Best Practices in Global Diversity

ORC’s Global Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) area has been doing research all year on behalf of the members of its six networks as well as individual consulting clients. Here are a few of our findings for topics such as global diversity metrics, making the global business case, identification of employees’ sexual orientation, and roles and responsibilities of diversity champions:

Global Diversity Metrics

The two greatest challenges to global measurement of diversity representation among surveyed members were the lack of knowledge of local diversity issues (i.e., the “differences that make a difference” in the particular country) and the lack of local demographic data for benchmarking appropriate representation targets. (In response, ORC compiled Global Dimensions of Diversity: Differences That Make a Difference in 19 Emerging Market Countries for members of the Global Diversity Forum.) ORC’s year-long research into the broader subject of best diversity and inclusion measurement practices led to publication of For Good Measure: Diversity and Inclusion Metrics.

Making the Global Business Case for Diversity

Many organizations whose senior leaders clearly understand and support diversity in the headquarters country still struggle to communicate the business case in a compelling way to managers and employees in other countries. ORC’s benchmarking found several practices that have helped successful global organizations do so:

• Building partnerships with local managers and HR leaders and involving them in the development of the business case.
• Paying attention to vocabulary, both by using locally appropriate terminology and by training everyone on the meaning of those terms that will be used globally.
• Making diversity and inclusion a plank in the global business strategy.
• Including diversity and inclusion behaviors in global codes of conduct or leadership competency models.

Self-Identification of Sexual Orientation

Most U.S. companies still do not ask employees to identify their sexual orientation. However, more are beginning to consider doing so, especially since in many cases, LGBT employees and advocacy groups are requesting it.

Roles and Responsibilities of Diversity Champions

The role of diversity champion is most often filled by senior business executives, either at the corporate or business unit level. Middle managers and individual contributors are called to fill this function in fewer than half the responding companies.

Most commonly, diversity champions play both a symbolic and an active strategic role. Their symbolic function is to demonstrate leadership support for diversity by attending diversity events and delivering diversity messages to stakeholder groups within the company and externally. They contribute to diversity strategy development and implementation by serving on diversity councils, campaigning for support from their fellow executives, and consulting with diversity leaders.