NAMIC Employment Survey.

The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) today announced the results of its 2008 Employment Survey: A Look Toward Advancement: Multi-ethnic Employment in Telecommunications in conjunction with the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference. Regarded as the cornerstone of Cable Diversity Week, the Annual NAMIC Conference is currently underway in Manhattan at the New York Marriott Marquis.

A comprehensive research study that benchmarks workplace demographics and diversity management best practices, the report compares aggregate data submitted by NAMIC participating companies against data supplied by companies recognized on The 2008 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R) list. With competition from the leading Telcos intensifying, survey results were also compared to the three Telcos on The 2008 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R) list: Verizon Communications (No. 1), AT&T (No. 22) and Sprint (No. 35), which are referenced throughout the report as the “Top Telcos”. Additionally, the results were compared with findings from NAMIC surveys conducted in 2004 and 2006.

Based on the DiversityInc Top 50 Benchmarking Survey, the NAMIC study considers four general categories: Human Capital, CEO Commitment, Corporate and Organizational Communications and Supplier Diversity. Survey results are comprehensive and include an overview of findings, successes and challenges. Also included are responses to questions asked in a separate survey of NAMIC members on their perceptions of talent development, mentoring and compensation, and other management practices within their own companies. In assessing the industry’s performance over the past four years, it is essential to note that the list of companies participating has changed substantially. While 16 companies representing 223,300 employees (five MSOs and 11 programming networks) participated this year, only four of these participated in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 surveys, and only nine participated in both 2006 and 2008. This included three national diversity leaders — large companies that have been on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R) list — which skewed the results positively. To put the comparative year-to-year analysis into the appropriate context, the results are an assessment of the industry at-large and not specific to the performance of NAMIC participating companies year-to-year.

“According to the most recent census projections, people of color will be the majority in this country by 2042, and it is essential that NAMIC’s expertise be used by the cable industry to reach these population segments,” said Kathy Johnson, president, NAMIC. “By factoring each of the categories examined and the best practices outlined as part of the survey into diversity management programs, the pipeline of qualified, professionals of color in our industry will continue to expand.”

Among NAMIC participating companies, the total workforce is 17 percent Black, eight percent Latino and five percent Asian (this represents 16 percent of Black, nine percent Latino and three percent Asian for MSOs and 18 percent Black, seven percent Latino and five percent Asian for programming networks). These numbers are on par with the Top 50, but lower, especially for Blacks and Latinos, when compared with the Top Telcos.

Overall, Cable’s representation of non-whites has increased over the course of the years studied. In 2004, Blacks Latinos and Asians were 27 percent of the NAMIC workforce, and that percentage rose to 28 percent in 2006 and to 30 percent this year. That shows the impact of new hires and the significant recruitment efforts NAMIC participating companies have implemented. This could also be a function of the increased representation of companies this year.

NAMIC’s 2008 Employment Research Survey: A Look Toward Advancement:

Multi-ethnic Employment in Telecommunications details the improvements NAMIC companies have made and breaks them down by multiple system operator (MSOs) and programming networks. The following Executive Summary outlines
the following:

Successes

— NAMIC companies show a consistent improvement in overall total workforce representation of non-whites in Cable. This is occurring, however, at a slower pace than with the Top 50 or the Top Telcos.

— NAMIC’s total management representation (all levels) for people of color has gone up from 19 percent in 2006 to 24 percent in 2008 and compares favorably with the Top 50, the Top Telcos and nationally.

— The management-to-promotion ratio for people of color has risen steadily since 2004, thereby increasing the pipeline into senior leadership positions.

— NAMIC’s senior management demographics have improved and compare favorably with Top Telcos.

— For middle management, NAMIC’s numbers are up nine percentage points from 2006 and compare favorably to both the Top 50 and Top Telcos.

— While substantial progress has been made this year in terms of the number of CEOs tying executive compensation to diversity, NAMIC companies lag behind the Top 50 and Top Telcos.

— NAMIC companies’ top 10 percent highest paid employees were on par with the Top 50 when viewed through the lens of race/ethnicity/gender.

Challenges

— Cable’s overall workforce retention rates show a slight bias against Blacks, Latinos and women, and an even larger bias against Asians.

— MSOs, in particular, show a huge discrepancy in retention rates between whites and non-whites.

— Relative to their representation in the overall population, Latinos remain most severely under-represented in total management.

— There remains a severe lack of Latinos and Asians in senior management level positions.

— The Top 50 and Top Telcos are exceeding NAMIC’s progress in new hires.

— Fifty percent of NAMIC companies have employee resource groups, representing no change from 2006. Ninety-eight percent of the Top 50 and 100 percent of the Top Telcos have them.

— With mentoring, so critical to talent development and retention, NAMIC companies are behind the comparative indices.

— Cable’s supplier-diversity spend efforts are on par with the Top 50 and the Top Telcos, but some of the best practices that will further enhance this effort lag behind.

For more information at http://www.namic.com