The Board of Directors of the Human Resource Management Association of Greater St. Louis (HRMA) is proud to announce their first ever Diversity LEADER award. The purpose of the award is to promote and encourage diversity best practices among organizations within the HRMA membership. HRMA has defined what it means to be a diversity leader. Components include: Leadership Commitment, Education, Alignment, Dynamic, Engagement, and Results and Measurement. Recognized winners will demonstrate each of these criteria in their application package.

There are many dimensions to diversity and inclusion with respect to race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, and cultural backgrounds.

Eligibility
Nominations are limited to organizations represented by an HRMA member(s). There is dual opportunity for nomination:

You Can Nominate Your Own Organization: Submission requirements are outlined below.

You Can Nominate Another Organization: Submission requirements are outlined below, however, a follow-up interview may be necessary to obtain the comprehensive and necessary signatures, data, etc.

Categories
Three (3) awards will be given based on the number of employees in the organization:
Small Business – Less then 250 employees
Medium Business – 251 – 1000 employees
Large Business – Over 1000 employees

Each winner will receive an award and advertising/promotion of the award. Winners will be announced, expected to attend the September 17, 2008 dinner meeting and encouraged to invite 2-3 members to join them.

Deadline
All entries / applications for consideration must be received by the HRMA Diversity Committee no later then May 30, 2008. Late or incomplete entries will not be considered.

Submission
Each entry must include:

• The Award Nomination form must be accompanied by an essay that describes how the organization is a LEADER in Diversity using the criteria in this packet. The essay must not exceed three pages in length and should be done in 12 point type.
• An official HRMA Diversity LEADER Award Nomination form as a cover sheet.
• Additional documentation may be submitted including video, PowerPoint, statistics, spreadsheets, etc.

The Award Nomination form is available on the HRMA website at www.hrmastl.org

Send completed documentation to:

HRMA of Greater St. Louis
Diversity Committee
PO Box 25006
St. Louis, MO 63125

Or

Via email to: hrma@hrmastl.org

Questions? Please contact:
Patricia Henderson, PHR
Senior Manager, Employment
St. Louis Community College
314-539-5214

Diversity LEADER Criteria

Leadership commitment
The organizations’ leaders must be intrinsically involved in the diversity effort being nominated. The key people provide the vision for the program(s) and are involved in their development and implementation.

In your nomination, describe the commitment and involvement of the leadership team and include any examples of senior management support.

Education
All nominations must have an educational component. Think of education in its’ broadest terms; aimed at individual and organizational change.

Describe the opportunities and programs that motivate, encourage and support diverse populations in achieving career enrichment and development. This may include, but is not limited to, employee and management training, mentoring, succession planning programs, ombudsmen, or outreach and awareness programs.

Alignment
To be successful a diversity effort must be aligned with the mission, vision, values, strategy and goals of the organization. The diversity effort must be supported by policies, practices, and communications.

In your nomination, describe how the nominated company integrates programs and initiatives designed to attract, select, promote, and retain a qualified diverse workforce.

Dynamic
Dynamism is evidenced by creativity, innovation, and progression. The diversity effort foresees organizational needs and may be seen as the cutting edge. It represents an approach that changes the “business as usual” mentality.

In your nomination, describe the creative approach, programs or policies the organization has implemented to drive diversity.

Engagement
Building a sense of ownership by multiple stakeholder groups is necessary for the success of a diversity effort.

In your nomination, explain how employees at all levels and departments are engaged and how you interface with the external community.

Results and Measurement
More than good intentions are needed for a successful diversity initiative. The business case for diversity is made by demonstrating (observing and measuring) the outcomes.

In your nomination, show the impact of the diversity programs and initiatives on the organization. This should be supported by measurable and/or observable data.