Most employers will say they support diversity and inclusion, but how can find out if they actually practice what they preach? You don’t want to wait until you have accepted a position to figure out if the company is not as inclusive you hoped. A good way to find out is during the interview process, after all its the time for the employer gets to know you and you get to know them.
Here are a couple of question you could ask to determine whether you’ll be working for a diverse and inclusive company.
What are your most important values?
This an indirect way of finding out if they value diversity & get a glimpse into the company culture and if it will match up with your values. What they say and do not say will speak volumes.
Can you share data on current employee diversity?
The answer to this question will give you a clearer picture of the team you will be working with, and if there are any people from a similar background as you. Most companies will have this readily available.
What groups do you consider underrepresented and how is your leadership team taking steps to hire and empower people who fit into that category?
You can tailor this question by asking specifically about multicultural, gender, disability, race, LGBTQ goals.
How diverse is your leadership/executive team?
This will let you know about the upward mobility for diverse candidates and indicates how inclusive they’re of candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
Do your employees participate in diversity training, such as unconscious bias or competency training?
It’s important to find out what type of inclusion strategies they have in the workplace. This question will provide insight into how they build inclusion and diversity in their team and how they raise awareness of it to their employees.
What are you doing to make sure everyone feels included?
A good way to assess their inclusion strengths and challenges. And if they have plans to address the challenges.
Is the leadership team committed to diversity?
This gives insight into how highly they value diversity, especially if their leadership team isn’t diverse. They can say they support diversity and inclusivity, but how committed are they to it? How do they express that commitment and ensure that it is passed down throughout the organisation?
What diversity, inclusion and cultural competence training has my supervisor/manager had?
Your manager can make or break your experience at the company. Make sure that diversity is both a priority and something they’re knowledgeable of and have experience in.
Who holds my supervisor/manager accountable for diversity and inclusion measures?
Diversity training shouldn’t be a one-off session for your manager. It should be an ongoing effort that they are held accountable for.
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