Diversity Management: An Exploratory Assessment of Minority Group Representation in State Government

Abstract

The workforce deficit is occurring at a time when the demographics of the population are also drastically changing. As the population of ethnic and racial minorities and older workers increases, state personnel managers face new and distinct challenges in recruiting skilled individuals within these groups. In order to effectively manage the projected increase of African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American and older workers and to maintain adequate minority group representation, diversity initiatives must be revisited. The purpose of this study is to assess whether current state government recruitment practices are sufficient to sustain job openings, avoid a human capital crisis and advance the representative bureaucracy as the demographics of the available workforce changes. Unless the government continues to build a civil service talent pool with available minority group workers, they will have to contend with a human capital crisis and a deteriorating representative bureaucracy. Recruitment strategies must go beyond traditional practices in order to reach subgroups of qualified workers. It is time to recognize that the state government workforce of the future needs to incorporate differences and encompass a broad spectrum of diversity. The human capital crisis is an opportunity for the government to create a strategic workforce plan, restructure recruitment practices and revamp the civil service examination process.