“To create a workplace where your diverse workforce feels accepted and recognized, you need to consider customer and employee feedback,” says Telfer. “One of our clients is introducing every module of the HXM Fulcrum Snap/SAP SuccessFactors suite and is excited about our approach to diversity and inclusion.” blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/12/10/microsoft-wades-into-law-firms-diversity-debate/ Whether law firms are seen as diverse places depends largely on our own perspective. Compared to what they looked like 40 years ago (or even 20 years ago), one might be tempted to say, yes, they are diverse. But comparing the percentages to U.S. society as a whole, one could argue that there is still a long way to go. The share of minority partners (6%) among the 260 companies surveyed remained unchanged in 2009, the first time in seven years that the share of minority partners had not increased. (Here`s a link to the report, and here`s an article from the National Law Journal about the findings.) Recently, a UK-based energy company selected just 12 law firms after a detailed review of their diversity and inclusion commitments. A global beverage company automatically offered a seat on its external panel of lawyers for companies that met its strict diversity requirements. Earlier this year, a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company added 22 law firms to its legal panel, linking billable time to meeting diversity and inclusion goals.
It`s no surprise that the market is looking at Fulcrum Snap HCM, a software solution specifically designed to help law firms track and report employees against diversity and inclusion criteria. The tool is based on SAP SuccessFactors and can help companies demonstrate compliance with their own diversity and inclusion KPIs as well as external customer benchmarks. It`s not uncommon for law firms to embark on their next phase of cloud-based digital transformation with HXM, which offers diversity and inclusion modules. Jon Henes, a former insolvency partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, co-founded a consulting firm focused on helping companies promote diversity and inclusion and manage controversies. Farzin Farzad, a strategist and trainer at PowerToFly Inc., a New York-based recruitment and diversity retention firm, said Florida`s law is “fundamentally contrary to the fundamental principles of what this country should be built on, which is freedom of speech.” Companies such as Microsoft Corp., U.S. Bancorp, Uber Technologies Inc. and Intel Corp. are asking their hired law firms to disclose how many different lawyers they employ and whether those lawyers are assigned. meaningful work. Companies that don`t have correct answers may lose bonuses or not get hired.
While recognizing the speed with which its team of engineers and other experts developed Fulcrum Snap HCM, Telfer expected it to continue to innovate as the legal industry evolved. Meanwhile, law firms around the world are becoming advisors of choice by meeting the diversity and inclusion criteria that are now the norm for modern law. “Integrating diversity and inclusion capabilities into HXM systems that can capture data across the enterprise, including finance, provides law firms with a clear view of progress toward meeting measurable industry standards,” Telfer said. “By meeting diversity and inclusion requirements, they also meet the needs of businesses.” As demands for justice agitate organizations around the world, diversity and inclusion goals in many law firms have quickly shifted from ambitious mandates to commercial mandates. Law firms have been promising for years to hire and promote more black lawyers. Her corporate clients are now pushing her to show results. However, not all businesses are created equal. Some have increased the percentage of their lawyers, who are women, African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, gays and lesbians, more than others. Fulcrum Snap HCM is part of a suite of software solutions developed by Fulcrum Global Technologies, an SAP partner, to help companies manage what they call a “legal transaction.” They have developed offerings for SAP S/4 HANA for Finance that include time tracking and tracking, billing and billing, pricing, and risk management. Some of the nation`s largest law firms are promoting specialized practices that conduct race- and diversity-related audits at leading U.S. companies at a time when tech giants, fast-food chains, financial institutions and others are reviewing their racial justice cases. Corey Williams, founder of the North Carolina-based SAIR collective, which offers diversity courses, said she felt politicians had used words like “diversity” and “awakened” as a weapon.
She said she hoped the decision would free up time to slow down and investigate the intent of laws and rules like the Stop Woke Act that seek to “widen the gap between people who are otherwise friendly and neighbors.” Law firms that take modernization seriously must attract employees who reflect the organization`s active commitment to diversity and inclusion. This is where continuous pulse surveys come into play, along with an integrated HXM strategy. Law is not exactly the most diverse profession in the United States, despite countless efforts by law schools and law firms to address the problem. www.wsj.com/articles/diversity-training-firms-applaud-blocking-of-floridas-stop-woke-act-11660947400 It may not come as a surprise to many, but law firms are still struggling to diversify their ranks, according to data released by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Vault.com. www.wsj.com/articles/ex-bankruptcy-lawyer-launches-diversity-focused-consulting-firm-11631549218 www.wsj.com/articles/law-firms-jockey-to-help-companies-manage-diversity-and-equity-11662136442 The very short answer: not very. Law firms have long struggled to create a diverse workforce, and the ranks of senior management and partnerships continue to be dominated by white men. Affinity groups have tried several approaches to advancing the advancement of women and minorities in the ranks of the country`s largest law firms – those with 100 or more lawyers – but progress has been slow. Beyond diversity training, companies have also worked to include women and people from racial and ethnic minorities on their boards. S&P 500 companies added more directors in 2021 than any year since 2004, and nearly three-quarters of new independent directors were women or were racial or ethnic minorities, according to data from recruitment and consulting firm Spencer Stuart. “There is a lot of interest in HR solutions that focus on diversity and inclusion as a differentiator,” said Martin Telfer, Senior Vice President/Head EMEA at Fulcrum Global Technologies. “The legal expertise of smart partners and strong practices is at stake. What we`re seeing now is that data demonstrating your commitment to diversity and inclusion will increase the positive outlook of potential customers and employees in your company.
“Now, Microsoft Corp. is diving into the debate. In an effort to better understand the diversity gap in the legal profession, the firm commissioned a survey comparing the minority representation of lawyers to that of other professions. Law firms in the UK are under intense pressure from the industry to meet diversity and inclusion requirements, such as gender pay equality. Fulcrum Snap HCM is already established in two major global UK law firms and is poised to bring much more fairness to the entire legal industry in terms of diversity and inclusion.