Sponsoring programs that support diversity in the workplace can provide a number of valuable benefits
The most inclusive companies have the most loyal employees, according to Gallup research.
Diversity groups can also inspire increased innovation and help build your recruitment brand. In a recent Glassdoor survey, two-thirds of job seekers said they viewed diversity as an important element when evaluating a potential position.
The Global Diversity List, a compilation of companies with a strong commitment to diversity, nominated by The Economist’s readers, has identified its choices for the top 10 employee networks — diversity groups established within organizations to work on race diversity.
The list includes a number of examples of unique employee diversity initiatives — and external efforts — that several standout organizations have successfully implemented.
Could similar practices prove effective within your organization?
Total team training
The business-led Embrace Network diversity group at Barclay’s has provided unconscious bias training for all staff members and worked to increase minority intern hires by an impressive 823 percent in five years. The bank was also named one of the top 10 best places to work for ethnic minority graduates in 2013.
At international law firm Hogan Lovells, the Multicultural Network participates in volunteering, hosts community events and workshops, and sponsors initiatives that center on culture, ethnicity and faith.
In addition to its work in the community, the firm has also focused its diversity group efforts inward. Hogan Lovells has been able to increase the percentage of minority candidates accepting training contracts from 11 percent in 2008-2009 to 17 percent in 2013-2014. The firm has also been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for its commitment to employee diversity, with a 100 percent Corporate Equality Index rating and named a best place to work for LGBT equality.
Celebrating a culture’s impact
To provide Aboriginal employment and business opportunities, Chevron Australia’s Indigenous Employee Network sponsors events to highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ cultures’ contributions to society. Another employee network, Boola Moort, is focused on planning events, presentations and publications that promote Aboriginal culture.
Connecting candidates with leadership opportunities
The Global Diversity Exchange think tank, based at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, in Canada, sponsors several programs. It earned a spot on the list due, in part, to its diversity group DiverseCity OnBoard, which prepares diverse candidates to assume a spot on not-for-profit and public institution boards in the largest cities in Canada.
For further employee diversity group inspiration, check out or recent blog posts on what the most diverse companies are getting right, why some companies are sharing their diversity successes and the current state of corporate diversity intelligence.