An institution’s diversity statement offers candidates an opportunity to demonstrate how they will support its DEI efforts, such as teaching and research approaches that promote inclusivity or how you would participate in mentorship efforts. A diversity statement allows candidates to present how they will help advance this work at an institution. It could include details on teaching approaches that emphasize inclusiveness or mentorship programs they would join.
Salesforce has included in their diversity statement a link to their DEI report, demonstrating their emphasis on transparency when it comes to their efforts in diversity and inclusion (DEI). This approach helps build trust among employees as well as with wider society.
What is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Statement?
Diversity Equity and Inclusion statements (DEI statements) are written declarations outlining your plans to promote inclusive teaching, research, and scholarly communities in your department or institution. You should also address how being part of marginalized communities motivates you towards greater inclusivity within your field of endeavor. Many academic jobs now require DEI statements as part of application materials.
An effective statement can set you apart from your competition and demonstrate your dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within higher education. It provides you with an opportunity to outline how your previous research, scholarship, or teaching align with DEI goals while outlining how you intend on further advancing them in future endeavours.
First step of writing a DEI statement is defining your terms. These could cover anything from race and ethnicity to socioeconomic status and language – it is crucial that readers fully comprehend each term used.
Once you’ve defined the terms, it is time to explore how your values align with your commitment to inclusion. You can do this by identifying core values and discussing why they motivate you to promote inclusivity in your field or academic community – this could involve sharing an example or detailing how these have changed over time.
Provide concrete evidence of your commitment to DEI when crafting your statement. This could include data like the percentage of women or people of color in leadership positions at your organization, contracts signed with diverse suppliers or any data on current pay gaps – this shows readers that you are serious about improving inclusivity both inside and outside your workplace.
Discuss how your commitment to DEI will benefit your organization by giving examples or outlining how you will achieve your goal of creating an inclusive scholarly environment. For instance, if an absence of women in your field is inhibiting innovation, describe how you will address it by recruiting more female applicants and encouraging them to apply for positions at your lab or institution.
How to Write a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Statement
Diversity and Inclusion statements provide you with the chance to articulate your personal values about creating inclusive academic communities for colleagues and students. Your DEI statement can detail specific ways you are already incorporating these values into classrooms and research labs while also giving space for you to discuss ways in which your efforts could expand in the future.
It is generally best to keep your DEI statement brief and succinct so as to create a clear understanding of your organization’s stance on these issues. One effective approach would be linking your statement back to company vision and goals; LEGO Group provided a great example by outlining their focus on inclusivity linked with inspiring and developing tomorrow’s builders of tomorrow in their statement.
Make your DEI statement stand out from those of other companies by using specific examples and incorporating your company’s language and style. Nike’s DEI statement highlights their employee resource groups like Africans@Google, Greyglers, Trans at Google and Disability Alliance; in addition, it lists their current gender, race and LGBTQ+ representation.
An important component of an effective DEI statement is being transparent about any challenges that might impede you in reaching your goals. For instance, if your institution has faced history of unconscious bias or discriminatory hiring practices in hiring practices. If you conduct research with marginalized communities it is also crucial that your scholarship meets their needs with consideration and consideration.
Your DEI statement should acknowledge that your views on equality, equity and inclusion can change over time; it shouldn’t serve as an arena in which to assert them or make promises you won’t change them in the future.
Examples of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Statements
There is no single example of an effective diversity equity and inclusion statement; what individuals focus on depends entirely upon their identities, experiences, and goals. However, some key components that can make for an effective diversity statement include:
First, be specific in your definition of diversity and inclusion; this could be as straightforward as simply noting your appreciation of all forms of diversity and seeking to foster an environment in which everyone feels like they belong. Second, provide concrete examples of your efforts as an educator or researcher to foster diversity and inclusion, such as explaining your use of diverse course materials or mentoring students from marginalized communities to help them thrive within your field.
Finally, it is crucial to be honest in your DEI statement. While it can be tempting to write an idealized description of yourself as diverse, this can mislead prospective employers or colleagues. Instead, be forthcoming about any challenges with inclusivity that have impeded progress over the years and how you are striving to implement positive changes moving forward.
If you are applying to work at a company that prioritizes diversity, including data from an employee survey in your diversity equity and inclusion statement may prove your dedication to their goals and showcase that you are an ideal fit for their role.
When selecting a statement to copy and paste, it is essential that it fits both your individual circumstances and academic culture. Furthermore, be sure to add any unique insights or examples so it will resonate with readers.
Remember that your diversity statement should focus on promoting scholarly inclusion rather than detailing your personal DEI journey. Be sure to detail how you will advocate for marginalized academic populations within your classroom and beyond, and how personal experience has informed your commitment to inclusivity.
Tips for Writing a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Statement
An employee diversity statement allows you to share your perspective on an issue and demonstrate your passion for it, while simultaneously showing your dedication towards creating a more diverse workplace environment.
First step to writing your diversity statement is exploring what “diversity” means to you in any number of ways – free-writing, brainstorming or drawing diagrams can all work well. Once you have an understanding of what diversity means to you, use your notes and research to draft up an initial draft statement.
Keep in mind that your diversity statement should not include an exhaustive list of everything you have done to promote inclusion. Instead, it should provide a snapshot of your perspectives and commitments. There are great examples of diversity statements from organizations all around the world online; alternatively you could check with your school to see if there’s one already written down and read through it before writing yours.
When writing your diversity statement, it’s essential that you be truthful and demonstrate that you don’t claim to be an expert on diversity; rather, show that you are open and committed to learning from other perspectives while making an impactful contribution in this field. In addition, make sure that it reflects your personal values and beliefs.
An important consideration when creating a diversity statement for your organization is linking its goals and mission together. People need to clearly understand what your company stands for so as to understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion is truly valued within its ranks.
Finally, it is crucial that your diversity statement be regularly revised in order to stay current with emerging trends and developments within diversity and inclusion. By doing so, your diversity statement will become more effective at fulfilling its goal of promoting inclusion.