Check out this article to help you find a job at a company that values diversity in the workplace.
If you are looking for a new role, ensuring that the company values diversity in the workplace should be on your list of must-haves. When an organization practices diversity, equity, and inclusion, it leads to new perspectives, increased creativity, more comfort and safety for employees, less turnover, and more success overall. In fact, research by McKinsey & Company shows that companies with diverse executive teams outperform others in terms of profit.
So, how can you make sure that the companies you are interested in share your diversity, equity, and inclusion values? At Pathrise, we’ve helped 800+ people land great roles at companies that fit their values. So, we wanted to share our advice to help you do the same.
1. Research the company
Company research should always be the first step in your job search. That’s because it can help you decide if that company fits your goals. You can learn about a company’s mission and values by taking a look at their About page. Before you submit an application, make sure that they align with yours.
You should also take a look at lists of the most diverse companies, which you can find on sites like DiversityInc and Great Place to Work. Their lists comes from confidential survey feedback representing more than 4.8 million US employees.
This is how they describe their research: “The Best Workplaces for Diversity list focuses on the experiences of women, people of color, LGBTQ people, employees who are Boomers or older, and people who have disabilities. The ranking is based on what these employees themselves report in a 60-question Trust Index survey about the trust, pride and camaraderie they experience in their workplace, and how those experiences compare to their colleagues’ reports of the same workplaces.”
According to that research, the top 10 companies that value diversity in the workplace in 2019 were:
- Stryker – manufacturing and production – Kalamazoo, MI
- Cisco – technology – HQ in San Jose, CA
- Progressive – insurance – HQ in Mayfield Village, OH
- Accenture – consulting – HQ in New York, NY
- Synchrony – financial services – HQ in Stamford, CT
- Mohegan Gaming – entertainment/hospitality – HQ in Uncasville, CT
- Workday – technology – HQ in Pleasanton, CA
- Adobe – technology – HQ in San Jose, CA
- Ultimate Software – software – HQ in Weston, FL
- Marriott – hospitality – HQ in Bethesda, MD
You should also spend some time checking out the company website, Glassdoor reviews, and any other public content about the organization. You can use these to determine if the company values diversity and how they put that value into practice. A lot of organizations have general equal opportunity language in their applications. But, does this company include cultural events or internal groups? Are their health benefits LGBTQ+ inclusive? If you can’t find the answers to these questions online, write them down and ask during your interviews.
In addition, you might want to spend some time on diversity-focused job boards. If a company is advertising for roles in these places, odds are they value diversity and are looking to put that value into practice.
2. Talk to your community
If you are looking to find a company that shares your values, you might want to reach out to your network of peers and allies. Ask where they are working, where they have had good experiences, and where they suggest you avoid. While you should not depend on other people to tell you the answers to all of your questions, you can definitely tap into your network and set up informational interviews or coffee chats to get the lay of the land.
You can also check out Meetup and specific diversity-focused groups like Women in Tech, AfroTech, Techqueria, Out in Tech, and many more. They often have professional gatherings (in-person when safe to do so and online) that you can attend to expand your network. This is a great way for you to meet new people and learn about their organizations so that you can decide what is a good fit for you. These interactions can also lead to referrals, which are a great way to get your foot in the door of a company.
3. Ask the right questions
In your interviews, keep your ears open for potential microaggressions or discriminatory practices. If these occur, you can choose to bring it up to the interviewer politely (for example, “Please remember that I use he/him pronouns”) and see if they listen. If this environment requires you to spend too much time educating your coworkers, it might not be a good fit for you.
You should also prepare a number of questions to ask at the end of your interview. Beyond questions about the company and role, you should plan to ask some that relate to their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Here is an assortment of questions you can ask. Feel free to review even more questions on our diversity questions guide and our guide to finding a job at a company that is LGBTQ friendly.
Questions to ask
- “How would you describe the culture?”
- If you are being interviewed by a woman or person of color you can ask: “Do you feel comfortable here?”
- “How diverse is the leadership at this organization? What about the executive team?”
- “Does the company do any diversity training as part of onboarding or at other times? Has the senior team members and leadership done diversity training?”
- “Can you describe how the company is working towards diversity and inclusion goals?”
If you are onsite, you should also keep your eyes open. What is the bathroom situation in the office? Do they have a strict dress code? Is the staff diverse? If they have photos of leadership, check to see if there is an even distribution based on race and gender (you can also potentially find this information online). These can help you decide if the company is working towards an inclusive environment or not.
More info
With the above tips and guidance, you should be well on your way to finding a company that will values diversity in the workplace.
If you are looking for additional help with your job search, Pathrise is an online mentorship program that works with people on all components of their job search. If you are interested in joining the program, become a Pathrise fellow.
Apply today.
