Diversity is one of the biggest draws for top talent. So, how can companies turn diversity from a buzzword into a genuine core value?
Diversity is one of the hottest buzzwords right now for companies striving to promote good work practices and attract the best talent.
But companies need to know how to turn that buzzword into a core value if they want to have a truly diverse workforce.
“You don’t need a big budget,” said Humberto Corona, an InterTech Ireland board member.
InterTech Ireland is an LGBTQ network for tech people in Ireland, which works to foster inclusion both inside and outside the tech sector.
According to Corona, start-ups, by virtue of their size, may find it easier to implement inclusive policies without red tape or bureaucracy. “Mind, that doesn’t automatically eliminate bias and unequal opportunity from hiring or product development,” he said.
When it comes to the bigger companies, Corona said their power lies in their clout and influence in the discussion of bigger issues. “The number of corporations publishing diversity stats has been growing steadily for some years, and they are getting more involved in lobbying for equality policies.”
InterTech Ireland will host a panel at Career Zoo this Saturday (11 March) around the topic of diversity and inclusion initiatives. The panel, entitled ‘Diversity 2.0’ will address questions on how much responsibility companies have with inclusion and whether or not these policies are anything more than lip service.
“We want to share what worked for us in terms of diversity and inclusion, based on three years of running InterTech and a lifetime in the LGBTQ community,” said Corona.
“This should be particularly relevant to anyone looking to start an LGBTQ resource group at work. We don’t believe we have a secret recipe that’ll work for everyone, but we hope to bring a fresh perspective to a topic that’s trendy but not fully understood.”
Corona said that because the larger tech companies already have a lot of core diversity values, connecting them to newer companies would be a positive step towards improving diversity and inclusion.
“We’re particularly excited to connect start-ups with more established companies, thus building a community where we can share best practices, discuss issues, come up with solutions, and more,” he said.
Diversity 2.0 is a panel that will take place at 2pm on the main stage at Career Zoo on Saturday, 11 March.
