Human Resources
Attack of the clones
How Carl Camden redefined diversity to protect Kelly Services from groupthink
By Erik Cassano
Smart Business | November 2008
Page 1 of 4
If someone says “diversity,” what is yourinitial reaction?
Carl Camden thinks he has a pretty goodidea.
“If you did a poll, I’m certain it would beracial background, ethnicity, gender,maybe lifestyles if you’re more enlightened,” he says. “When you talk aboutdiversity, people tend to go into a little bitof a dazed-eye look. They’ve been there,they’ve heard many presentations ondiversity and all the things you’re supposed to do.”
Camden, the president and CEO of $5.7billion staffing and recruiting giant KellyServices Inc., has seen firsthand throughdecades in business how companies cancross over from diversity awareness todiversity overkill. And he wants to changeit by changing the way people in businessthink about diversity.
More specifically, he wants to write anew definition for diversity as it pertainsto business. In a company, diversityshouldn’t simply pertain to employingpeople of varying skin colors or ethnicbackgrounds. He says that the truemeaning of diversity is employing peoplewith diverse backgrounds and experiences.
In a society where people from variousethnic backgrounds now frequentlyshare the same experiences during theirformative years, it’s no longer enough toassume that people from different races,ethnicities or genders will bring differentperspectives to the table.
“Just because we don’t look alike does-n’t mean we don’t think alike,” Camdensays. “It used to be easy to assume thatyou were guaranteeing the companydiversity of thinking or background ifyou achieve apparent diversity in age,ethnic origin and gender makeup of thestaff. Now, we’re arguing that justbecause you achieve that doesn’t meanthat you have the wide range of background and thought that you’re lookingfor.”
Camden says diversity shouldn’t beviewed as a buzzword or a goal you setsimply to make your company look socially progressive. It’s a real issue withreal consequences for your balancesheet, and it takes serious thought andplanning to address.
