Leading In Diversity

Diversity isn’t a new term being thrown around corporate businesses today. Many new companies are striving for diversity off the bat. While others are backtracking to make sure they are more inclusive. Leaders should be building in accountability to create diverse and inclusive working environments. While corporate leaders may discuss diversity and say all the right things, it’s often the middle management running the organization and the experience of those who work there. These middle people are usually not as understanding and as accountable for both diversity and inclusion.

Understanding Diversity

Diversity has become more than just race, ethnicity, age, and gender. Today it has grown to include multiple other aspects of diversity:

• disability status
• educational experience
• LGBTQ
• Religion
• Parenting
• Care-givers
• socioeconomic backgrounds
• veteran status

Every person you hire can create a unique perspective on building your business based on their life experiences and their potential to succeed.

How Are Corporations Catering To Diversity?

When recruiting for a business, it is essential to remember to integrate diversity into its process. Recruiters should know how to relate to all areas of a diverse population from which they recruit. Organizations don’t have to have a separate program that they use but interweave it into their business culture. When coming from minority backgrounds, recruits don’t want to feel like we hired them to mark a check box. They want to feel included, just as everyone else is.

Benefit Possibilities

Diversity helps to contribute to more innovation. According to the federal Office of Personnel Management, innovation can help to drive your revenue gains. It can also lead to a better recruitment return and retention on investments. Diverse companies are more likely to gain top talent and keep those employees for more extended periods. Other studies have also said that diversity can lead to more profitability.

Major Examples

Companies today are being more inclusive in almost every aspect, from the employees they hire to even how they are creating their images based on advertising. A prominent example of how diversity standards are changing is by looking at how corporate companies present their brand. In 2007 American Eagle launched their size-inclusive campaign called “Real.” Their primary focus is to show consumers models who closely resemble that of your average everyday person, instead of other companies who showcase heavily retouched models who look as though they have unobtainable body standards. Today the campaign has grown to include models with disabilities such as down syndrome, those with vitiligo, and much more. This has been a great marketing tactic, as it has helped increase their profits by making them more relatable to the average consumer.

On paper, the added diversity benefits are apparent; however, many can view diversity as a sensitive topic. If you are looking to give added variety to your company, consider hiring an outside source to help you navigate to enact change. Diversity consultants can help provide the regulatory know-how to help your company comply with the applicable laws.