National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications and Women in Cable Telecommunications Announce Highlights of Joint Industry Diversity Survey

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) today announced highlights of the 2015 NAMIC AIM and WICT PAR Cable Telecommunications Industry Diversity Survey.  Comprised of benchmarked data vital to the advancement of ethnic and gender diversity in cable, the results of the NAMIC AIM (Advancement Investment Measurement) and WICT PAR Initiative (Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Support) joint survey were announced this morning during a Joint Town Hall on Diversity.  The two associations partnered to hold the town hall meeting in New York City in conjunction with the 29^th Annual NAMIC Conference and the 2015 WICT Leadership Conference.

Funded by The Walter Kaitz Foundation and conducted by third-party experts at Mercer (a global consulting leader in talent) the NAMIC and WICT study captured diversity at all levels; workforce dynamics—i.e., hires, promotions, and exits—of women and people of color in the industry; projections of how representations of women and people of color at management levels can be expected to change over the next five years; diversity practices and the commitment to diversity and inclusion; and non-traditional employee benefits. Twenty-seven organizations completed the survey, capturing an estimated 65% of the cable telecommunications industry's workforce.  Of the 27 organizations responding, 22 participated in both the 2013 and 2015 NAMIC and WICT Cable Telecommunications Industry Diversity Surveys. The 22 returning respondents were categorized as "survey over survey" participants. Trending specific to the 22 "survey over survey" organizations was examined to determine percentage point changes in representation between 2013 and 2015.    

In terms of gender-related data, the study showed an increase in the percentage of executives and senior-level women. In addition, promotion rates into management levels have improved for women.  Across the 22 organizations that participated in both the 2013 and 2015 surveys, the percentage of female executives and senior-level managers increased by 4%. The current proportion among all 27 of the 2015 respondents (32%) is significantly higher than the comparable national benchmark (26%). Regarding promotion rates, among the 27 responding organizations in the 2015 survey promotion rates in the manager and executive/senior manager levels are higher for women than for men. This is a trend upward for women since the 2013 survey where men were reported as being promoted at a higher rate. Although the findings show increases for women at the executive and senior management level and advancement in the rate of managerial promotions, the proportion of full-time employees who are women has declined. An analysis of trending gleaned from the "survey over survey" participants' data  indicates a 1% decline in the percentage of full-time female employees. The total percentage of women among the 2015 respondents is 34%.

According to the 2015 survey, women are being recruited at higher rates than men and promoted at near equal or higher rates. However, the turnover rate for women is higher than for men at every level. The study points to a turnover rate for women that, without adjustments, projects a decline in the representation of women at the manager level and above over the next five years.

"There is progress in a number of important areas for women, however, there is more work to done," said Maria E. Brennan, CAE, WICT president & CEO. "The key driver that will significantly enhance representation of women is increased workplace retention. Overall, the survey illustrates the need for WICT and our industry to remain resolute in our commitment to creating more opportunities for women. As we know from Mercer and multiple other sources, this will provide better financial returns for these companies."

Pertaining to professionals of color in the cable telecommunications industry, an increase in the percentage of executives and senior-level managers was reported. Across the 22 organizations that participated in both the 2013 and 2015 surveys, the percentage of executives and senior-level managers who are people of color increased by 1%. When taking into account all 27 organizations participating for 2015, the current proportion (16%) is higher than the comparable national benchmark (13%). The gain resulted from increases in the representation of people of color for both multi-system operators and programmers. Entry and mid-level managers of color show a modest increase of 1% since 2013, but representation at the professional level has remained stagnant. 

Promotion rates for professionals of color continue to be lower, while turnover rates remain higher than for their white counterparts across the responding organizations. The difference is most notable for promotions into the executive and senior management levels, where the promotion rate for white employees is twice the rate of that for people of color.  Additionally, in comparison to white employees, turnover rates for professionals of color are higher. Most notable are the differences at the executive and senior manager levels, where the promotion rate for white employees is twice the rate for people of color. 

"While there is evidence that our industry is committed to increasing multi-ethnic diversity," said Eglon Simons, president and CEO of NAMIC, "continued vigilance and commitment will be essential as we move forward.  The high rate of turnover and poor rate of promotion being experienced by professionals of color threaten to undermine hard-fought gains. We should be encouraged by the increase in executives and senior managers of color, but efforts to enhance advancement and retention will play a key role in improving these statistics. In addition, companies must determine the underlying reasons for poor retention and put programs into place for improvement."

The Joint Town Hall on Diversity, held to address findings from the NAMIC AIM and WICT PAR joint research, featured a distinguished lineup of business leaders. Michael Powell, president & CEO, NCTA, was on-hand to deliver opening remarks, while Gail Greenfield, PhD, principal, Mercer, presented the survey results. Panelists included: David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president & chief diversity officer, Comcast; Stacy Green, executive vice president, Global Human Resources and Facilities, A+E Networks; Lissiah Hundley, executive director, Diversity & Inclusion, Cox Communications, Mary Meduski, executive vice president & chief financial officer, Suddenlink; and Paul Richardson, senior vice president, HR, ESPN & chief diversity officer, The Walt Disney Company. Suzanne Malveaux, anchor, CNN, served as moderator.

Launched in 1999, the NAMIC employment survey, formerly entitled, "A Look Toward Advancement: Multi-ethnic Employment in the Communications Industry," offered a baseline of statistics and perceptions about the state of multi-ethnic diversity in the cable telecommunications industry. Renamed the NAMIC AIM in 2011, the report continues to provide rich data utilized by companies to support goals for sustaining a robust pipeline of multi-ethnic talent.

Since 2003, the WICT PAR Initiative has measured the status of women employees in the cable industry based on three criteria: Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Support.  A comprehensive advocacy program helping companies to set goals, institutionalize practices, measure progress and achieve results, the PAR Initiative showcases best practices regarding company policy and procedures, which are changing the landscape of the industry.  Each year, the PAR Initiative grows more valuable as a resource for measuring and supporting the advancement of women in the cable and telecommunications industry and has been supported by WICT's 20 chapters nationwide and industry.

Mercer is independently managing the development of customized data reports for NAMIC and WICT.  The executive summary of the 2015 NAMIC AIM and WICT PAR Cable Telecommunications Industry Diversity Survey is now available for download at http://namic.com and http://www.wict.org.  For more information about the NAMIC AIM, visit http://namic.com.  Additional information about the WICT PAR Initiative can be found at http://www.wict.org.

ABOUT NAMIC
NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association, today NAMIC comprises 2,700 professionals belonging to a network of 16 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve. Comcast | NBCUniversal, Time Warner Cable and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. are NAMIC's Platinum Annual Corporate Sponsors. For more information, please visit www.namic.com and stay connected to NAMIC on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

ABOUT WICT
For over thirty-five years, Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide professional development programs, research and services that help advance women in cable media. With 10,000 members, WICT is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable and telecommunications industry. Comcast  NBCUniversal, Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Suddenlink Communications are WICT's Strategic Touchstone Partners. Please visit www.wict.org or follow @WICT on Twitter for more information.

ABOUT THE WALTER KAITZ FOUNDATION
As the cable industry's national foundation dedicated to advocating for diversity, the Walter Kaitz Foundation was established with the purpose of advancing the contributions of women and ethnic minorities in cable telecommunications. The Foundation was launched as a not-for-profit to provide resources and significant funding to organizations that support vital programs and initiatives that furthers diversity's cause.

ABOUT MERCER
Mercer is a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and investments. Mercer helps clients around the world advance the health, wealth and performance of their most vital asset - their people. Mercer's 19,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, a global team of professional services companies offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and human capital. With 53,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue exceeding $11 billion, Marsh & McLennan Companies is also the parent company of Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and risk management; Guy Carpenter, a global leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; and Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting. For more information, visit www.mercer.com. Follow Mercer on Twitter @MercerInsights.

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