A diversity statement provides a perfect opportunity to reflect upon how you have worked to promote inclusivity in scholarly communities, as well as outline what you plan to do moving forward.
Show, don’t tell. Use personal anecdotes and experiences to illustrate your understanding of the barriers marginalized people encounter while also showing your commitment to creating an inclusive environment.
Adidas
Companies are making more and more pledges to promote diversity in their workplaces and address racial injustice, but many employees remain unclear how these promises will be carried out in practice; some even believe these initiatives are focused more on making a statement than actually solving any problems. To maintain credibility, it’s essential that DEI initiatives in your organization be implemented transparently so as to demonstrate that you take these issues seriously and work to solve them.
Adidas was among the first major sportswear companies to publicly commit to diversity and inclusion, setting out a goal of filling 30 percent of corporate roles with black and Latinx candidates by 2024. Furthermore, it pledges investment in entrepreneurs of color as well as encouraging social activism – in addition to providing comprehensive programs such as mentoring, community outreach, and leadership development.
Company commitment to diversity has produced several internal victories. United Against Racism employees helped change the culture of the company with several successes achieved through United, such as creating a team to oversee engagement with Black and Latino communities as well as best recruitment practices implemented. Former employees also have highlighted success from adidas-Pharrell Williams partnership that launched shoe design schools for women from marginalized backgrounds.
Notable achievements for the company included its removal of racist slogans from its website and social media accounts, and collaborations with various diverse artists (Rapper Missy Elliott’s sneaker line and Kanye West’s Yeezy collection being two such examples).
Adidas has seen several victories this past year, yet still faced losses among their high-level people of color. Seven Vice Presidents or higher who left from the U.S. represents a setback to its efforts against racism; two were part of United Against Racism. Likewise, HR head Karen Parkin’s recent departure and her replacement by Amanda Rajkumar also leaves gaps in its diversity and inclusion efforts.
Spotify
Spotify is a music-streaming service offering users access to millions of songs. The Spotify algorithm recommends tracks based on individual user preferences and listening habits; users can create personalized playlists while on the move. With over 602 million active monthly listeners and 239 paying subscribers worldwide, its success speaks for itself and proves the popularity of streaming services such as this.
Spotify’s Diversity and Inclusion Statement is an effective way of conveying its values to their employees and stakeholders. The statement contains information about the company’s position on diversity issues as well as specific goals to ensure greater inclusion and diversity within its work force. Furthermore, this statement is concise and direct; plus there’s even a link directly to policies and practices within Spotify!
Diversity equity and inclusion statements are an integral component of any company’s strategy. A diversity statement can reduce risks of discrimination while creating an ideal workplace environment, helping retain staff better, increasing retention rates and ultimately strengthening brand images.
Spotify was established in Stockholm, Sweden by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon in 2006. Their name derives from Swedish verb “spotifikare,” meaning to detect or discover. Since its introduction, Spotify has revolutionized how people access and consume music.
Spotify has made an aggressive effort in recent years to move beyond its roots as a music streaming service, by adding features like podcasts and signing a multi-year deal worth $100 million with comedian Joe Rogan. Furthermore, they purchased Gimlet Media and Parcast podcasting networks.
Spotify is facing criticism over its business model, including paying artists very little; Weird Al Yankovic claimed he only earned enough from Spotify streaming to cover about the cost of one sandwich for his 80 million streams on their service. As a response, they have started increasing royalties for some artists.
Spotify’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Statement is an impressive start, yet could use some fine-tuning. More details must be included about leadership team diversity as well as tracking of progress toward meeting diversity goals.
Salesforce
As employees demand more from their companies, it’s crucial that organizations foster an inclusive culture that respects diversity. This involves hiring an inclusive mix of people from diverse backgrounds for leadership positions as well as regularly sharing metrics and progress reports related to diversity with leaders and teams to foster a sense of accountability while inspiring employees across your organization to actively contribute toward meeting DEI goals.
Salesforce has taken several steps to promote inclusion within their workplace, such as initiating an internal equality review, increasing pay equity audits and expanding employee resource group offerings. Furthermore, Salesforce is dedicated to supporting racial justice with their philanthropic activities and public advocacy, as well as minority-owned businesses through training for founders.
Initiatives implemented by the company have had a profound positive effect on its culture. Recently, for instance, they released a racial equality report outlining diversity goals for 2023 that include doubling Black executive employment levels and increasing Black employee representation by 50% overall. Furthermore, the company has pledged an investment of $200 million plus over one million volunteer hours over five years to promote justice and equality between races.
Companies often face difficulty when it comes to implementing successful diversity and inclusion initiatives, yet achieving results doesn’t need to be impossible. By creating a diversity and inclusion statement, businesses can build trust between employees, customers and the community as well as attract and retain top talent – particularly millennials and Gen Zers.
Diversity and inclusion statements must be concise yet comprehensive, outlining both company values and priorities, along with concrete goals that have been set. They should provide employees and the public with easy access.
An extensive diversity statement should cover various elements that may not always be covered in traditional D&I reports, including language and cultural identity, religion and spiritual beliefs, age, gender and sexual orientation as well as military status and history. Furthermore, it must include consideration for those with special needs such as neurodiversity.
DIA
Diversity refers to an umbrella term covering many characteristics that span age, gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation disability status and socioeconomic background. At DIA we aim to foster an inclusive workplace that embraces all individuals so they may reach their full potential; additionally we address any disparities or inequities that impede equality for all people.
Your best approach when writing your Diversity Inclusion Assessment Statement (DIA Statement) should involve drawing upon personal experiences and understandings of diversity from volunteer work, community involvement or academic experience. Furthermore, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate skills and competencies you bring into the workplace, making your statement truly distinctive from its competitors. By taking this approach you will create a truly personal narrative which stands out among its competitors and stands out as something extraordinary and outstanding in an increasingly diverse and inclusive workforce.
An effective diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statement should demonstrate your genuine dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion by outlining how your workplace addresses diversity-related issues, including ways it improves company culture. Furthermore, your statement should be tailored specifically for every job application that comes your way so it aligns with its goals and values.
Finally, it is essential to outline the steps taken toward reaching your goals. This will show that you are taking an active approach towards meeting them – for instance Houser suggests creating a diversity committee that meets regularly to assess progress and create an EEO/DEI strategy, helping keep employees engaged and motivated.
Not only should your company develop a diversity strategy, it is equally essential to communicate its diversity-inclusion-and-bicultural (EDIB) goals to employees and colleagues through email, town hall meetings, or hiring an outside expert for training purposes. Employee forums provide a great forum to discuss whether progress has been made on its goals.