In recent years, a growing number of companies have made diversity and inclusion their number one priority. It is what their employees, customers, suppliers and society asks for. But who is in charge of the diversity and inclusion goals a company sets? For most, the answer will be HR. But, diversity and inclusion is actually a management strategy, not an HR program.
So, is HR really the department that should be in charge of D&I? Probably not. What you should do is hire a chief diversity officer.
Why do you need a chief diversity officer?
If you really want to take a step forward, you need to seriously consider hiring a chief diversity officer. Change is never easy. This certainly applies to a work culture. So, if you want to make a real change and have a more diverse workforce, investments are needed. For these investments, you’ll get a lot in return.
Being more diverse and inclusive makes the hiring process a lot easier. In a survey of jobseekers, 67% say that diversity is important to them. If you are a diverse company, it will be easier to attract and keep talented employees. Secondly, a more diverse workforce is more productive and creative. People from diverse backgrounds bring a variety of perspectives to the room. This often leads to more and better ideas. Lastly, being more diverse can really boost your reputation and positively set you apart from competitors.
What requirements should be in the job description for a chief diversity officer?
Preferably, a chief diversity officer has experience in the field of diversity and inclusion. But since this is a new field of expertise, this might be hard to find. Instead, you should look for people with the right skills for the job. A chief diversity officer has the ability to
– influence and be a change agent.
– design a strategy and deliver results.
– communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
Someone with experience in marketing, sales or communications could be a great fit. Especially if he or she has advocated for more diversity in previous jobs. Experience in HR is not necessary to be a good chief diversity officer. Being passionate about diversity and inclusion is far more essential.
The challenges a chief diversity officer has to deal with
Diversity and inclusion plays a role throughout the whole company. This means that there is so much that a chief diversity officer is in charge of. And this makes it one of the hardest jobs out there. Issues can be found in recruitment, promotion, pay, team behavior, leadership, and day-to-day business.
How do you measure diversity and inclusion across all of these aspects? And how do you promote it? The chief diversity officer has to come up with a management strategy for this. An organization-wide plan that describes what’s necessary to reach the D&I goals that have been set.
There are many types of diversity. It’s not just race, age and gender, as some people might think. Religion, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, disability and nationality are other dimensions of diversity. And each dimension requires a different approach.
How Textmetrics can help you with the job description for a chief diversity officer
It can be quite challenging to find a chief diversity officer. It’s a relatively new job that not everyone is familiar with. You’ll need to write a good job description to attract candidates. One that will appeal to as many people as possible. To people of all ages, and to men and women alike. A job description that a chief diversity officer would suggest writing. And one that is easy to find online.
The Textmetrics platform helps you write inclusive job descriptions for this. Job posts that have a more gender-neutral tone of voice and appeal to both men and women. And job descriptions that are free of any bias and optimized for SEO and Google for Jobs. It’s essential to reach as many people as possible. This increases your chances of finding the chief diversity officer you’re looking for.