and give little thought to the long-term. If they are to reap the bottom-line benefits of a diverse workforce illustrated by countless studies, leadership teams must take action to ensure their employer brand is acting as a magnet for top-tier candidates at every corner of the talent pool.

Naturally, there is no sticking plaster that can solve this. At the heart of your hiring strategy should be a compelling proposition; there should exist a strong reason for candidates to choose your organisation over your competitors, something that makes you stand out from the rest.

Enter the CEO.

While trickle-down diversity alone won’t suffice, your CEO should play an active role in the community and be vocal about improving D&I in the organisation at every opportunity.  Without figureheads to champion the cause and set an example, it’s difficult for a company to prove to prospective employees that inclusivity is a priority. For HR departments and diversity officers, encouraging the CEO to become an ambassador for D&I in the workplace should be a top priority – but what steps can be taken to inspire the transformation?

Building an inclusive culture that pulls in the best and brightest from a broad range of backgrounds requires a sustained commitment from the CEO to set the tone for the organisation. However, in order for these individuals to become spokespersons for workplace diversity, they need to understand the unique perspectives and problems of different groups and cultures on a deeper level.

If they are to attract diverse talent, the CEO must be prepared to undergo training and take assessments such as those that measure implicit bias to shed light on the areas they need to improve on. The CEO might also benefit from an employee survey to determine how they are currently perceived by staff and provide a sense of where they are in their path towards becoming a truly inclusive leader.

When a leader is open and transparent about their efforts to better understand the challenges faced by different groups and become a role model in this field, they demonstrate to their staff that no one is too senior for self-improvement – especially when it comes to inclusivity. What’s more, by actively involving employees in the process and asking for their feedback, leaders can drive engagement levels and boost staff retention.

Nobody’s perfect, after all, but both existing and prospective employees will have much more respect for a leader who is honest about their current shortcomings and eager to change for the sake of creating an inclusive culture in which everyone feels valued and welcome. 

Remember, developing an inclusive mindset and understanding D&I principles takes more than one coaching session – rather, a CEO should aim for long-term progression and regularly re-evaluate their position through tests and employee feedback. When a business leader becomes a true ambassador for diversity and inclusion, the positive effects are felt throughout the entire organisation. As well as attracting a broad range of candidates, a CEO who champions diversity can hope for increased loyalty at every level.