting and seeking out the best and thebrightest talent in South Florida. Our goal,” added Mathis, “is to build aninclusive workforce, while at the same time ensuring that we’re a role modelin the South Florida community.”

Result
    The South Florida Avenue Coalition established strong relationships with thecandidates, NBMBAA, NSHMBA, and the Coalition companies. They also made eighthires by the first quarter of 2002, and at a much lower cost than if they hadused executive search firms. Even more notable was their ability to expand thereach of individual recruiters by sharing resumes collected at the conferences.Public relations tactics generated an estimated 2.1 million impressions andcontributed to the overall diversity image of the member companies. Therecruitment effort grew from five companies in 2000, to 10 companies in 2001(including Burger King Corp., Citrix Systems Inc., JM Family Enterprises, Inc.,and The Sports Authority Inc.).

The year 2002 marks the third year in a row these South Florida-basedcorporations are leading change and improving the diversity in their managementranks through their diversity recruitment coalition.

For the members of South Florida Avenue, the Coalition met the needs andchallenges of each of their companies. In Bernard Hodes Group’s role as asolutions provider to our clients, we are often asked for best practicesolutions. Of course, our solutions are based on individual client companyculture, needs and objectives, and on a thorough assessment of process.