4 Ways Diverse Teams Can Boost an Employer's Brand
Surveys find that top job candidates overwhelmingly prefer working on diverse teams.
By Heather R. Huhman •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As global markets emerge and the labor market expands, more and more companies are realizing the importance of creating a diverse workplace. An Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report released last year found that 69 percent of the 228 executives surveyed say their senior leadership recognizes the value of a diverse workforce and strives to embed diversity into their culture.
But, diversity is more than just demographics. Workplace diversity includes differences in work ethic, thought processes, communication styles and motivational drivers -- all the things that make for a strong workforce and an even stronger employer brand.
When it comes to creating an employer brand that successfully attracts and retains talent, diversity is key. Here are four employer brand challenges and how to leverage diversity to solve them:
1. Attracting diverse talent.
The primary goal of a company's employer brand is to distinguish the company as a desirable place to work, and diversity is a key to attracting more talent. According to a 2014 survey by Glassdoor, 67 percent of job seekers say a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers.
Employers agree, with 82 percent of respondents in the aforementioned EIU survey saying a strategic approach to managing diversity can provide an organization with an enriched talent pool.
How to solve with diversity: Considering 23 percent of respondents in the Glassdoor survey said employees are responsible for increasing diversity, use that diversity to attract talent by turning employees into brand ambassadors.
Use a gamified employee advocacy tool like SmarpShare to make it easy for employees to act as brand ambassadors on social media by allowing them to easily discover and share content and rewarding them when they do.
Related: Diversity Defines Our Global Economy. Do You Speak the Language?
2: Communicating employer brand.
When it comes to advertising a company as an exceptional place to work, job seekers only know as much as employers and employees tell them. Fortunately, with a diverse workplace comes a variety of thoughts and ideas that can help companies expand their reach and come up with creative tactics for promoting employer brand.
How to solve with diversity: As reported by EIU, 79 percent of respondents believe the synergy of contrasting approaches within diverse teams produces better, more creative ideas. Employers need to take advantage of diverse teams by enlisting them to help come up with unique strategies to promote employer brand.
Millennial employees, for instance, may have more ideas on the best places or social platforms to reach today's job seekers than employees from older generations. Millennials are intimately familiar with those sources and may have used them in their own job search.
Related: The Myriad Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace
3. Staying ahead of the competition.
The labor market is becoming increasingly competitive, with companies putting more time and effort into creating a top-notch employer brand.
Employers can use diversity as a top selling point to stay ahead of the competition, and thus attract more diverse candidates. In fact, EIU also reported that 80 percent of respondents say diversity management can yield a competitive advantage in labor markets.
How to solve with diversity: Post individual employee testimonials on the company website and social platforms to showcase the unique skills and innovations that stem from having a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds among your employees.
Related: 4 Ways to Embrace Diversity for Workplace Success
4: Increasing engagement.
It makes perfect sense that having a diverse workforce makes it easier to relate to a wide variety of people with an even wider variety of backgrounds. It's one of the biggest benefits of having a diverse workforce, according to the EIU study, with 83 percent of respondents saying a diverse workforce improves a company's ability to engage a diverse client base and succeed in a wider number of markets.
How to solve with diversity: Increase overall engagement with potential job candidates, clients and customers by encouraging employees to play a larger role in engaging and interacting with brand followers through social media.
Related: 8 Initiatives That Show Tech Wants to Solve Its Diversity Problem
