Building a Diverse Work Force Scientists and Engineers in the Office of Naval Research (1997) / Chapter Skim
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3 Building A Diverse Work Force
3 Building A Diverse Work Force
Pages 49-60
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From page 49... ...
They also permitted examination of 13 files documenting recent hiring actions of scientists and engineers into ONR. In addition, personal interviews with program officers and senior executives yielded important insights into the attitudes and beliefs that underlie hiring decisions.
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From page 50... ...
Final Approval The Deputy Chief of Naval Research makes the final hiring decision. Recent Hiring Actions An analysis of recent hiring actions in ONR provides some useful insights into how the process works.
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From page 51... ...
Findings and Conclusions Although the number of recent hiring actions that the committee was able to examine is small, they do suggest several areas of concern. Recruitment efforts appear to be very uneven and quite dependent on the preference of the selecting official, including whether there will be recmitment at all, how open it will be, and how much advertising will be done.
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From page 52... ...
Although three of the nine rating and review panels contained a woman, none contained a minority or a person with disability, to the committee's knowledge, and none of the ONR female program officers said they had served on any of these panels. The committee was also struck by the authority vested in the selecting official who can decide whether or not to interview anyone, whom to interview, and whom to recommend.
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From page 53... ...
Some senior executives noted that women do at least as well as their male counterparts in challenging and confronting others, and they insisted that the climate is the same for males and females, minorities, and non-minor~ties-"hard on everyone." Other senior executives did not acknowledge that such an atmosphere even exists. The committee identified some other aspects of the ONR work environment which, though not directly related to the diversity issues under discussion here, do affect the work environment and productivity of ONR employees.
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From page 54... ...
Among senior executives, diversity was an issue that had to do almost exclusively with recruitment and hiring, rather than with the work environment. Many male program officers and senior executives alike believed that ONRis doing what it can to diversify its work force, as discussed in the section on "Recruitment and Hiring." By contrast, female program officers pointed out numerous aspects of ONR's current work environment and climate that were not conducive to the retention and development of minorities and women.
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From page 55... ...
In March 1995, the Chief of Naval Research disseminated an ONR Diversity Plan. He also created an ONR Diversity Committee under the STAB to study ONR diversity issues, demographics, and trends; to provide recommendations; and to measure and track progress.
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From page 56... ...
· ExternalCommunications. The proposal to enlarge distribution of ONR press releases and external reports, for example, to improve access to target groups is an excellent demonstration of using existing practices to promote diversity.
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From page 57... ...
If these special IPA positions are filled, careful attention should be given to how these special hires are introduced into the · e organization. New Initiatives In slightly over a year, the ONR Diversity Committee has identified many usefill ways to increase the representation of target groups.
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From page 58... ...
A more effective way to communicate the importance of diversity in ONR might be to integrate diversity into the appropriate issues and practices described in existing media (new employee handbook, public affairs displays, newsletters, advertising campaigns, etc.~. Rotational Assignments Providing rotational assignments is an excellent way to provide career development opportunities while also increasing collaboration and understanding among different naval organizations.
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From page 59... ...
The ONR Diversity Plan indicates that the dearth of members of the target groups in ONE is due to several factors, which include recmitment and hiring practices, low attrition, and the work environment. Providing recruitment and relocation bonuses are not likely to address these issues.
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From page 60... ...
This committee believes that the ONR Diversity Committee should be strengthened and given a position of greater prominence. Two ways to accomplish this are to add some senior executives to the committee and to have the Chief of Naval Research assume leadership in the position of Chair.
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