When looking for a new job, an essential part of your search is determining whether an employer values diversity. You need to feel accepted and valued for who you are to succeed. Being able to work with team members with different skills, experiences, working styles, and cultural backgrounds improves collaboration and innovation. If your gender, age, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics are not visible throughout the organization, you are less likely to remain long-term and build your career. Not to mention, companies that value diversity are actually more successful!
When searching for a new role, look for these red flags to determine whether an organization lacks diversity.
Leadership Is Not Diverse
A commitment to diversity starts at the top. Visit the company website to review the members of upper management. Or, ask about them during an interview. There should be more than one woman and person of color on the team. Because employees highest up in the organization make the decisions, set the policies, and create the culture, they ultimately are the ones responsible for ensuring diversity within the business. If leadership consists of cisgender white men, there is a problem.
Company-Wide Diversity Is Low
Human Resources measures what matters most to the organization. Ask an HR professional the approximate gender and racial breakdown of employees. If they do not have these statistics, be concerned. Look for signs of diversity on the company LinkedIn page. Pay attention to equality among gender representation and the breakdown of ethnicity. Determine whether their support personnel are women and their engineers are men. See if any of the employees reflect you, or if all of them reflect you. In either situation, you probably do not want to work there.
Diversity Is Not Emphasized in Culture
When a member of HR or a hiring manager talks about company culture, they focus on the organization’s top priorities. If diversity, inclusion, employee resource groups, and related topics are not mentioned, there is a problem. Employee needs, including feeling safe and valued, must be met for them to succeed.
Job Posting Language Is Gendered
In an organization that values diversity, HR professionals are trained to craft job descriptions focused on job responsibilities. These professionals avoid using gendered language such as, “An attractive presentation and bubbly personality are required,” or “Looking for someone aggressive and ambitious.” Such descriptors are associated with gender stereotypes that suggest a female or male would be an ideal candidate. Go to the company website and read the job postings above and below your desired position in the organization’s hierarchy. If they focus on gender stereotyped personality characteristics, the business likely lacks diversity.
Find an Employer That Values Diversity
Work with Corps Team to find an employer who values diversity. Our team of certified staffing managers and executive recruiters include diversity in the criteria we set to decide which companies we take on as clients. See which jobs interest you today.