Shattering the Glass Ceiling. Issues and Solutions in Promoting the Advancement of Women and Minorities to Executive Management in Corporate America. White Paper 1966.

Despite their progress in the workplace in recent years, women and minorities still remain greatly underrepresented in executive roles in major U.S. companies. The barriers, attitudes, and practices that deter the advancement of women and minorities into executive ranks collectively result in the phenomenon known as the "Glass Ceiling." The cases of several large corporations confirm that it is in a company's best interests to enact programs to diversify the work force and eliminate the glass ceiling. The Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) works to promote equal opportunity in the workplace but it does not mandate results. The OFCCP's Glass Ceiling Commission has identified three major areas in the recruitment process that tend to create and perpetuate the glass ceiling: word-of-mouth networking, networking based on employee referrals, and executive search firms. When reviewing the fairness of federal contractors' hiring practices, OFCCP gives great weight to good faith efforts. Among the strategies for shattering the glass ceiling identified by the Glass Ceiling Commission are the following: recognize that commitment begins at the top (with the board of directors); create/implement inclusivity and diversity programs; develop/use proactive recruiting procedures; and identify/use available tools for identifying qualified female and minority candidates for senior management openings. (MN)