Economic Summit encourages diversity in the workplace
Excerpted from NBC15.com
By Kalie Greenberg
As part of an economic summit, this Thursday businesses are being asked to look at how diversity in their workplace compares around the region.
It’s called the Madison Region’s Economic Development and Diversity Summit, and it’s hosted by the Urban League of Greater Madison and the Madison Region Economic Partnership.
A survey released Thursday by the Madison Region Economic Partnership is the base for the summit. The survey gathered workplace demographics from 468 local businesses.
The results say Madison businesses are often lacking when it comes to hiring minority groups and women, especially in leadership roles.
“This was not really an ‘Ah-Ha’ moment, but it was a moment of confirmation that was necessary before companies could move forward with their own [Diversity and inclusion efforts],” said Gene Dalhoff, the Vice President of Talent and Education for the Madison Region Economic Partnership.
Dalhoff hopes businesses will use the survey to compare their demographics to other companies around the city. He said as Madison grow more diverse, it’s important to remember, so does the customer base for most local businesses.
