Five Do’s and Don’ts that Foster Diversity, Inclusion and Retention

When organizations launch a diversity and inclusion initiative, they believe that it is not only the right thing to do but, more importantly, know it makes great business sense. What steps should your organization take toward success and what are common mistakes to avoid?

The Five Do’s

1. Do ensure buy-in and support from the senior leadership team – you are guaranteed to fail without it.
2. Do set clear and measurable diversity goals.
3. Do evaluate organizational practices, policies and programs for alignment and realign as needed.
4. Do communicate consistent messaging prescribing valuing differences to the entire organization; to where people can feel comfortable contributing thoughts and ideas and bring their full selves to work.
5. Do hold managers accountable for the execution of diversity strategies and goals.

The Five Don’t’s

1. Don’t institute mandatory diversity and inclusion training – it reeks of compliance and effectiveness is short lived.
2. Don’t continue the same old hiring practices, like disqualifying a candidate because he or she does not look like you.
3. Don’t communicate brand messaging touting organizations’ strong belief in diversity when it conflicts with organizations’ reality.
4. Don’t forget employee resource groups need support from senior leadership to be effective
5. Don’t post job descriptions that unwittingly contain bias towards women and underrepresented minorities.

Having a diversity, inclusion and retention plan is critical to the success of businesses large and small. There’s an old adage in business that people quit managers, not companies, but CompTIA’s Diversity In The High-Tech Industry study says the opposite. They leave for culture reasons. Remember that daily interactions are the most telling sign of whether or not your organization has an inclusive culture. For more details on launching or improving your diversity and inclusion plan, download CompTIA’s free resource Guide to a Diverse Workforce for IT Businesses. Access additional diversity resources when you join CompTIA’s Advancing Diversity in Technology Community.