If there is still a firm or company out there that hasn’t embraced diversity, they will after reading this. Google — the trendsetter in the business community — Google is in the business of creative ideas. And, in their experience, nothing helps foster creativity more than diversity.
“Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to Google’s way of doing things,” explains Kent Walker, the company’s general counsel. “We have a global mission of expanding the world’s access to information. At the same time, we aspire to be a local company in every country in which we operate, and we understand that our users have different cultures, languages, and traditions.”
The composition of Google’s legal department — where 48% of all attorneys are minorities and 57% are women — reflects that dedication. Among managing attorneys, 41% are minorities.
Google’s approach to diversity is not limited to the approach taken by the company’s legal department. Google’s company–wide diversity plan reflects its aspiration to build an organization that reflects the globally diverse audience that its search engine and other tools serve. The company places an emphasis on a leadership team that reflects, creates, and supports an inclusive and diverse work environment across the globe.
“Last quarter, we had a company–wide goal around building diversity and inclusion into how we operate on a daily basis,” shares Walker.“And I think that we have more involvement than ever from Googlers on diversity initiatives, which range from product improvement, community outreach, and education to supporting and celebrating diversity within the Google community.”
Google also takes a long–term approach to diversity by investing in the pipeline of future legal luminaries. “In 2008, Google launched the Building Opportunities for Leadership & Developments [BOLD] Diversity Internship Program. This program is designed to provide students who are historically underrepresented in this field with exposure to the technology industry,” notes Walker.
The BOLD internship program began as a program for undergraduates, but it has since expanded to include some graduate students as well. “The BOLD program provides a unique summer experience for interns, where they attend professional development workshops and really discover what it’s like to work at a technology company,” Walker continues. “Many of the interns from that first summer have joined Google full–time after graduating from college. We’re particularly proud of this program because it’s brought an outstanding group of people to Google, and because it’s continuing to raise awareness within the company of how important diversity efforts are and how successful they can be.”
Google really is searching for diversity in all the right places. “Winning the Employer of Choice award is, of course, a great honor,” concludes Walker. “We’re very pleased to be recognized for our efforts and progress in this area.” DB
From the November/December 2009 issue of Diversity & The Bar®