Innovative and creative,AT&T’s business center of diversity attracts, retains, partners, survives

In a marketplace climate heated by regular newscasts announcing the latest mergers and acquisitions, the executives of these newly forming entities must iron out the details surrounding their budding relationships. In doing so, corporate officials often ignore the cultural similarities and differences that exist between the companies, an oversight that can prove damaging to diversity initiatives. Unless, however, the corporation is AT&T, where Bob Reed, vice president of diversity and inclusion, describes how AT&T has drawn on various corporate commonalities present during mergers and acquisitions to help shape diversity and inclusion for today’s new AT&T.

“One of the strategies of AT&T, as it is today, relates to growth through acquisition. Through acquisition, we ensure that diversity is indeed included in those business strategies,” Reed said, reflecting on recent mergers with corporations that had cultures and devotions to diversity and inclusion, similar to AT&T’s commitments.

“Each one of those organizations understood the importance of inclusion, not only as being the right thing to do, but more importantly, they have seen diversity and inclusion as part of the fabric of their business strategy; it is something they have woven into their decision making process as it relates to policies, procedures, outreach activities, and the types of cultural initiatives we put in place to ensure we are all functioning as one company,” Reed explained, attributing some of the new AT&T’s success to its robust diversity and inclusion philosophies.

BELIEVING THE NUMBERS, ATTRACTING THE TALENT
To put into perspective why diversity was important in the past and why diversity and inclusion are imperatives as AT&T moves forward, Reed takes a simple glance at the statistics and the face of an evolving workforce.With Census data revealing a shift in our nation’s demographics, an increasingly diverse customer base is nothing shy of a reality.As a result, for corporations to remain successful, Reed believes they must question and understand their customers’ needs. Concurrently, the corporate population must reflect the diverse business environment it serves.

“In order to continue to sell to more diverse individuals,we have to ensure that we have individuals in our organization who will understand the needs of diverse business,” Reed said. “So it comes down to,‘how do we understand our customers and how do we prepare for what they believe is important in the future?’ We have to have a diverse workforce that is in tune with what our diverse consumers and our diverse businesses are going to look like.”

While the look of today’s workforce has taken center stage as corporations like AT&T position themselves for the future, Reed understands that diversity and inclusion extend far beyond visions of the first impression.The search is always on for that special someone who will help take AT&T to the next level.

“There is and there always will be a competitive battle for quality, talented people. So we must understand that as a company, in order to survive, we’re going to have to attract the best, the brightest, the most innovative and creative individuals to eep our business moving forward,”Reed roclaimed. “The only difference between corporations is that success will go to those that are the most innovative
and creative; and if innovation and creativity are the competencies of success in the future, it behooves us to ensure that we are casting a broad enough net, to ensure that we are identifying, attracting and retaining the most innovative and creative people.”

THE BUSINESS CENTER OF DIVERSITY
The innovative and creative talent Reed describes has an outlet for expression within AT&T’s organization. Through one of 10 Employee Resource Groups, individuals with diverse commonalities have opportunities to address priorities that are specific to his or her constituents.And according to Reed, the ERGs play an important role in assisting AT&T with its internal and external outreach efforts.

“What they are doing in terms of their business strategy is to act as an informal group that allows [new hires at AT&T] to get on board quickly, to connect seamlessly, to find professional development opportunities, to find mentors — the ERG connects you to the organization,” Reed explained.

He went on to describe a unique initiative where, with the assistance of the ERGs, AT&T engaged its external constituents in a business partnership.What Reed considers the business center of diversity, AT&T supported, through sponsorships, an organization renowned for retraining individuals for the workforce.The group, in turn, helped AT&T by identifying candidates with potential skill sets that matched AT&T’s needs.

“What we did was create a partnership … through negotiating sponsorship dollars and cents, we were able to touch our workforce diversity initiatives, identify people to come work for us,we were able to brand,we created positive community relationships, and we were able to grow revenue through sales and marketing presence,” Reed explained.“So what I’m saying is that we’ve been able to take diversity from just beyond the traditional … and integrate diversity and inclusion into the business, where, quite frankly, it needs to be; at that point it becomes self sustaining. So the ERGs are critical to our long term success.”

So critical are the ERGs, these groups also put together business plans, showing how their initiatives bring value to AT&T and support the corporation’s business strategies. In 2008, the ERGs’ business plans will be presented to AT&T’s chairman and CEO.

THE GLOBAL CONTEXT OF DIVERSITY
While AT&T continues to grow from a revenue and profitability standpoint, Reed would like for the corporation to continue the path it is currently on with regard to diversity and inclusion. However, one of his goals for AT&T is to become more global in its approach.

“One of the things that continues to be on my mind is, ‘how do we, as a company, ensure that we are creating the right environment as well as preparing our leaders from a competency standpoint, to be effective when going international?’” Reed said, explaining that diversity does not translate regionally, but instead, takes on a different context.“You can’t just take what you do in the United States and cookiecut it and assume that your business or your offices that are outside of the United States are going to understand and support what you are trying to accomplish as one corporation.”

When thinking globally, Reed believes that it is the innovative and creative differential that will separate AT&T from its competitors. As the coordinator, facilitator, business partner and influencer of AT&T’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, he encourages the company’s officers to ensure they are tying their programs’ strategies to the market, consumers, and employees.

“You must touch all elements of it,” Reed said, encouraging businesses to ask,“how does diversity become a part of that engine and growth strategy — so that you are not only successful today; but that you are also successful tomorrow?”