Walk into the executive suites at many of Atlanta's biggest companies these days and you're likely to find someone in management's inner circle whose sole job is to focus on diversity.

No question about it, this is good public relations. And some would say it's the socially responsible thing to do.

But does the high-level emphasis on diversity in the work force have anything to do with the bottom line?

No question about it, according to upper- level managers at companies including BellSouth Corp., Home Depot Inc. and Georgia- Pacific Corp.

"We believe having a diverse work force allows our company to tap in to the best and the brightest from many cultures," said Valencia Adams, chief diversity officer for BellSouth Corp. "You can show real benefits against the bottom line. We bring people into the business, we can retain them and not have to keep training new people."

And by maintaining a work force from a variety of cultures within an organization, companies are better prepared to reach out to more potential customers.

On a recent day, Cïsar Manjarrez walked the aisles at the Home Depot on Cumberland Parkway in Vinings, where his assistant manager duties call for him to keep up with the electrical, paint and gardening sections.

The native of Mexico said he and his co-workers often use their bilingual language skills to help customers who speak Spanish, Portuguese and other tongues.

"A lot of [Spanish-speaking] customers have trouble filling out applications," printed in English, he said. "And I'm here to help them."

At some Home Depot stores, such as the one on Tilly Mill Road in Cobb County, signs are printed in English and Spanish, whichattracts customers from the growing local Hispanic community, as well as demonstrating to job candidates that the company is reaching out to a broad demographic.

"We are positioning Home Depot for a global competitive advantage," said Gloria Johnson Goins, vice president of diversity and inclusion for the building-materials retailer.

"Our goal is not only to be the employer of choice, but to be sure we are approaching it holistically."

BellSouth's Adams points to a growing multilingual call center the company maintains in south Florida as an example of an initiative that is popular with customers and encouraging to employees.

"Now we have more than 400 employees there speaking Spanish, Portuguese, French and other languages, " Adams said. "Now our customers are able to receive their bills in Spanish, and at BellSouth.com and BellSouth.net we have a Spanish portal. That is an attraction to many people considering hiring on with BellSouth and that has an impact on our ability to recruit."

While it may not be surprising that people at the executive level have bought into the business case for diversity, there is growing evidence that rank-and-file workers also agree that their employers should focus resources to reach out to many cultures.

For example, at Georgia- Pacific, an employee survey on diversity, conducted since 2000 by a third party, gauges perceptions about the work environment and the business case for diversity. In 2004, the most recent survey, employees overwhelmingly told the surveyors they see a payoff.

"We ask if managers respect different backgrounds and, with the business case, if a diverse work force contributes to overall business success," said Texanna Reeves, Georgia-Pacific's director of Workforce Strategies and Programs.

"Ninety-one percent did see a connection, and that includes both salary and hourly employees. So that reflects our overall work force."

The wood products company even makes something of a diversity scorecard available on its Web site to show how many women are top decision-makers. In addition to laying out its strategic plan, called "Bridging Cultures, Leveraging Differences," the company publishes a table
called "Measurable Results" to track changes in the company's top ranks.

At the top level, which generally includes executive vice presidents, the company says 29 percent are women, up from 9 percent in 2000. About 17 percent of vice presidents are women, up from 11 percent in 2000 and 30 percent are at the director level, up from 22 percent in 2000.

That emphasis resulted in Georgia-Pacific receiving the 2005 Catalyst Award, which honors strategic business initiatives that result in the recruitment, development and advancement of women.

"At Georgia-Pacific, we want the best talent, no matter where that is," Reeves said. "We know the demographics in the work force are changing, so we want more women and minorities to know we welcome them.

"We want to better provide customers with products that better meet their tastes and styles. We need to understand our customers as they, too, are becoming more diverse."

Most big companies these days are fixtures at career fairs where they are likely to run into top talent that also fits in with diversity goals. They tap into contacts at national organizations of Hispanic and African-Americans with Master of Business Administration degrees.

"In 2004, I probably attended 250 career fairs - places we show up because we believe there are talented people there when we have jobs," said BellSouth's Adams. "Truly, the best and the brightest get through."