The report noted that while the NCUA's new hires were more diverse, an analysis of overall workforce data from 2012 to 2015 revealed there has not been a significant increase in the diversity of the NCUA's workforce overall.

Consequently, the regulator said it is making significant and aggressive adjustments to the agency's long-term diversity and inclusion strategy to increase diversity at all levels of the workforce and foster inclusion in order to leverage and retain its employees.

That strategy will include efforts to review and refine its initiatives to recruit, retain and promote women and minorities.

These initiatives will include: Chartering employee resource groups to support the retention of diverse employees, establishing an employee mentoring program, developing an intentionally inclusive leadership culture, providing manager and employee training on unconscious bias, and amending the charter of the agency's Diversity Advisory Council to include greater senior executive representation.

New OMWI Director Monica Davy said broadening the OMWI's strategic focus in two particular areas will allow the NCUA to be even more successful in the years to come as it builds a business case for diversity and intentional inclusion.

As part of the NCUA's action plan to increase the understanding of the business case for diversity, the agency said it plans to hire a diversity communications specialist; develop a diversity and inclusion communications strategy; strengthen diversity training to include the diversity business case; publish a quarterly diversity newsletter with strategic messages promoting its business case; and expand the diversity message to include all forms of diversity – not just minorities and women.

Davy addressed training on unconscious bias in her comments in the report.

“My hope is that by the end of the year, every person within [the] NCUA – from the leadership team to every hiring official – will understand what unconscious bias is and will be equipped to check his or her bias before making decisions or interacting with each other,” she said. “Such a level of awareness will allow leaders to be more inclusive, thereby creating a more inclusive culture at [the] NCUA and helping us to retain our diverse talent.”

As part of its action plan to incorporate unconscious bias awareness and training, the agency said it will: Hold a three-hour unconscious bias seminar for the senior leadership team; hold a two-hour unconscious bias training class for the examiner workforce, including managers; publish articles on unconscious bias in the agency's new diversity newsletter; and develop an unconscious bias toolkit for leaders and managers.

The NCUA's efforts to create more diversity among its suppliers also continued last year. In 2015, the NCUA awarded $7.3 million, or 22.5%, of its $32.5 million in contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. This was the third consecutive year during which the agency surpassed the 20% mark in its supplier diversity levels. The NCUA made $9.2 million or 25.5% of its $36 million in contract payments to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2015.

“A diverse supplier base is a sound business policy and allows [the] NCUA to use its resources more effectively and efficiently,” Matz said.