Research proves that businesses benefit when diverse viewpoints and experiences are represented.  

However, despite efforts to diversify, many companies find themselves continuing to hire from the same uniform candidate pool. If your organization is struggling to build diverse teams, consider taking a top-down approach. 

Why should you build a diverse leadership team? 

The business case for diversity in executive teams is strong. According to McKinsey & Company’s Diversity Wins report, companies in the top quartile for diverse executive leadership outperformed companies in the bottom quartile by 36% in profitability.  

Increasing diversity at the leadership level can also help you: 

Increase applications.

These days, many job seekers—especially millennial and Gen Z candidates—prioritize diverse organizations during their job hunt.

In fact, as many as 1 in 3 will not apply to a job at a company that is not diverse.

Additionally, job seekers value a clear career path within an organization. If leadership is not varied, they may not see a path for themselves—and take their job hunt to a more vibrant competitor. Improving diversity on the leadership level can attract more candidates to your organization and motivate them to apply for a job. 

Strengthen employer branding.

Many diversity initiatives exist at entry-level, which means it’s easier to get hired on the ground floor, but it might not be simple to make your way to the top. If your company values diversity, but doesn’t have equal representation in its leadership team, job seekers will notice. Building diversity into the leadership team proves that your organization not only talks the talk but lives out its values and beliefs authentically. 

Improve engagement.

Diverse leadership inspires trust in a diverse workforce. When teams see themselves represented at all levels, they trust that their voice will be heard. This trust motivates more engagement, a key component of loyalty and retention. 

Maximize learning.

Diverse viewpoints and life experiences bring more knowledge, creativity, and innovation to teams. A diverse leadership team can maximize this learning by fostering empathy, respect, and understanding among team members. 

Increase awareness.

Our life experiences and cultural background creates the lens through which we see the world. Increasing diversity on the leadership team broadens the awareness of the challenges and opportunities your organization may face on the road to success. A wider understanding of employee and customer needs, global perspectives, and social issues can help your company reach its goals faster.  

Looking to build a diverse team?

Prosum is nationally certified by the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and places diverse individuals across a wide range of tech industry roles. Whether you need to augment your core staff or fill key leadership roles, we can deliver top tech talent to add value to your organization. Let us connect you with the people you need today!