| Diversity
in Action FPL
Group wants to be a company folks want to work for EEs,
ChEs, IEs, MEs and nuclear folks are needed as well as PMs and IT pros. The engineering
and IT groups are a third minority and a quarter female FPL
Group, Inc is one of the nation's largest providers of electri-city-related services.
Its principal subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Co, is the largest investor-owned
electric utility in Florida, serving nearly eight million people along the eastern
seaboard and the southern portion of Florida. The
company has two nuclear plants in Florida and one in New Hampshire. FPL
Energy, LLC, its unregulated wholesale energy subsidiary, produces electricity
from clean and renewable fuels. FPL Energy has power plants in operation or under
construction in twenty-two states.  | | In
the Sunshine State, FPL's Sega A produces electricity from solar power. |
FPL
FiberNet, LLC provides fiber-optic services and fiber-optic cable to businesses
in Florida. FPL
needs EEs, ChEs, IEs, MEs and nuclear engineers to work in power generation and
plant upgrades, as well as IT people. "We spend a lot of time and effort
looking at the makeup of our workforce and working with our business units to
improve diversity," says Debbi Gray, manager of EEO and diversity for FPL
Group. The
company maintains annual affirmative action plans, and recruitment activities
are continually adjusted to ensure a broad pool of applicants. Recruiters hit
career fairs put on by SWE, NSBE and Florida A&M University. For
the past four years FPL has sponsored talented minority interns through the Inroads
program. And it has an alliance with Abilities of Florida, which supports job
placement for individuals with disabilities. FPL
also participates in the South Florida Avenue Coalition. The companies in this
consortium aim to attract minority professionals by grouping their booths together
at diversity-focused job fairs. This grouping, of course, is "South Florida
Avenue." Member
companies also promote the events together. "It shows people the opportunities
here," says Gray. "People usually don't think of South Florida as a
place for a young professional. We're trying to change that." Inside
the company, FPL has an EEO hotline to handle employee complaints or concerns,
and employees are regularly trained in diversity-related areas. In fact, "We're
rolling out a new training course called 'Diversity; the Power of Differences,'"
says Gray.  | | Augmenting
solar power, modern windmills contribute their share of energy |
This
new workshop, starting at the management level, focuses on performance, image
and exposure. "We want people to understand that diversity is more than skin
color or gender," Gray declares. Outside
work, FPL's community volunteer corps participants logged more than 12,500 volunteer
hours last year. Events are posted on the intranet, and people can sign up for
helpful activities ranging from Habitat for Humanity to the Jerry Lewis United
Way telethon. The
company itself has been recognized for its commitment to minority suppliers. "Last
year we were picked by the Florida regional minority business council as the local
corporation of the year for our commitment to minority businesses," says
Gray. FPL
donates replaced computers and printers to local schools. And it participates
in the United Way Loaned Executive program. "We typically send one of our
senior level employees to the United Way for a period of months. The person actually
leaves the job here and goes to work for the United Way. It's a great development
opportunity," says Gray. Gray
is hoping to start up a diversity council this year. But even without it, she's
proud of FPL's work/life accomplishments. The company was recently named South
Florida's most employee-centered business by local firms and the Department of
Labor.
FRL Group, Inc
www.fplgroup.com
| Headquarters:
|
Juno Beach, FL | |
Employees:
|
11,000 | |
Revenues: |
$8.3 billion | |
Business: |
Electricity generation, transmission and distribution, telecom services |
| |
"We
offer flextime, job sharing, maternity and paternity leave, adoption leave, and
an adoption subsidy. We have a strong focus on wellness and stress management
services," Gray says. A Partners in Performance program helps employees and
their supervisors set goals and work out development plans. FPL's
aim, Gray notes, is "to educate employees as well as managers that we are
all on an equal footing and held accountable to the same expectations. Black or
white, male or female, the person who is the most qualified and the best performer
will get the additional opportunities." It's
working already. FPL's engineering and IT departments are 36 percent minority
and 25 percent female. "We
have the right types of programs for people to say, 'This is a place I want to
be, a company I want to work for,'" says Gray. D/C
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