Diversity Services: How MMC Helps Clients Achieve Their Diversity Objectives

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Achieving and sustaining diversity is a goal that makes headline news as well as the boardroom's to-do list. Organizations that approach diversity management with a strategic mindset and consistent practices will be better equipped to meet the needs of their business and customers because they can match their workforce composition with that of valuable new markets, broaden their pool of prospective talent and position themselves to attract and retain top employees.

Through Mercer, an MMC operating company, we work with clients to develop and implement a wide range of diversity strategies.

Evidence based approach leads to measurable results
Mercer helps organizations measure and understand the dynamics of their internal labor market-that is, the process that creates their workforce-and use the resulting knowledge to shape the workforce to the outcomes they desire. Organizations are able to understand what combination of recruitment, selection, retention, development, promotion and other reward practices will most efficiently deliver the diversity they seek at different levels, locations and job families.

Using proprietary tools such as the Internal Labor Market Analysis® and Pay Equity Calculator®, Mercer helps clients get the right facts and analyze their situations.

Consider these examples of how Mercer uses its proprietary tools and analyses to help U.S. clients:

Manage Pay Equity Risk
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama in January 2009, eliminates the time limit for individuals to file claims of pay discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability. Because of the extended period to file these claims, employers are exposed to substantial risk. Damages, particularly in class-action lawsuits, can total tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Organizations' reputations as employers are on the line-and so is their brand equity, as claims of unfair pay practices can influence customer behaviors.

Mercer helps clients measure and mitigate their pay equity risks. Proactively assessing their pay equity is like insurance: Organizations can pay a little now-in terms of dollars and effort-or risk paying a lot more later.

Confront workforce gaps
Using a career channeling assessment, Mercer helps clients determine if there are lower and higher value jobs from a development perspective and whether there are different patterns of access to these jobs related to race, gender or some other relevant characteristic that may help explain shortfalls in desired outcomes for protected groups.

In addition, Mercer's glass ceiling assessments-including policies, procedures and practices that are enhancing clients' Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) efforts-help clients identify and recommend alternatives to potential areas of bias and policies and practices that are impeding their abilities to attract and retain women and minorities.

Minimize compliance-related risk
Through the expertise of its employment practices risk management team, Mercer designs and delivers risk management training for HR teams and managers to ensure they stay current with legal landmines in a variety of key risk areas. Mercer's lawyers, who have extensive experience representing and counseling employers about harassment and discrimination, also design and deliver customized harassment awareness and prevention training programs.

Design compensation programs
Mercer works with clients to design compensation programs that support an organization's vision and strategy, including a commitment to diversity. Ensuring compensation programs comply with legislation and regulatory requirements is the foundation. By building clarity and purpose around compensation objectives, design and delivery, an organization can create an environment in which compensation decisions are explicit and reward intended employee characteristics, such as performance and contribution.

Contacts

Contact the following Mercer experts to learn more about our capabilities in the area of diversity:

Haig Nalbantian
212 345 5317
Haig.Nalbantian@mercer.com

Paul Mallos
410 347 2836
paul.mallos@mercer.com