Best Practice Series

The Diversity Best Practices' Best Practice Series is a collection of articles on proven strategies in workplace diversity management.

Establishing a Diversity Budget
November 7, 2010
In order to support numerous functions companywide and aid the organization in revenue generation, the diversity and inclusion office must first have a budget large enough to allow it to perform its functions fully and at top quality. At some companies, diversity and inclusion iis housed under Human Resources. At others, the diversity and inclusion function has its own office and a Chief... Read More
Ingraining Diversity & Inclusion in Your Company's Culture, Values and Ethics
September 16, 2010
Your company’s culture and ethical norms are a component of its diversity and inclusion effectiveness. Increasingly, when CEOs, business leaders, and heads of business units speak out on diversity and inclusion, they are speaking out on values, culture, and ethics. These clear statements of “D&I values” are essential, as is the monitoring and enforcement of the values. Best-practice companies... Read More
Making the Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion
September 2, 2010
Many companies struggle with effectively measuring the results of diversity and inclusion initiatives. In part, the challenge begins with determining what measures will yield the most useful information. For others, this task is difficult because they do not collect the necessary data required to measure diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion programs, for example, are often considered... Read More
Creating a Comprehensive Corporate Philanthropy Program
August 26, 2010
Today, the diversity and inclusion officer and team are playing a greater role in philanthropy. Today, philanthropy is not motivated by altruism alone, but by enlightened corporate and employee interests. Today’s leading companies choose to utilize their resources with increased care, evaluation, and attention. Philanthropic contributions and community relations are implicitly understood to be... Read More
Integrating Diversity and Inclusion into Your Company's Board
August 12, 2010
Companies are looking at Board diversity more broadly in terms of the unique skills, expertise, and perspectives of their directors. This new focus on Board composition stems from an overall trend in the field of corporate governance that emphasizes strong, active Boards with a majority of independent directors. In response to these changing expectations, companies are looking beyond traditional... Read More
Understanding the Differences Between EEO, Affirmative Action and Diversity & Inclusion
August 5, 2010
Equal Employment Opportunity represents a body of law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, and disability. Enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there are seven federal laws that are at the core of EEO law. •    Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted by Congress to prohibit... Read More
Identifying the Functional Responsibilities of a Diversity & Inclusion Officer
July 29, 2010
Diversity and inclusion officer functions are becoming ever more expansive. Indeed, the word integration is understood clearly by effective diversity and inclusion offices. Functional requirements of diversity and inclusion officers include: • Strong Leadership• Business Acumen• Good Judgment• Effective Management• Active Mentorship• Results Orientation• Short- and Long-Term Visionary• Team-... Read More
Building a Global Diversity and Inclusion Team
July 22, 2010
Global diversity and inclusion teams, like corporate global diversity and inclusion mission statements, should reflect their function by being internationally representative and inclusive. While this may seem like common sense, oftentimes corporations pull together “global” teams that appear haphazard rather than strategic, domestic rather than global. Bringing diverse groups of people to work... Read More