The goal of Industrial Relations Counselors, Inc.’s study, Talent Management Processes for a Diverse Leadership Team, which was completed by ORC Worldwide, was to understand which talent management practices work best for uncovering high potential talent from non-traditional populations and making sure that talent is able to penetrate the senior leadership levels in substantial numbers. Recent research indicates that organizations are still searching for the right levers to pull to achieve, and sustain, progress on diversity in the leadership ranks. Forty-seven organizations participated in an on-line survey regarding:

• Identifying high potential talent globally
• Constructing career paths that accommodate diversity
• Managing developmental experiences so that a diverse high potential pool has the opportunity to grow, be tested, see and be seen by the top of the house
• Building accountability into the system
• Assessing organizational culture as related to its potential impact on the success of the groups studied
• Evaluating current demographics in the leadership ranks of women, racial/ethnic minorities, and nationals of countries other than the headquarters country (herein after referred to as non-HQ nationals or NHQNs)