EEOC CHAIR INSPIRES EXECUTIVE SEARCH CONSULTANTS TO ACT AS "AGENTS OF CHANGE"

Conference Designed to Promote Teamwork and Diversity

WASHINGTON- Cari M. Dominguez, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), urged Witt/Kieffer executive recruiters to heighten efforts to broaden their network of candidates as diversity becomes a compelling business case for employers.  She also inspired the audience to act as agents of positive change - one key placement at a time - during her keynote address at Witt/Kieffer's annual meeting entitled "Quality & Teamwork: How We Measure Success."

In the early 1990s, Ms. Dominguez launched the Glass Ceiling initiative at the Department of Labor to identify and examine barriers to advancement in the workplace among women and minorities, which inspired her to pursue a career in the executive search business where she focused on diversity.

"I believe that a single individual can and does make a positive difference  whether that difference is breaking down attitudinal barriers and eliminating prejudice or influencing the direction and values of an organization," said Ms. Dominguez, a staunch believer in the 'Power of One' concept.

This conference marks the first occasion where Ms. Dominguez has addressed an executive search audience as chair of the EEOC.  During her remarks, she encouraged the audience to be part of the solution by promoting diversity within their own industry and in their network of candidates. To help firms attract a more diverse pool of candidates, she offered these suggestions: 

• Internally, firms should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
• Firms must reach out to nontraditional networks of minority talent beyond their databases.
• Firms should gain trust and credibility with minority talent through strong, ongoing     alliances.
• Firms should focus on pipeline issues to grow and develop more talent.

"I commend Witt/Kieffer for promoting diversity in the executive suite," said Chair Dominguez. "Removing attitudinal barriers in the workplace is a shared responsibility.  It requires partnering efforts, as exemplified by our gathering tonight."

Ms. Dominguez was nominated to her current post by President George W. Bush on May 10, 2001, and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 19.  As Chair, she serves as the Commission's chief executive officer.

Her distinguished career includes top level human resources and executive recruitment positions with Bank America Corporation and the international search firms of Heidrick & Struggles (Washington, D.C.) and Spencer Stuart (San Francisco).  Immediately prior to joining the Commission, she was a principal of Dominguez & Associates, a Maryland-based consulting firm she established in 1999 to focus on senior management recruitment, diversity evaluations, ongoing employment-related matters, and workforce preparedness assessments.

Additionally, during the first Bush Administration, Ms. Dominguez served in the U.S. Department of Labor as Assistant Secretary for Employment Standards and as Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).  It was in the latter capacity that she launched and led the Labor Department's Glass Ceiling initiative  designed to remove barriers in the workplace affecting the advancement of individuals on the basis of race or gender.

The EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Equal Pay Act; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits employment discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments; prohibitions against discrimination affecting individuals with disabilities in the federal government; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.  More information about the Commission is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.