Data from The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity shows that all of the Big Four accounting firms—Ernst & Young (No. 4 in the 2013 DiversityInc Top 50), PricewaterhouseCoopers (No. 2), KPMG (No. 23) and Deloitte (No. 11)—face similar challenges in diversifying their U.S. workforces. Of all U.S. employees for these companies in aggregate, only 3.9 percent are Black, 3.5 percent are Latino and 0.22 percent are American Indian. Asians, in contrast, account for 15.7 percent of management positions at the Big Four.
Developing a pipeline of candidates is the key to getting more talent from these traditionally underrepresented groups. Starting really early in that process, before students graduate or even choose their majors, will help your company gain a step up on the competition.
For example, Ernst & Young has hosted formal and one-off programs to inspire students on both the high-school and college levels to seek professions in accounting.
In this 603-word article, “Recruitment: Black and Latino Accountants,” readers will learn best practices on how to increase diversity in their organization’s accounting departments. Key takeaways include:
- What percentage of CPAs are from traditionally underrepresented groups
- Why accounting has not been a high-profile profession for Black and American Indian students
- How Ernst & Young connects with students to generate interest in the profession
- Why diversity awareness is important for your business and for developing employees’ expertise