Small businesses can benefit from examining their own diversity data, even if there are only 20 people in the office.
“Releasing diversity reports publicly has been a bit of a trend in tech since Google did it a few years ago, but other industries and organizations who are federal contractors have been conducting these public exercises for years,” said Ulysses Smith, an inclusion and diversity strategist and founder of Archetype D&I Consulting. †
The results of a D&I report are meant to help you understand your company’s blind spots and find different lenses to view diversity: race, gender, class and identity.
“We need to stop thinking about it as a numbers game,” said Carolyn April, senior director of industry analysis for CompTIA. Candidates from different backgrounds will bring you a diversity in terms of innovation and skills and from a business success standpoint, that’s worth investing in. “Having diversity in backgrounds and skill-sets sparks innovation and new ideas within a company.”
Referencing CompTIA’s research report, Diversity in the High Tech Industry, April said for a successful diversity and inclusion movement to happen the directive must come from the top. In the report, 70 percent of both high-tech and general business respondents said they believe the responsibility of setting the tone and agenda that encourages and supports workplace diversity lies with company leaders.
“There has to be buy-in from the employees, too,” she said.
