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When it comes to diversity in the workplace, the technology industry has a long way to go.
While some of the big technology firms are making attempts to become more inclusive, they still have a long way to go. Sometimes, a new perspective can help to move inclusion efforts forward.
Pinterest is a good example of one company that has recently taken steps to amp up its diversity and inclusion efforts. They’ve acknowledged the diversity shortcomings within the company, which is why they’ve created a brand new position to help them become more inclusive. According to Mike Isaac’s New York Times article “ Pinterest Hires Its First Head of Diversity ,” Pinterest recently hired Candice Morgan as their first-ever chief diversity officer (CDO).
While this doesn’t mean Pinterest’s diversity will improve overnight, this is a great first step in combating an issue that runs rampant in Silicon Valley.
Inclusion is a business imperative!
Not simply the “right thing to do,” morally, but the right thing to do for your business. Candice Morgan, Pinterest’s new CDO, gets this distinction.“Diverse teams — in terms of demographics and thought — outperform homogeneous teams on innovation and problem solving,” Morgan said in a statement.
Morgan is reinforcing the idea that inclusion is an incredible business strategy. Inclusive leaders know that they must first build a diverse workforce and then work to be inclusive of the ideas and inputs of that diverse workforce. Without the benefit of diverse input—internally and externally—companies will be challenged to succeed in an increasingly competitive, and increasingly global, environment.
Isaac mentions in his article that, under Morgan’s lead, Pinterest is introducing two new programs. One is Pinterest Engage, which is intended for college students who are looking to pursue a major and career in computer science. The other program “invites minorities with nontraditional tech backgrounds to apply for a year-long apprenticeship at the company, with the potential to join Pinterest full time.”
Of course, not every organization can afford to bring a CDO on board. That doesn’t mean that they can’t take steps to get outside perspectives to help move their diversity and inclusion efforts forward. All organizations can benefit from outside perspectives. And all organizations can benefit from boosting their inclusive behaviors.
We can help! InclusionINC works with companies to boost their inclusion effort to ensure a measurable, bottom line impact. If you’re inspired by Pinterest’s desire to increase their inclusion efforts, don’t waste another minute. Be inclusive; contact us today!