9 Inspiring Diversity and Inclusion Statement Examples
Diversity and inclusion statements help your organization show your stance on DEIB and how you live it at your workplace. It’s a great way to showcase your diversity and inclusion mission to your employees, candidates, business partners, and everyone involved with or interested in your company. It’s also an increasingly important tool to attract talent from diverse backgrounds to your company.
Let’s look at some of the best diversity and inclusion statement examples to inspire you.
Contents
What is a diversity and inclusion statement?
What should a good diversity and inclusion statement include?
9 Inspiring diversity and inclusion statement examples
How to write a DEI statement: Best-practice principles
What is a diversity and inclusion statement?
A diversity and inclusion statement is an expression of a company’s commitment to DEIB and what actions or commitments the company is taking, formalized on paper.
Often, a DEI statement isn’t only meant to show an organization’s employees and candidates what its stance is on DEIB but also for its customers, business partners, and even society as a whole.
What should a good diversity and inclusion statement include?
Opinions on what a good diversity and inclusion statement page should include will vary based on whom you ask and their personal preferences.
This is why we have selected several DEI statements from multiple company web pages to provide you with various examples to consider.
Based on these, there are key elements identified that make an excellent DEI statement:
- Start with the actual statement. A diversity and inclusion statement is short and to the point. As such, it’s a great way to let visitors to your page immediately know your organization’s stance on DEIB.
- Add data. If you have the data on your company’s current diversity and inclusion progress, include it within your statement. This provides more tangible evidence of your DEI position. Consider, for instance, the percentage of women or people of color holding leadership positions in your organization or info about the gender pay gap (if there is one).
Be transparent. There’s nothing wrong with admitting that your organization isn’t quite there yet regarding its DEIB goals. Or that you should have started working on them a bit sooner. As long as this doesn’t become a standard company line, with little intention of improving or achieving these goals. - Specify your commitments. Define your commitments, whether in brief or expansively. In the examples included, some companies published their main DEIB commitments with an in-depth description of each initiative. Others preferred brevity when describing their DEI commitments.
- Add resources that enrich your DEI statement. Some (large) organizations have resources they use to help support their DEI work that they include on their DEI statement page. Consider including documents on representation and pay, workforce diversity reports, racial equity strategies, etc. Additionally, including employee or candidate testimonials can further enrich the statement.
- Ensure your website is accessible. Inclusivity shouldn’t just extend to the workplace, but also across your owned media. Ensure that your webpage has been developed to be accessible to people with different needs/preferences and disabilities and that it meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
9 Inspiring diversity and inclusion statement examples
Let’s take a deeper look at the examples selected of companies’ diversity and inclusion statements.
1. Workday
Workday’s D&I statement:
Value inclusion, belonging, and equity.™
“Our approach to diversity is simple: it’s about embracing everyone. From cultivating a culture where all employees can bring their best selves to work to deploying diversity initiatives that support all, we’re doing what it takes to build a more equitable workplace and world.”
What we like about this statement
Workday’s diversity and inclusion statement embody simplicity. Their message is well-formulated and connected to the organization’s mission and goals.
Workday has developed VIBE Index™ (VIBE stands for value inclusion, belonging, and equity). The VIBE Index is a means for companies to measure and set targets (as well as take action based on the results) for hiring, promotions, leadership, belonging, etc.
DEI statement top tip
Connect your DEI statement to your company’s mission and goals.
2. Adobe
Adobe’s diversity and inclusion statement:
Adobe for All
“At Adobe, we believe that when people feel respected and included they can be more creative, innovative, and successful. While we have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion, we’re investing to move our company and industry forward.”
What we like about this statement
Adobe’s DEI motto, ‘Adobe for All,’ encases inclusivity within those three words. Short, sweet, and spot on.
The statement nicely encapsulates the core values of creativity, innovation, and success within their DEI commitment.
But the best part of this D & I statement example is that the company is transparent that they still have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion. Things aren’t perfect (they never are), but they’re working on it. No false promises, just telling it like it is.
DEI statement top tip
Formulate a powerful title for your diversity and inclusion statement.
4. T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s DEI statement:
Uniqueness is Powerful
Be Yourself. We like it that way.
“Diversity fuels the Un-carrier spirit. Our commitment to equity and inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience drives us forward every day.”
What we like about this statement
We like the careful selection of emotive words used in the company’s D&I statement, such as ‘fuels’ and ‘drives us forward’. These help the reader to understand that T-Mobile views diversity and inclusion as intrinsically linked to the growth and progress of the company.
T-Mobile has also provided its D&I stats, giving tangible evidence behind these evocative words.
DEI statement top tip
Make your DEI statement evocative by including emotive words that help bring your words to life.
5. Boots
Boots DEI statement:
Boots colleagues – inclusion and diversity
“Our teams, whether in stores or our support office, are amazing – they inspire great ideas, drive new plans forward and help make Boots a fantastic place to work.
Ensuring that we are always recruiting, retaining and promoting a diverse mix of colleagues who are representative of the diversity in our local communities gives us a great opportunity to have access to a broad range of ideas and allows us to give you the wide mix of products you know and expect from Boots.”
What we like about this statement
What’s great about this diversity and inclusion statement is its focus on its people. Their employees are the ones who are amazing, they drive new plans forward and they help in making Boots a fantastic place to work.
The second part of the company’s DEI mission statement also creates a link between the diverse mix of people at Boots and the people in the local communities (i.e., the company’s customers). Once again, all credit goes to the Boots employees for enabling the organization to deliver a wide mix of products to its customers.
DEI statement top tip
- Consider your target audience when writing your DEI statement.
- Does your company prioritize its internal audience (your employees) as well as the external audience (communities, customers, suppliers, etc.,)?
- Your DEI statement should speak directly to these audiences instead of in general terms.
6. Target
Target’s DEI statement:
“At Target, our team rallies around a single purpose: to help all families discover the joy of everyday life. That purpose and our inclusion of “all” directly connects to our inclusivity value as a company. We leverage our purpose to champion a more inclusive society that provides a fulfilling place to work and enhances engagement with our guests, communities and suppliers.”
What we like about this statement
Something that Target does well in its DEI mission statement is linking the company’s purpose – to help all families discover the joy of everyday life – to one of its company values, namely inclusivity.
Additionally, Target links its company value – inclusivity – to a broader societal purpose, championing a more inclusive society. This statement clearly shows what Target stands for regarding DEIB, not only concerning its employees but also its customers, suppliers, and communities.
Also, Target has published an overview of its ‘DEI history milestones’ going back almost 20 years, showing its company commitment to achieving its DEI goals.
DEI statement top tip
If possible, link your company values/purpose to a broader societal purpose.
7. Spotify
Spotify’s DEI statement:
Don’t just work here. Belong here.
“You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones.
Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all contribute, thrive and be brilliant.
So bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s in our differences that we will find the power to keep revolutionizing the way the world listens.”
What we like about this statement
Spotify is another example of how simplicity can make for a strong title. Also, Spotify cleverly infuses its DEI mission statement with ‘musical language’ to emphasize its message and link back to the company’s offering.
Spotify has also included its global gender data on its website – the total employee population and its leadership team. Three years’ worth of data has been included to illustrate the evolution of diversity and inclusion within the business.
DEI statement top tip
- A DEI statement is a serious and public commitment, but it doesn’t have to be dry and unimaginative.
- Personalize your DEI statement to your brand by using language that illustrates what your company does.
7. Nike
Nike’s DEI statement:
“Nike, Inc. is working to build a more diverse, inclusive team that reflects the athletes and communities where we live, work and play.”
What we like about this statement
Nike’s statement is short and sweet yet still encapsulates i) what their organization is about and ii) the fact that it’s a work in progress.
Another element that backs their statement up is the inclusion of additional information on the page. This includes the percentage of leadership positions held by women, the amount of money they spent in FY21 with diverse suppliers, and where they want to be by 2023.
This is another excellent example of a company’s diversity and inclusion mission statement that goes beyond its employees and customers.
DEI statement top tip
- Include information to back up your DEI statement.
- Do you have a DEIB initiative that you are particularly proud of or areas you are making great strides? Take the opportunity to showcase these on the DEI statement page.
- Statistics indicating your progress are compelling when illustrating what you as an organization are achieving.
8. HubSpot
HubSpot’s DEI statement:
“We’re committed to helping you do your best work. Our promise is to champion diversity, build an inclusive culture and product, and do our part to create a more equitable world. We can’t promise we’ll always get it right, but we’ll always put our people (that’s you) first.”
What we like about this statement
This is only part of HubSpot’s statement. The complete DEI statement begins by explaining the company’s mission and why it’s important for them to build an inclusive company.
HubSpot has also published several of its DEIB commitments to its community. However, there are other reasons why we have included the company in our diversity and inclusion statement examples.
This example stands out because HubSpot is upfront and honest about its progress and is committed to holding itself accountable to the community.
DEI statement top tip
Don’t be afraid to be transparent about your DEI progress as an organization.
9. LEGO Group
Lego Group’s DEI statement:
“We believe the LEGO Group – and LEGO® play – is for everyone, no matter where you come from, what you look like or how you identify.
It’s our mission to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. To succeed in this mission and help all children develop the skills that will help them fulfill their potential, we must continue to play our part in building a more inclusive and equitable world, starting with our own organization.”
What we like about this statement
There are three main points that LEGO does well here: it keeps the statement short, captures the DEI element succinctly, and links it back to the company’s (future) mission of inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow.
Additionally, LEGO focuses on its social responsibility when building its DEIB instead of only highlighting its internal priorities.
DEI statement top tip
- If relevant, link your DEI statement to your company’s future vision and goals.
- These goals can be internally or externally focused but must be related to developing diversity, equity and inclusion.
How to write a DEI statement: Best-practice principles
There are as many ways to write a diversity and inclusion statement as there are DEI mission statement examples. In other words: there’s not one right way to write a well-rounded statement.
Based on the tips in the examples above, we have extracted a few best-practice principles to follow:
- Come up with a strong title. This doesn’t mean you need to spend hours developing a clever title. But try to have something other than ‘Diversity and Inclusion at X’ as your title. ‘Adobe for All’ is an excellent example of a strong title that says it all without being too creative. Spotify’s ‘Don’t just work here. Belong here.’ is another original title.
- Keep things short and sweet. Try to encapsulate the essence of your organization’s DEI mission statement in one or two sentences. Both the T-Mobile and Nike examples have done this very well.
- Link it back to your mission & values. This is something that we see in almost all of this article’s diversity and inclusion statement examples. Workday, Target, and LEGO Group (among others) have achieved this well.
- Consider your target audience. Based on your company’s DEI goals, consider who you as a company is targeting. Are you internally focused on your employees, or has your company also prioritized the social communities, your customers and your suppliers? Highlight your target audience when crafting your DEI statement.
- Add your company’s unique view. Adding your organization’s unique sauce to the DEI statement is one of the things that can set you apart. This could be achieved through including company-specific language (as used in the Spotify, LEGO, and Nike examples), but also conveyed through your sincerity (such as HubSpot and Adobe) or in the form of specific focus areas (as with Boots and its focus on its employees). Importantly, it should reflect your company’s identity.
- Be honest. Sounds obvious? Perhaps it is. But with so many eyes on your organization’s DEI statement (employees, candidates, customers, business partners, etc.), it can be tempting to write something that paints an unreal picture of your actual DEI status. Being honest about where you are and where you want to be will ring truer within the marker.
On a final note
This article’s diversity and inclusion statement examples have one thing in common; they all show how these companies are advancing DEIB at their workplaces with concrete initiatives and strategies. This is key to making your statement credible; it shows people that you are actually walking your talk.
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