Diversity in the workplace has been a hot topic recently, and with good reason. Study after study shows the benefits of diverse teams for not only the company, but for customers and employees as well. It helps to understand a naturally diverse customer base and creates a wider pool of ideas and innovation.
Now, if you’re looking in the mirror thinking, “How do I fit into diversity?“, you may be surprised to find that diversity has a much wider definition than you may think. Beyond just race and gender, diversity also includes veterans, the LGBT+ community, distinct professional backgrounds, those with disabilities, and essentially anything that makes you unique!
Several best companies, like Achieve and KUBRA, are avid supporters of a diverse workforce. So, if your differences are in high demand, how do you show off diversity in an interview?
These diversity interview questions and answers will give you an idea of what to expect.
Measuring Candidates’ Potential for Innovation
What do you bring to the table that sets you apart?
Are you applying with a nontraditional background? Veterans, for example, enter the workforce with a much different set of skills and experience than the average civilian. How can these distinctions add value to the company and your future teams? Maybe you’re on the hunt for a customer service position and boast a colorful cultural background. Your heritage is a great advantage for understanding the diverse pool of customers that the company serves.
Describe a time when you took the initiative to present a new idea or process to leadership.
Explain the ways that you’ve leveraged your unique identifiers to challenge the norm. Did you increase value by taking a different spin on existing processes in place for a past position? Perhaps you’ve gone out of your way to better serve a customer with knowledge distinct to your diverse background.
How would you work to create an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and increasingly diverse?
Think about specific situations in which you’ve worked together with people of different values and backgrounds from your own. Then, explain how you were able to encourage those team members to feel included. Even if you haven’t been in a leadership position, you may have had experience in your personal life or with coworkers.
Assessing Candidates’ Ability to Thrive in a Diverse Environment
Describe a situation in which you had to work within a culture different than your own.
Culture doesn’t necessarily have to tie into ethnic background. Working in a company culture with values different than your own or serving time in the military exposes you to a new way of doing things. As a result, you can express how you learned to adapt and share your background with others.
Has there been a time when working with people of diverse backgrounds brought increased value to your work?
Describe how diversity has brought value to your professional career. Then, break it down to explain what specifically about diversity contributed value. Did this experience teach you anything about the value of diversity as a whole?
Teamwork is a key to leveraging diversity. Explain how you work effectively in a team.
Interview questions almost always have some mention of the ability to work in a team setting. Diversity of thought naturally comes into play with a group of individuals. Describe your experiences working with others. How do you work around common issues, such as disagreement, groupthink, or leadership that doesn’t encourage a devil’s advocate?
Check out these best companies for diversity and inclusion to find a workplace that embraces what makes you unique.
Recruiting Strategies for Building a Diverse Workforce
Create a company diversity and inclusion policy.
If you have specific language attached to your workplace diversity and inclusion policy, it makes it much easier for employees to process and implement it. You should make this statement short and to the point, and it should be posted in relevant places. Consider even implementing it into your mission statement and covering it during new hire training.
Initiate equal pay policies across your organization.
This should be a fairly simple one to understand. People in the same position with similar levels of experience in your company should be getting equal pay. No exceptions to this rule should be made.
Make initial candidate screening a blind screening.
A great way to promote diversity in the workplace and ensure that you are not introducing any biases into your interview process is to have blind screenings. Blind screenings are application screens that are based on applicable experience and skills only. This should allow the candidate some time to discuss their unique assets in an interview.
Workplace Strategies to Improve Morale and Inclusivity
Have open lines of communication.
Having an open communication policy, especially with your HR department, is a great way to promote workplace diversity and inclusion. When everyone feels valued and their opinion is heard and matters, they are more likely to be happier in your workplace. Use this open line of communication to set clear expectations for work behavior and outline policies.
Provide sensitivity training.
Sensitivity training or diversity workshops educate your employees on how their attitudes and behaviors may unwittingly offend their co-workers or others around them. Offering regular training, either in-person or via a virtual call, can increase the awareness of employee treatment.
Support the creation of affinity groups within your office.
Sometimes employees need a safe space to build a community with like-minded people, and employers should support that through employee resource groups.
Inclusive Retention Strategies to Keep Your Star Players
Keep your workers happy and gain the loyalty of all employees.
People leave jobs because of practical reasons that affect work and life balance, relationships and respect, and lack of career potential. Apply this knowledge to your workplace. A positive workplace coupled with diverse recruiting practices will lead to a better, more inclusive workplace.
Give educational workshops.
Giving your employees chances to learn about new cultures, different viewpoints, and other lifestyles is a great way to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Implement educational workshops where employees can work together to learn new perspectives.
Provide subsidized child care.
Parents are often not included in diversity and inclusion initiatives, and we aim to change that. The best companies for working parents provide subsidized child care or on-site daycare, which is a great way to take a load off of parents and keep them thriving in your workplace.
Leading companies Axon, offer subsidized child care and support working parents through dedicated paid parental leave policies, other excellent PTO structures, and cultures that support all employees’ work flexibility.
5 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Interview Questions To Ask Interviewers
Are you looking for a workplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive? If so, it’s important to ask the right questions during your job interview. Knowing what to look for in a company and how to spot red flags can help you make an informed decision about whether or not the company is right for you.
What diversity initiatives does your company practice?
This question allows you to learn more about the specific DEI practices that a company has in place and what their commitment level is. These initiatives could include things such as mentorship programs, employee resource groups, and regular diversity training sessions.
How do you ensure equitable pay across all employees?
By asking this question, you can get a better understanding of how seriously the organization takes equitable compensation for all employees, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. This can be reflected by the company’s policy on pay transparency and pay scale.
What measures do you take to make sure everyone feels included in the workplace?
This question provides insight into how inclusive an employer’s culture is and also allows them to share any DEI-specific programs they may have implemented within their organization.
How do you ensure representation at higher levels of management?
By asking this, employers can be made aware of any areas where there are gaps in representation among top leadership teams and steps they need to take toward achieving greater equity throughout the company’s hierarchy.
Do employee feedback forms consider questions about diversity and inclusion issues?
Asking this question helps gauge whether or not employees are given opportunities to provide feedback on DEI-related matters as it relates to their experiences within the office setting. This also shows a company’s commitment to making sure that its employees feel heard and valued.
Best Companies That Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace
BestCompanies is proud to partner with employers who take diversity and inclusion seriously. Here are some of the top companies that demonstrate a commitment to DEI:
Axon
Axon is transforming public safety technology, building the world’s largest and most trusted network of safety devices and services. To do so, they’re building diverse teams that reflect the communities served by public safety. The company has implemented several DEI initiatives, including JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion). Their DEI program focuses on empowering employees to build racial equity, diversity, and inclusion through Axon’s people and products.
See which roles are open at Axon.
Desert Financial Credit Union
Desert Financial Credit Union places significant emphasis on promoting diversity, equity, and accessibility, and cultivating an environment that values and celebrates cultural diversity. The organization has implemented a variety of DEIA initiatives, including developing leaders who prioritize inclusivity, fostering a workplace culture that values diversity, providing career development opportunities, and recognizing the critical role of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in creating an inclusive workplace aligned with the company’s mission, vision, and values. Desert Financial recognizes that DEIA behaviors are crucial in creating a passionate workplace culture that inspires employees to perform at their best.
Find out which positions are open at Desert Financial.
KUBRA
KUBRA places great importance on promoting diversity and inclusivity and has prioritized creating an inclusive work environment. Their impressive, award-winning corporate culture embraces diversity and empowers all employees to express themselves. In fact, 98% of new employees reported feeling welcome when they joined KUBRA, and on average, across diversity groups, over 90% of individuals report feeling that they are treated fairly regardless of race or gender. KUBRA was also recently a winner of Comparably’s Best Company for Diversity and Happiest Employees. Start your career at KUBRA today!
Review open positions at KUBRA.
WillScot
WillScot is an industry leader in providing innovative solutions for temporary space in virtually every industry – from construction sites and industrial facilities to schools, retail stores, and more.
We embrace diversity and are focused on building teams that include a variety of backgrounds, lived experiences, and skills. We have 5 Inclusive Resource Teams that are employee-led, focusing on building community within WillScot, based on shared experiences of culture, heritage, military service, and other lived experiences. The groups are focused on sharing with the organization, to learn and influence our company in ways that make us better for our teammates, our customers, and the communities in which we serve.
See open positions available at WillScot.
Here at BestCompanies, we are proud of our partners who promote healthy DEI environments.
When looking for your next career opportunity or aiming to hire the best talent possible, make sure you consider employers that value diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace! See if any of our partners offer the perfect fit for you.
