Diversity encompasses many attributes and identities, such as race/ethnicity, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and disability status. Diversity also refers to one’s perspective, life experiences and beliefs.
An effective DEI statement showcases a candidate’s commitment to inclusion. It should include public-facing statistics on current representation and progress toward creating sustainable change, providing transparency and encouraging others to contribute their support for positive transformation.
1. Be specific.
Writing a diversity statement requires being specific. You should outline which dimensions of diversity matter to you and how these intersect with your research, teaching, or service activities. Furthermore, it’s vital that you address how you would prioritize these areas for inclusion within your community of colleagues, students, and scholars.
As a starting point, the best approach to developing your DEI statement is by looking at examples from other statements (which we have provided here) as well as reviewing your institution’s DEI policies, perspectives and priorities of its DEI policies, perspectives of others within your institution or department, personal experience as well as past positions held or projects completed that advance diversity, equity and inclusion. You should also consult your CV/resume for positions or projects you have worked on that promote these areas of focus.
Once your research is complete, it should be time to begin your first draft. People approach this pre-writing stage differently: free-writing, diagramming their thoughts or creating an outline may all work effectively – the key here is taking notes throughout so when writing your statement later on you have an understanding of what should be included.
Be sure to include statistics and data that supports your statement when talking about DEI initiatives you are especially proud of or think have made significant advances, like HubSpot’s statement which includes information such as percentage of women in leadership roles as well as their focus on inclusivity as part of company culture.
Though your statement should be compelling and authentic at once, contrived or forced statements will only make matters worse in terms of getting hired, tenured positions or advancement within your field of study.
As an example, you should avoid cliches about “diversity being in our DNA” and refer to yourself as a “diversity leader.” Instead, focus on highlighting various facets of your DEI philosophy and their intersection with your academic community.
2. Be honest.
Though it might be tempting, being honest in your DEI statement will send the right message: it shows that you mean what you say while also showing commitment to real change.
Many of the best Diversity and Inclusion (DEI) statements emphasize how personal experiences shape an individual’s approach to DEI and, in turn, impact their future work. But it’s also important to keep in mind that DEI statements serve as a window into how committed an entire company is to DEI; being transparent as possible regarding its current state is crucial if we hope for successful change implementation and maintenance.
Being honest about any limitations a person’s own experiences and perspectives might impose on their ability to contribute towards the goals of an organization or institution is also key, including acknowledging that one may not be able to contribute as effectively as someone from different backgrounds despite having similar goals.
When applying to a university, for instance, it’s essential that you’re candid about your understanding of the challenges people from underrepresented communities face in higher education. Furthermore, be truthful about your ability and willingness to gain more information on this issue by attending workshops or reading books related to it – as well as commiting yourself to continue gaining more knowledge on critical race theory, queer pedagogy or any other areas that could help better serve marginalized students.
Writing a diversity statement can be an intimidating task, but help is readily available online. This article serves as a good starting point, but each diversity statement should reflect the individual writer’s own perspective and needs to reflect his or her unique interpretation of DEI. Therefore, it is wise to seek inspiration from reliable sources while being as authentic as possible when creating one.
3. Be relevant.
Writing a diversity statement requires keeping it current with current events and issues affecting people of color, women, LGBTQA+ individuals, and members of broader underrepresented communities. Furthermore, it would be wise to outline any actions being taken or planned in the near future in order to address such concerns.
If you need help writing an appropriate diversity statement, there are many resources available to you. Reading examples and getting a feel for what other companies are doing could also provide helpful guidance. It may also be wise to seek assistance from coworkers or writing workshops in forming your statement; should any problems arise when trying to find its appropriate tone and language.
Once your research is complete, it’s time to create your diversity statement. Remember, its goal is to promote a more diverse and inclusive workforce; therefore use positive language that instils hope. Furthermore, focus on widely held understandings of diversity and inclusion – don’t use cutesy terms such as “intersectionality” or “gender neutrality”, instead referring to issues like racism oppression sexism homophobia transphobia and/or ableism as examples of issues to include.
Consider where your company stands on its diversity and inclusion journey and plan accordingly. A good practice would be to tie diversity statements back to company missions and values in order to demonstrate long-term commitment and ensure goals for diversity and inclusion are integrated into core business strategies.
As well as discussing your personal experiences, it’s also beneficial to highlight how you plan to foster diversity and inclusion within the scholarly community. You could do this by noting existing diversity-related programs or initiatives at schools where you’re applying; additionally, make note of any challenges specific to your discipline that require greater dedication towards diversity and inclusion.
4. Be inspiring.
Your diversity statement should encourage others to think more creatively when approaching their work. Beyond using positive language, including specific actions that you or your company take towards inclusion can set you apart from competitors.
Your diversity statement should include any Employee Resource Groups at your institution so that prospective hires can quickly see your commitment to inclusivity from day one. Nike provides details about specific diversity targets, current representation figures and initiatives in their Diversity & Inclusion Statement as well as ongoing commitments towards making sure product teams contain diverse perspectives, skills and perspectives.
Your personal impact in diversity, equity and inclusion could include research, teaching or personal experience – for instance if you conduct research with marginalized populations, discuss how committed you are to providing them opportunities to participate in your scholarship; similarly if mentoring students from marginalized groups has helped shape your perspective of diversity’s value in higher education.
Be sure to include your vision for how you plan to advance diversity and inclusion in the future, whether through research, teaching or any other scholarly activities. For instance, if your current research investigates how differences in thinking style, physical ability or gender affect outcomes within your field of interest, use your diversity statement as an outline of how this work would develop going forward.
Diversity statements are more than a Google Doc in a company intranet; they’re an opportunity to reflect your passion and promise of creating an inclusive workplace that embraces differences. By keeping these tips in mind when writing your diversity statement, you can craft something truly outstanding and distinguishing yourself from competitors – then when applying for jobs or internships share it proudly and with confidence!