Affirmative action plans: what are they?
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines AAP as:
“Efforts made to improve the representation of minorities and women in traditionally underrepresented fields of work, education, and culture.”
Stated differently, an affirmative action plan, or AAP, is a program, policy, or instrument used by an organization or employer to encourage diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the hiring process. Its primary objective is to give minorities equal employment chances and support, irrespective of their sex, caste, race, religion, color, nationality, etc.
The purpose of AAP plans is to address and rectify past instances of discrimination or underrepresentation of particular groups. In the private sector, they are usually optional, but for federal contractors and certain public institutions in the US, they could be mandatory.
Who requires an AAP policy or affirmative action plan?
The affirmative action plan is a powerful management tool that may be used by any organization that supports equal employment opportunities (EEO).
However, only federal contractors and subcontractors are required to incorporate the AAP policy into their hiring and management practices, according to the Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
Additionally, federal contractors and subcontractors are required to submit an annual certification and regular updates regarding their adherence to the affirmative action plan.
How can an affirmative action plan be created?
All management levels should be involved in the development of the affirmative action plan to make sure it addresses all the standards. Every phase in the action plan should have quantifiable objectives in order to assess its effectiveness.
A proactive AAP program can be created by following these steps.
How to create a plan for affirmative action
Step 1: Determine the need for an AAP
Start by preparing a report on the percentage of women and minorities represented in your workforce across all job categories. To find the gaps, compare these reports with the number of candidates available.
Draw attention to the underrepresented groups and use statistical analysis to examine historical employment trends. Involve managers and employees in the evaluation procedure to increase acceptance.
Step 2: Assess development opportunities
Consider the amount of openings that might occur soon and the resources available to carry out affirmative action when evaluating opportunities.
Determine funded and timed affirmative action initiatives and time allocations in collaboration with HR and leadership. Additionally, get ready to recruit from underrepresented groups, women, and minorities.
Step 3: Establish strategies and prioritize gaps
List the difficulties in an orderly manner, taking into account their urgency and the extent of change that is feasible. Based on the information and the goals of your organization, choose which challenges to address. Examine previous tactics, consider both achievements and setbacks, and apply the knowledge gained to create new tactics.
Step 4: Carry out the plan of action
Give each program participant a clear role so that everyone is aware of what is expected of them.
Encourage managers and supervisors to work together to implement affirmative action initiatives.
Establish specific program activities for the affirmative action plan and set measurable goals with due dates to gauge progress.
Step 5: Keep an eye on and refine the plan
Regularly offer frameworks for evaluating the program’s success while keeping a careful eye on elements including representation, hiring rates, and recruiting quality.
Determine what is effective by combining qualitative participant feedback with quantitative data analysis, then modify future plans and goals in light of their efficacy.
What does AAP compliance involve?
HR and other senior leadership are involved in a number of tasks related to adhering to an affirmative action plan. The program must have explicit accountability in place and be routinely evaluated, updated, and vetted. The AAP criteria are broken down as follows:
compliance with the affirmative action plan
Data collection: Businesses must keep Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) data to meet AAP standards.
Plan submission: A detailed draft of the AAP policy must be presented and evaluated by the management periodically at a defined date.
Determine the underrepresentation. Draw attention to protected groups that are underrepresented in the company’s workforce.
Assign accountability: During implementation, all positions and duties that interact with or have an impact on the AAP must be precisely specified.
Establish deadlines and goals: Establish affirmative action goals, procedures for pre-employment screenings, and complaint mechanisms.
Plan structure: Companies with more than 25 workers are required to submit a thorough AAP that addresses topics such as compliance protocols, corporate communication, staff roles, and underrepresented groups. Smaller agencies need to concentrate on hiring goals and commitment.
Recruitment and retention: Businesses must have a recruitment strategy that covers hiring tactics, advertising, and ways to attract members of underrepresented groups. Plans for employee retention should examine trends in employee churn and provide tactics for retaining members of protected groups.
Pre-employment assessments for goal units with unmet affirmative action goals are among the mechanisms that HR must develop for auditing, assessing, and reporting the program’s progress.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that underrepresented personnel must not encounter any unfavorable conduct from their peers while creating an affirmative action plan. Therefore, incorporate provisions in the policy pertaining to:
Nondiscrimination and nonharassment policy
Sexual misbehavior
Fair accommodations for minorities
The complaint procedure
Requirements and Reporting for Affirmative Action Plans
The OFCCP mandates that written and documented records of the affirmative action plan be kept by contractors and subcontractors as proof. The guidelines for this are as follows:
Contractors are required to maintain employment or personnel records for a minimum of two years after the date of the action or the date the record was made, whichever comes first.
Records must be retained for a minimum of one year for contractors with fewer than 150 workers or contracts under $150,000.
Both the current and prior year’s written Affirmative Action Plans (AAPs) must be kept up to date.
Contractors must record and track the gender, color, and ethnicity of employees and, where practicable, applications from the Internet.
