Efficacious impression management in minority recruitment and retention practices

Efficacious Impression Management 2 The present study suggests impression management strategies that companies can.use to more effectively recruit and retain minority workers. As the workforce compostion changes over the next ten years, the need for companies to attract and retain qualified diverse workers will become increasingly important. The present study focused on two minority groups, women and senior.citizens. These minority workers were asked to rate the importance of suggestions given by personnel adminstrators, as to what things would attract members of their minority group to an organization. Both groups cited honesty, fair treatment, and hiring and promotion based on ability and not diversity as the most important things a company could do to attract more minorities. Based on t-test results, women were significantly mare interested in career planning and advancement opportunities than were senior citizens. Seniors were significantly more interested in having an orientation geared specifically toward them, being interviewed by ·other seniors, and working with other senior citizens. Suggestions are made as to how companies can use these results to better tailor their image-toward the needs of particular minority applicants. Efficacious Impression Management 3 Efficacious Impression Management in Minority Recruitment and Retention Practices A cause for concern in American business today is the shift of the work force out of the domain of the white male, into the hands of the diverse worker. This issue has been addressed at length in popular news magazines (Church, 1987; Dreyfuss, 1990; Konrad, 1990), human resources periodicals (Copeland, 1988; Feuer, 1987; Guinn, 1989), academic journals (Cox, 1991; Moore & IsHak, 1989), and books (Hofstede, 1980; Jamieson & O'Mara, 1991 ). While the issue was first addressed with affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity, the underlying motivation was designed to give minorities an opportunity to advance. Thus, diversity was mandated by government policies and quotas, and not by business need. In the late 1980's, however, statistics emerged that forced a change in business attitude. These statistics pointed to the critical role of diversity in American businesses. The Hudson Institute (1987) examined demographic data and population trends in an attempt to outline the future of America's work force in the next century. Their results, the Workforce 2QQQ statistics, predict a number of significant changes occurring by the year 2000. Efficacious Impression Management 4 The report provides several intriguing predictions regarding changes in the composition of America's workforce. First, the increase in the number of workers entering the workforce between 1989-2000 will be approximately 1 °/o per year, compared with yearly increases of 2.9% during the 1970's (Goddard, 1989). This decline is attributed to the decline in birth rates (Odiorne, 1986), and has already resulted in a reduction of young workers aged 16-24, accounting for a loss of 3 million workers between 1980 and 1986 (Church, 1987). This decline has created a shortage of qualified workers for entry level positions, and signals shortages that will follow at other levels. As the number of young workers is reduced, the bulk of the work force will be composed of middle-aged or older employees (Brown, 1990; Jamieson & O'Mara, 1991; Miller 1990). This aging work force has several implications for business. First, although older workers have more experience, and tend to be more stable, they are also less adaptable and flexible. Second, changes in reward structures can be expected, as older workers, who are more financially secure, will be more motivated by time-off than salary increases. Third, there will also be increased interest in retirement, security, health care, and well ness programs. Finally, as many of these workers will have "topped out" in their career Efficacious Impression Management 5 paths, career progression and hierarchical structures will need reexamination (Jamieson & O'Mara, 1991 ). Essentially, the needs of these older workers will need to be met if businesses expect to retain them. Workforce 2000 statistics also predict that 5/6ths of the net additions to the work force will be nonwhites, women, or immigrants (Hudson Institute, 1987). The predictions that these new additions will be comprised of: 15% white males, 66% women, 29% racial/cultural minorities, and 19% foreign born (Hudson Institute, 1987). Each of these groups presents business with new challenges. When examining the implications of more women entering the job market, one finds two dominant trends. First, women may show different styles of management, and define success differently than men. Women are often thought to have a more intuitive, contextual view of information intake than men, who are thought to be more linear and rational in their thinking (Parnell & Vanderkloot, 1989). In the past, intuitive means of thinking and decision-making have been considered inferior to rationality, thereby creating a mistaken impression that women's management styles are inferior to men's. As a result, there needs to be a consideration of non-traditional methods used by women who are attempting to find management techniques which best suit their personal styles. Attention to Efficacious Impression Management 6 the differences in style may aid women in breaking through the "glass ceiling" (Esposito, 1991 ), which has encumbered career women. The second trend, reflecting a focus on family issues, would indicate that part-time positions, job-sharing, and extended maternity leave will become increasingly demanded by dual career families, as attempts are made to balance career and family responsibilities (Guinn, 1989; Jamieson & O'Mara, 1991). Members of racial and cultural minorities will also become an increasingly important part of America's workforce, and will evoke several changes (Hudson Institute, 1987). First, this influx of minority workers will lead to problems with mis-communication and language barriers, requiring increased use of cultural awareness programming. As immigration patterns have changed, more workers are coming from countries with "high-context" cultures, in which sensitivity is heightened to surrounding circumstances and non-verbal cues. In these cases, communication goes beyond expressing ideas and requires critical attention to overall interaction (Kennedy and Everest, 1991 ). Second, rewards must be established that reflect the values of different minority groups, including flexible benefits, and appropriate religious holidays (Jamieson & O'Mara, 1991; Santora, 1991 ). Third, in addition to the Efficacious Impression Management 7 substantial changes in the composition of the workforce, many of the minority workers will not have the basic training and skills needed by businesses (Feuer, 1987; Herren, 1989). This basic skills deficit, which is exacerbated by high drop-out rates of minority high school students (Jamieson & O'Mara, 1991 ), places the burden of training for basic skills and knowledge on individual companies. Disabled workers are also becoming increasingly important in the new work force. As the pool of traditional applicants diminishes, there is an increasing need to mainstream workers with physical or mental disabilities (Jamieson & O'Mara, 1991 ). This mainstreaming requires management training to recognize competencies and limitations, money for improving accessibility, and investigation into work-at-home and other job redesign options. Programs, such as the McJobs program, are being used to successfully recruit, train, and retrain disabled persons so that they can become reliable and valued workers (Laabs, 1991 ). Homosexuals and bisexuals represent another minority group with specific needs that are currently not being met by their employers. While statistics report that only one homosexual worker in ten reveals his or her sexual preference, there has been an increase in demand for benefit packages that fit the needs of homosexual workers (Hammonds, 1991 ). Efficacious Impression Management 8 The AIDS epidemic and the growing number of openly non-traditional families raises the the need for business benefit plans to expand to meet these new needs. For example, the Lotus Development Corporation now offers the longtime companions of homosexual employees the same insurance and benefits offered to heterosexual spouses (Hammonds, 1991 ). In all of these cases, the aged, women, ethnic minorities, disabled, and homosexual workers are requiring things from their employers that have not traditionally been a part of American businesses. Businesses will be forced to address these needs if they are to effectively tackle the personnel issues of the next century and remain competitive. Three Challenges of Diversity The challenge of diversity arises at three levels. At the first level, businesses must learn to effectively recruit diverse workers. As the pool of workers decreases, more company resources, both temporal and financial, must be allocated to recruitment. Now, with 5/6ths of the new workers belonging to minority groups, it is necessary that a high percentage of these resources be focused on attracting diverse workers. At a second level, because the workers they must recruit are from groups that have traditionally been ignored or treated as quotas or tokens, different strategies need to be utilized. New and innovative methods of Efficacious Impression Management 9 recruitment must be used to adapt to the needs of diverse workers. Their needs and preferences are expected to differ from those of the traditional white, male worker, and recruitment strategies should reflect these differences. At the third level, once these employees are recruited, training and appropriate benefits packages must be offered in order to retain them. Although costly, the provision of training will be necessary to keep the wo