Diversity In Action

KPMG strengthens diversity and inclusion efforts

IT is a “hot area” with hundreds of hires expected in 2008. In 2007, 40 percent of hires across the firm were diverse, 51 percent were women

Nereida Perez: “embedding our diversity strategies in core business ops.”

“He recognizes that to build a successful global firm, diversity and inclusion have to be at the heart of what we do. Our initiatives are focused on creating an inclusive workplace,” says Nereida Perez, national director of diversity and chief diversity officer for KPMG. “We are strengthening our recruiting, retention and advancement efforts.”

These diversity initiatives are having an impact. KPMG is one of just a few firms to score 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Index, which rates firms on their attention to issues that concern the GLBT community.

KPMG’s diversity efforts were expanded in 2003 when it launched its women’s advisory board. “That was significant, because more than 50 percent of our workforce is made up of women,” Perez notes.

Shortly afterward a GLBT network was launched; African American, Asian, and Hispanic employee network groups were established recently. A diversity advisory board was created in early 2007, with Jack Taylor, the firm’s COO, as co-chair.

“It was a very strategic decision to have him chair the advisory board,” says Perez. “Having the COO actively involved provides an opportunity to embed our diversity strategies in our core business operations across the country.”

The KPMG diversity advisory board makes sure that the network groups’ activities align with the company’s business strategies for employee advancement, retention and mentoring.

“We deliver professional development training through the networks,” says Perez. “We also have strong partnerships in place with national professional organizations like the National Association of Black Accountants, the Asian Accounting Professionals Association and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting.

“We encourage our employees to get involved with these groups, and to work with them to sponsor career development programs. We’re also working to align our employee networks more closely with these organizations to provide an even broader opportunity for networking and recruiting,” she adds.

Hiring is active across the firm, says Perez, with strong demand not only for accounting experts but also for IT professionals.

Cheryl Steele: “expanding our reach into diverse professional communities.”

Cheryl Steele, national director of recruiting for the advisory practice at KPMG, says the IT advisory practice is one of the firm’s fastest-growing service lines. In fact, “IT advisory is a hot area across the country,” she reports. She adds that 2,000 of the firm’s 5,000 advisory employees are IT professionals. The IT infrastructure group is also hiring, and expects to add 150 to 200 people in the U.S. offices this year.

“We’re always trying to expand our reach into diverse professional communities,” says Steele. “We use any source we can find, but our strongest source is referrals from our own diverse employees.”

Obviously, the efforts are working. In 2007, 40 percent of new hires across the company were diverse, and 51 percent were women, Perez reports.

D/C