General Statement

NC G.S. 126-19 requires that departments, agencies, and universities develop and submit Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Plans that provide positive measures to assure equitable and fair representation of North Carolina's citizens. We provide technical assistance to agencies/universities as they prepare their EEO Plans and Programs which must be submitted to the Office of State Human Resources by March 1 of each year for approval.

EEO, engagement and inclusion require bringing all employees into the process. Involving all employees will assist state government to promote fairness, as well as create and sustain a work environment of respect where all employees can reach their highest level of productivity.

Our Approach

The State of North Carolina recognizes the critical role that effective diversity management plays in achieving a high-performing organization. As stated in The Roadmap to Diversity, Inclusion and High Performance, "High performance encompasses two complementary components: competent, self-motivated employees and an inclusive leadership support system. Both are necessities to ensure the effective performance of all employees."

This understanding has led to a philosophy in the State of North Carolina that views belonging as central to the achievement of high performance, rather than a separate component that impacts the business environment but does not direct that environment.

Definition

EEO management is a combination of programs, policies, and activities that support an environment wherein employee differences are valued and integrated into each part of the organization's operations. It assists in understanding, valuing, respecting, and promoting a diverse workforce to ensure that managers retain and capitalize on the ideas and skills all employees bring to the organization. Successful diversity management initiatives enhance both the performance and the cohesiveness of an organization.

Management Objectives

The ultimate objective is for EEO to become a valued and institutionalized component of business processes in high-performance organizations. To support this objective, the EEO Plan works to achieve:

• Diverse representation at all employment/occupational levels — Achieve representation levels that reflect the population of the State of North Carolina at all employment levels and specifically, in policy-making positions.
• Cultural awareness — Achieve a work environment that supports cultural awareness and uses the varied experiences of employees to create a high-performance organization.
• Leadership buy-in — Achieve an organizational acceptance that views EEO programs as a competitive advantage in terms of achieving high performance and improving problem-solving techniques.
• Performance organization — Ensure that the varied talents and experiences of all employees are contributing to and supporting the business operations of the organization.

Each objective must be qualitatively or quantitatively measured.