Diversity in the Workplace: 10 Ways to Research an Employer and Their Commitment to Diversity

Are you concerned about how diverse your workplace environment will be? Looking for a place where you will have equal opportunity for success and growth? If so, researching your potential employers will be an important aspect of your job search.

 

Why is diversity in the workplace important?
Not only can you instantly reach around the world via email, the internet, and IMing, but the world is increasingly here in America and the range of what constitutes diversity is continually expanding.

There has also been a strong demographic shift in the make-up of who consumes the products and services employers provide, and if an organization does not prepare and accept this change by fostering a workforce that reflects its customer/client base, it is less likely to thrive and grow. Diversity includes a wide spectrum of attributes including language, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, age, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs to name just a few.

Your interest in finding an employer that is supportive of creating a congenial workplace for people from a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs may be more personal. If you come from an underrepresented group, you want to find an environment and work culture where you will feel comfortable and which will be supportive of you and your career aspirations. But just because you see the value in diversity doesn't mean that all employers who are talking the talk are actually walking the walk.

Here are our top ten suggestions about how to figure out if an employer's actions match their rhetoric:

1. Rankings
   Information on organizations is very accessible through a simple online search. This might not include information on how the companies treat every aspect of diversity but you will be able to get some insight. Fortune Magazine, for example, publishes their Top Companies for Minorities, Best Employers in your State, and Top Companies for Working Moms for example.
2. Website
   An organization's website is great way to start getting information. Does the company incorporate a mission that includes diversity? What are the faces you see on their website? Do they list what their goals are? Are their website and office accessible to people with disabilities? What are the philanthropic activities they are most involved in?
3. Recruitment
   How and where an organization attempts to recruit can be an indicator of their awareness of different populations and their commitment to increasing their internal diversity. Do they visit an assortment of different regions, post job listings in a variety of different ways or attempt to reach out to specific populations that are underrepresented in order to increase the diversity of their pool of applicants?
4. Talk with Family and Friends
   You would be surprised to learn how effective your own network can be as a means of finding out more about an employer's commitment to fostering diversity. More often than you'd think, it's possible to find somebody who knows somebody who worked at that organization. You then have a great contact on the inside who will give you a perspective on how the organization is run and the people within it. Remember to get different perspectives.
5. Outreach Programs
   Does the company reach out to your community, attend or conduct programs and receptions for special groups? Has it developed internship programs specifically for students from underrepresented groups, or given out scholarships?
6. Mentoring Programs
   Mentoring programs from companies that have low levels of diversity, as they define it, have been shown to be a good way to provide an immediate network or structure to help an underrepresented co-worker feel welcome. It also is a great way to learn the ropes and have an ally. Not all employers have such programs, so be sure to ask if they do.
7. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
   You can contact the local EEOC spokesperson for public information about the number of civil lawsuits a specific employer has had, or you can type in an internet search and list lawsuits and the companies name to see if anything has come up recently.
8. Observe
   So you made it to the interview. Be on the lookout from the moment you walk through the door. Observe the offices you pass by and see who is interacting with whom, where people are placed, and if you recognize diversity among the members - though remember, only a narrow slice of the organization may be visible to you. In addition, observe how people who were not a part of the interview process treat you; were they welcoming, did they smile back or attempt to genuinely engage you?
9. Ask Questions
   The best and most direct way to learn what an organization is like is to meet representatives and talk to them about the organizational culture and environment. If you're on an interview and have a host, ask him/her or ask the people you meet throughout the day about their perception of the workplace. Questions can range from: I saw on your website that you have a heavy interest in recruiting women in this field; what special initiative have you undertaken or what is their retention rate within the company? How successful have underrepresented minorities been in moving up in this company? Has your hiring of women and minorities increased from previous years? My religion requires that I pray five times a day; is there a private space I could utilize, or do you think this would bother my co-workers?
10. Ask More Questions!

Final Thoughts
Remember that just because an organization does not physically look like they have diversity does not mean that they are not accepting of diversity. They may well be trying, and you just might be the one to open the door that gives them better insight into how their workplace can become even more diverse.