MMAC goals call for another 150 African American managers
Diversity pledge is still far from racial parity
Metropolitan Milwaukee companies will need to hire around 150 more managers who are African American in order to reach diversity and inclusion goals set by the area’s commerce association.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce launched its Region of Choice diversity and inclusion initiative in September 2019 with the goal to remake the region’s business community to reduce racial disparities in the workforce.
The pledge is to increase the overall employment of African American and Hispanic talent by 15% and management by 25% by 2025. Around 110 employers in the area have signed on to the pledge.
MMAC gathered 2020 data from more than 100 companies in the area with a total 120,000 employees to establish a baseline.
A 25% increase in African American managers would add 150 more managers at those companies, according to data released by MMAC Tuesday. This would increase African American representation in management positions from 3.8% to 4.8%.
This is still far from racial parity. Around 16% of people in the four-county metropolitan area are Black.
“Racial disparities are perhaps the greatest single factor holding the Milwaukee Region from reaching its full potential,” MMAC President Tim Sheehy said in a news release. “Employers participating in the Region of Choice pledge acknowledge their responsibility to be part of the solution. They also recognize what study after study tells us: Building more diverse teams leads to better decision-making and ultimately boosts a company’s bottom line.”
The MMAC initiative was fueled and informed by the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police this summer, said Sheehy. The protests magnified the need for change not only in policing but in economic opportunities for people of color.
“This must be a movement, not a moment,” said MMAC Chairman Jonas Prising, chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup. “Accountability is a commitment necessary for the future. The next five years should be marked by one determined step, one specific action and one measurable result at a time.”
The area’s working-age population is projected to grow less than 1% through 2040, making expanding access to corporate workforce for communities of color imperative.
MMAC has outlined three objectives: improving the recruitment, retention and advancement of African American and Hispanic talent; increasing educational attainment and career development opportunities for African American and Hispanic talent; and supporting wealth creation through business development and entrepreneurship.
The companies signed on to the pledge are sharing best practices in how to reduce the disparities within their workplaces.