Hiring a chief diversity officer (CDO) is an important step towards becoming a more diverse company. But if you think that’s all that needs to be done, you’re mistaken. Currently, chief diversity officers don’t always receive the means and support needed to succeed. As a result, their diversity and inclusion efforts don’t lead to the desired results. And the diversity and inclusion goals still prove to be very hard to reach. This is due to a number of obstacles a chief diversity officer needs to overcome. The job of a CDO is new and unknown, and diversity and inclusion often aren’t given much priority. On top of that, they have too much responsibility and limited budgets.
3 things a chief diversity officer needs to succeed
From the above, it’s clear that simply hiring a chief diversity officer is not enough. You’ll need to invest time and money for them to be successful. Below, we’ll give you an overview of the three things a CDO needs to be successful.
1. Diversity and inclusion need to be your company’s top priority
You hire a chief diversity officer to make a significant change throughout the entire organization. However, this is only possible if diversity and inclusion are a company’s top priority. Everyone needs to be aware of the importance of becoming more diverse and inclusive.
2. A CDO needs to have enough budget
Hiring a chief diversity officer is not the only investment you need to make. The CDO also needs enough budget to spend on making the required changes. Money is needed for diversity and inclusion programs, for example. And for the efforts that are needed to build a more diverse workforce.
3. A chief diversity officer must have the skills to make a change
Does a chief diversity officer lack experience in developing and advocating for a strategic plan? Then this can be an obstacle to success. Look for candidates capable of communicating their vision. And for candidates with a proven track record of successfully implementing new projects and organizational change.
Use Textmetrics to find the best Chief Diversity Officer for your company
Do you give a chief diversity officer the means and support they need to succeed? Then they can be a real asset to your company. But how do you make sure that you hire the right person for the job? One with the skills to make a change? For one, you’ll need a very good job description. That’s where Textmetrics comes in. You can use our platform to write an inclusive job description that appeals to as many people as possible. A job post that has a gender-neutral tone of voice and appeals to both men and women. And to people of all ages. And one that can be optimized for SEO and Google for Jobs.
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