National Association For Multi-Ethnicity In Communications And Women In Cable Telecommunications Announce Results Of Combined Research Surveys At Joint Town Hall Meeting Held As Part Of Diversity Week

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) today announced the results of the 2013 NAMIC AIM and WICT PAR Cable Telecommunications Industry Workforce Diversity Survey.  Including benchmark data vital to charting the advancement of ethnic and gender diversity in cable, the latest iteration of the biennial NAMIC AIM (Advancement Investment Measurement) and WICT PAR Initiative(Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Integration) surveys were discussed this morning during a Town Hall Meeting on Diversity.  Presented jointly by the associations in conjunction with the 27^th Annual NAMIC Conference and the 2013 WICT Leadership Conference, the town hall meeting was held at the New York Marriott Marquis. 

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Funded by The Walter Kaitz Foundation, and conducted by third party experts at Mercer, the NAMIC and WICT study gathered data related to workforce demographics and diversity and inclusion practices from the cable telecommunications industry. The primary methodology for the study was a census survey consisting of 49 quantitative and qualitative questions focused on gender and race/ethnicity, for a variety of job categories. Twenty-five companies completed the survey, representing 59% of the cable telecommunications industry workforce.  Thirteen of the company respondents were programmers, nine were multi-system operators, and three companies were either industry suppliers or non-profits.    

As in years past, the survey instrument captured data on diversity at all levels , and, for the first time, also recorded statistics that enabled the creation of industry-wide Internal Labor Market (ILM) maps showing workforce dynamics (i.e. hires, promotions and exits) of people of color and women in the industry.  This information was used to generate projections of how representation of people of color and women at management levels can be expected to change over the next five years. For people of color, management levels are predicted to be flat in the next year, while for women in management, levels are predicted to decline if current promotion and departure rates continue.

Nearly 50% of cable telecommunications organizations in the 2013 NAMIC AIM and WICT PAR survey have staff members dedicated exclusively to diversity, and more than half have an internal group that focuses on diversity. Top diversity practices employed by cable telecommunications organizations in the 2013 NAMIC AIM and WICT PAR are as follows:

1)    Recruiting strategies designed to help increase diversity within organizations.

2)    Community outreach tied to diversity, such as links between organizations and educational institutions, government entities, etc.

3)    The collection of measurements and metrics related to diversity practices.

Also, more than half of the organizations in the survey have pay equity policies and practices.  In addition, a majority of organizations surveyed have mandatory diversity training.

A number of advances in the cable telecommunications industry as it relates to race/ethnicity were cited in the report.  The study showed increases for full-time employees and entry/mid-level managers.  However, promotion rates and the percentage of executives and senior-level managers that are people of color have declined.  According to the study, representation of people of color on boards of directors remains a challenge with little to no growth occurring since the 2011 NAMIC survey.

"The increase in this year's sampling size over 2011 is indicative of the industry's commitment to fostering greater multi-ethnic inclusion and the gains for full-time employees and entry to mid-level managers of color are encouraging.  However, we still have much to do in terms of sustaining the trend upwards in those areas while we continue working to increase the representation of ethnic minorities  at the senior management and corporate board level," said Alicin Williamson, principal, The Raben Group and interim executive leader of NAMIC.

When reviewing gender-related data, the study showed gains in 2013 for women in a number of positions.  This is the ten-year anniversary of the PAR Survey, and several categories were compared with 2003 results. Since 2003, cable telecommunications organizations increased their representation of women executives and senior-level managers by one percent (28% versus 27%)..  However, the study found that the promotion rates in management and executives levels were lower for women as compared to men.  The study also found that the turnover rate for first level managers is higher for women than their male counterparts.

"While sections of the data are encouraging, there are also areas that need attention and require a greater focus. On a positive note, there is a higher percentage of women at the executive and senior level of management than ten years ago," said Maria E. Brennan, CAE, WICT President & CEO. "However, the data indicates that the number of women in management will decline over the next five years because of the promotion and turnover rate disparity between women and men. This is a call to action for WICT and for our industry so that we continue to move the needle for greater representation of women in the management pipeline."

Panelists participating in NAMIC and WICT's joint town hall meeting included: Adria Alpert Romm, senior executive vice president, human resources and global diversity, Discovery Communications; David L. Cohen, executive vice president, Comcast Corporation; Jacqueline Hernández, chief operating officer, Telemundo;  and Rhonda D. Taylor, executive vice president and chief people officer, Cox Communications.  Gail Greenfield, PhD, principal, Mercer presented survey findings, and Michael Powell, president and chief executive officer, NCTA delivered a keynote address as part of the presentation.  CNN anchor, Suzanne Malveaux, served as moderator. 

Launched in 1999, the NAMIC  employment survey, formerly entitled, "A Look Toward Advancement: Multi-ethnic Employment in the Communications Industry," provided a baseline of statistics and perceptions about the state of multi-ethnic diversity in the cable telecommunications industry. This newest iteration of the NAMIC employment survey - NAMIC AIM (Advancement Investment Measurement), provides rich data that companies can use to support goals for sustainable growth of multi-ethnic diversity, and will further strengthen NAMIC's role as a key industry resource for the cultivation of a diverse talent pipeline.  Key outgrowths of the NAMIC employment survey include the formation of NAMIC's prestigious Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP),presented in partnership with the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and the NAMIC Leadership Seminar for middle managers.

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 both by WICT's 19 chapters nationwide and industry.

Mercer is independently managing the development of customized data reports for NAMIC and WICT.  The executive summary of the 2013 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 (Advancement Investment Measurement) 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 2,200 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. For more information, please visit www.namic.com and stay connected to NAMIC on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

ABOUT WICT
For over thirty 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 nearly 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 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 (NYSE: MMC), 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.

SOURCE NAMIC