What does a chief diversity officer do?

Ensuring diversity in the workplace and managing it appropriately is a topic that is increasingly being raised in organizations across industries today. Nurturing diversity is a chance to get a new perspective and come up with ideas that would never have been generated in a homogenous group. For this reason, the position of a chief diversity officer (CDO) can increasingly be found in the structures of companies. Read on to find out more.

What does a chief diveristy officer do? – table of contents:

1. Why was the position created?
2. Chief diversity officer – job description
3. What does a chief diversity officer do?
4. Summary

Why was the position created?

It is a big challenge to see the potential in a person who differs significantly from us – just as to understand that it is diversity that allows companies to reach various audiences. However, this is a challenge that should undoubtedly be taken up, as long as you put innovation and development first. Differences in age, culture, ethnicity, gender, or in the ability to function on a daily basis (e.g., people with and without disabilities) allow companies to see the bigger picture.

Nurturing diversity in the workplace to build a competitive advantage is only part of the job of the chief diversity officer. The other is about ensuring that all people have equal rights in terms of employment, promotion and bonuses, regardless of gender, color or culture. It is the result of years of struggle for the respect of everyone’s rights, also in the workplace.

Chief diversity officer – job description

Chief diversity officers usually report to the CEO of the entire organization, which means that decisions related to diversity in the workplace are made at the executive level. Their main goal is to ensure an equal work environment for all candidates and employees. Nowadays – when globalization has reached a very high level, English is widely spoken, and teams can work fully remotely in some industries – managing diversity in the workplace is becoming an increasingly important topic and poses more and more challenges for companies to meet.

What does a chief diversity officer do?

So what does a chief diversity officer do? The person holding this position is primarily responsible for creating and implementing DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs to ensure equality to all employees at all stages of employment. At the same time, such programs aim to incorporate diversity in the workplace and properly manage the cross-cultural resources at hand. The undertaken DEI initiatives can address various areas related to candidates and employees (depending on the company’s needs and problems), but each time they must be monitored and controlled. If the results are not satisfactory, the chief diversity officer needs to suggest other improvements.

The chief diversity officer (CDO) is expected to:

• ensure that all employees are paid fairly (eliminate differences in pay due to gender, culture or ethnicity),
• design and implement diversity training in the workplace,
• keep statistics related to diversity in the workplace ( in order to control ongoing recruitment processes),
• keep abreast of reports, trends and diversity regulations that may affect the organization,
• advise managers on the implementation of DEI initiatives,
• promote a positive image of the company and its diversity efforts externally.

Summary

Statistics show that the number of diversity management jobs has increased by more than 100% since 2015, and such people are now employed by over 50% of the largest US companies. Just hiring a chief diversity officer, of course, will not immediately bring about any significant changes in an organization, but it is undoubtedly the first step to improve the current situation. After implementing DEI initiatives in the workplace, the company will soon see positive results, such as diverse ideas in the team, fruitful discussions due to differing opinions or a positive corporate image.

Read also: How to find a CTO? The most important things you need to know about.

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