Reference no: EM133177349

Management and organizational behavior in action case study

Tapping into diverse talent: Career Watch at EY

EY provides global services in four main areas: assurance, tax, transactions and advisory. It helps clients retain the confidence of investors, manage their risk, strengthen their controls and achieve potential. EY is a global partnership employing 175,000, including 8,500 across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Research shows that if EY attracts and retains the best talent and develops people, it will be able to offer more innovative client solutions, thus winning in the market and building its brand and reputation, while also helping to attract even more talent.

People statistics identified:

1. Representation of women and ethnic minorities at junior levels is 50 per cent and 25 per cent, while representation    at partner level is 17 per cent and 4 per cent respectively.
2. Performance ratings are not always distributed in a representative way.
3. Promotions are not proportional to the gender and ethnicity of the population from which promotions are made.
4. In the people survey women are less satisfied than men with career questions and ethnic minorities less satisfied than white people in questions on careers and inclusive behaviors.
5. The Career Watch program effectiveness was questioned.

In 2012 Career Watch changed the target audience from senior women and ethnic minorities to those at manager level and became a two-year sponsorship program targeting high-performing female and ethnic minority managers. Participants are paired with a partner in their business with the intention that they are promoted to senior manager by the end of the two years. Objectives for Career Watch are to:

• *retain diverse talent into leadership;
• *remove and/or avoid roadblocks in people's career journeys;
• *develop both the watchee and watcher;
• *provoke organizational learning and change.  

Career Watch is a one-to-one relationship program which includes high-quality masterclasses on relevant topics (i.e. sponsorship, ethnic minority careers and gender differences in the workplace). It is led by a partner in each of the four main business units, thus ensuring the business owns the diverse pipeline of future leaders. These partners have shown leadership by introducing each of the sessions for their service line and sharing their own personal experience by recounting stories and experiences.

Checkpoint conference calls with watchers and watchees after six months, a detailed analysis of people statistics after twelve months and a survey of watchees showed that those on Career Watch:

• *improved or maintained their performance rating (80 per cent compared with 39 per cent of peers);
• *were promoted (41 per cent compared with 22 per cent);
• *were retained in the firm (90 per cent compared to 70 per cent);
• *would recommend Career Watch to others (over 80 per cent);
• *felt it had fully met or exceeded their expectations (69 per cent);
• *believe that it has increased their engagement with EY, supported them with obstacles and improved their leadership skills (more than half of watchees).

Tasks

1. Explain what you think are reasons for the kind of people statistics such as those identified at EY.
2. Give your own views on the Career Watch program as a means of attracting and retaining talent.
3. Discuss what you see as the best way to attract greater talent from a diverse and inclusive workplace.