Professional Diversity Network Announces Exclusive Partnership with ManpowerGroup

CHICAGO, June 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (NASDAQ:IPDN), a developer and operator of online networks that provide access to employment opportunities for diverse professionals in the United States, announced today that it has formed an exclusive partnership with ManpowerGroup Solutions, part of the ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN) family of companies.

According to a study of more than 1,200 job seekers in the United States, diverse candidates are listening for different messages from employers than the overall candidate pool, and they are listening in different places. As such, if companies really want to cultivate diversity in the workplace, human resources executives need to be purposeful about their messaging and target their outreach through the channels diverse candidates trust most.

The partnership with Professional Diversity Network will provide ManpowerGroup Solutions with unparalleled access to more than 12 million candidates who self-identify as diverse, thereby allowing the company to develop more expansive talent pools for clients.

"ManpowerGroup has a long commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace," said April Savino, Vice President, ManpowerGroup. "Diversity of people brings diversity of thought, and studies show companies that excel at leveraging diversity perform better financially over the long term. We recognize that our clients want to find the best talent, and this partnership with the Professional Diversity Network will help address those needs."

Through the partnership, ManpowerGroup Solutions will provide the Professional Diversity Network with research and insights into candidates' preferences, behaviors and motivators throughout the hiring process.

"By combining our broad network of diverse candidates with ManpowerGroup's global expertise and innovative workforce solutions, we can more effectively match diverse talent with progressive organizations across the country," said Jim Kirsch, Executive Chairman, Professional Diversity Network.

"A diverse workforce is one of the key factors to an organization's overall success," said Star Jones, President, Professional Diversity Network. "By partnering with ManpowerGroup, we will work collectively towards improving diversity recruiting in the United States."

Job seekers are encouraged to visit ManpowerGroup Solutions' new Diversity Career Center, powered by the Professional Diversity Network, to view relevant job openings: www.greatcareers.com.

To view insights into how U.S. companies can effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce, download the new white paper from ManpowerGroup Solutions, "What Diverse Candidates Want," at http://manpowergroup.us/diversity.

About ManpowerGroup Solutions

ManpowerGroup Solutions provides clients with outsourcing services related to human resources functions, primarily in the areas of large-scale recruiting and workforce-intensive initiatives that are outcome-based, thereby sharing in the risk and reward with our clients. Our solutions offerings include Talent Based Outsourcing, Managed Service Programs, Borderless Talent Solutions, Language Services and Recruitment Process Outsourcing, where we are one of the largest providers of permanent and contingent recruitment in the world. ManpowerGroup Solutions is part of the ManpowerGroup family of companies, which also includes Manpower, Experis, and Right Management. More information about ManpowerGroup Solutions is available at www.manpowergroupsolutions.com.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE:MAN) is the world's workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for nearly 70 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2016, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the sixth consecutive year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com.

About Professional Diversity Network

The Professional Diversity Network platform provides employers that value diversity with access to diverse talent to meet their hiring needs. Professional Diversity Network owns and operates professional networking communities including: www.iHispano.com for Hispanic professionals, http://www.BlackCareerNetwork.com for African-American professionals, www.WomensCareerChannel.com for professional women, www.Military2Career.com for Veterans, http://www.ProAble.net for professionals with disabilities, www.OutProNet.com for professionals in the LGBT community, and www.AsianCareerNetwork.com for Asian-American professionals.  For more information, visit: www.prodivnet.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding the future based on our current expectations, forecasts, beliefs, intentions, strategies and assumptions. Forward-looking statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," and "would" or similar words. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and our actual results may differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: failure to realize synergies and other financial benefits from mergers and acquisitions within expected time frames, including increases in expected costs or difficulties related to integration of merger and acquisition partners; inability to identify and successfully negotiate and complete additional combinations with potential merger or acquisition partners or to successfully integrate such businesses, including our ability to realize the benefits and cost savings from, and limit any unexpected liabilities acquired as a result of, any such business combinations; our limited operating history in a new and unproven market; increasing competition in the market for online professional networks; our ability to comply with increasing governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy; our ability to adapt to changing technologies and social trends and preferences; our ability to attract and retain a sales and marketing team, management and other key personnel and the ability of that team to execute on the Company’s business strategies and plans; our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our intellectual property; any future litigation regarding our business, including intellectual property claims; and the risk factors disclosed in our Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 30, 2016 and any subsequent filings made by us with the SEC. Forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2016, together with this press release are available on our website, www.prodivnet.com.

CONTACTS: Professional Diversity Network, Inc.
Santos E. Gonzalez
(312) 614-0929
sgonzalez@prodivnet.com

Released June 21, 2016