MFHA and Corvirtus Partner to Examine Diversity Challenges in the Hospitality Industry

The two organizations join to gather nationwide data to determine challenges for attracting diverse talent to hospitality careers and how the industry can better improve the employee experience.

Colorado Springs, Colo. April 27, 2009 -- Corvirtus and The Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) today announced they will partner to conduct two surveys designed to examine current and prospective employment needs of minorities and women. The goal is to determine the viability of attracting top diverse talent to pursue long-term careers in the hospitality industry.

The two surveys distributed include a Future Workforce survey designed to identify the needs and expectations of higher education students and an Industry Engagement survey designed to examine employment climates and perceptions of employees currently working in hospitality organizations, particularly in early career roles. The content in the two surveys are designed to compare and identify gaps between what the future workforce expects and needs to what the current workforce is experiencing.

In today's workplace, inclusion of minorities and women has been a hot button issue for many companies. There are many reasons for this, including the importance of connecting culturally diverse talent within corporate culture, improvement of company image within the community, as well as a growing need to develop mentors to manage diverse populations within the workforce. In the last decade, the hospitality industry has made major efforts to improve opportunities for minorities and women; however, barriers remain for these workgroups, which leads them to reject hospitality as a long-term career choice. MFHA and Corvirtus hope that by evaluating the employment and career needs of our current and future labor force, hospitality organizations will be better equipped to attract and retain diverse talent by improving the effectiveness of future diversity initiatives.

Surveys results will be presented on Sunday May 17, 2009, at the MFHA Diverse Leadership Reception during the National Restaurant Association Show at the Mid-America Club, in Chicago, Illinois.

David Hyatt, President and Partner of Corvirtus said, "Corvirtus has always taken the position that the key to success for any company in the foodservice and hospitality industry is to identify, select, and engage talent. Gerry and MFHA have fearlessly led the charge on this front and we are pleased to be able to support MFHA on this initiative. We are firm believers that gathering and sharing this information will equip industry leaders to make the changes needed to make the industry attractive to all job seekers, and ensure we drive the best talent possible into the industry."

Gerry Fernandez, President of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance said, "Although we are making progress in attracting and developing diverse talent, much more work needs to be done. By surveying current and future potential employees we can better understand what factors drive minority talent to or away from our industry."

For more information on how to join MFHA, please call 401-461-6342 or for information on how to obtain results, contact Corvirtus at 800-322-5329.

About Corvirtus
Corvirtus is a leading provider of pre-employment assessments, employee development, and retention tools designed for industries where the customer experience is a critical component for success. For over 20 years, Corvirtus has developed proven products that have helped companies identify the right talent to propel their organizations to achieve greater revenue, productivity, and brand loyalty. For more information about Corvirtus, visit http://www.Corvirtus.com.

About the MFHA
MFHA has been successfully conducting events since its inception in 1996. The MFHA was founded in 1996 to act as a catalyst for change in the area of workforce diversity. Its mission is to bring the economic benefits of diversity to the food and hospitality industry by building bridges that drive multicultural talent and deliver solutions. It provides diversity research, language learning tools and other resources to assist in diversity development. For more information, visit http://www.mfha.net.

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