MEREDITH MOORE
DERRICK CRAWFORD
34
S THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MOVEMENT GAINS MOMENTUM, MORE COMPANIES ARE EMBRACING THE IDEA OF EMPLOYING AN IN-HOUSE DIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL. THIS ISN’T SIMPLY SOMEONE ON STAFF WHO HEADS UP THE COMPANY’S
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE, BUT RATHER AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE ENTIRE JOB FOCUSES ON DIVERSITY.
T e in-house diversity offi cer, often titled chief diversity offi cer (CDO) or director of diversity, has an executive-level leadership role and typically oversees the development and implementation of a company’s overall diversity strategy, which can include goals like hiring and maintaining a diverse staff , and public relations outreach to diverse communities.
A SIGN OF THE TIMES Employing an in-house diversity offi cer is a relatively new concept. According to the Harvard Business Review, chief diversity offi cer positions didn’t exist in the early- to mid- 2000s; today, however, they exist across a range of Fortune 500 companies.1
It appears to be a result of the changing
demographic of the U.S. marketplace. According to 2010 briefs from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half of the growth in the total U.S. population between 2000 and 2010 was due to an increase in the Hispanic population. T e black population increased at a faster rate than the total population and the Asian population experienced the fastest rate of growth. In general, the minority population
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2012
is growing at a faster rate than the white population.2 To remain competitive, companies must understand
the needs of the growing minority population and have an employee base that refl ects the increasingly diverse market- place that it serves. In order to achieve this, companies are turning to high-level diversity specialists more and more. “T is role is becoming increasingly important as many
organizations are recognizing the fragmented propor- tions of our workforce,” explains Derrick Crawford, the ombudsperson and associate vice president for diversity and educational equity at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). Crawford believes that the landscape will continue to change with increases in women and Hispanics, and that understanding this changing demo- graphic will help CSUSM remain competitive and be in a better position to attract and retain students and staff . Although the university already has 40 percent minor- ity enrollment, Crawford is actively looking for ways to maintain and increase its appeal to current and future minority students. For example, he is exploring ways to
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