Deloitte's Diversity Push

Deloitte CEO Barry Salzberg likes to talk about the value of diversity. But of the 4,500 partners and other top executives at his firm, 92% are white. A big part of the problem, Salzberg believes, is where Deloitte has been looking: in the same pool of top universities that everyone else taps for minority talent.

So this spring, Salzberg directed some of his senior people to focus their recruiting efforts on community colleges. The rationale: The two-year, state-funded programs are where the majority of African-American and Latino students enroll, especially during tough times. While he says the accounting and consulting giant isn't bypassing universities, Salzberg disputes the notion that community college students are less suited to the job. "Many have the ability and the drive," he says. "Targeting these schools offers us a unique opportunity to reach another distinct pool of diverse, top talent."