Corporate Board Diversity
www.board.international/how-to-encouraging-an-effective-advisory-board/
It is inexcusable that there is no racial or gender diversity in corporate boards. A diverse board can help companies better reflect the demographics of their communities, make better decisions based on a broad range of perspectives and experiences, and boost their reputation. It is imperative that corporations as well as federal policymakers concentrate efforts to create equitable systems, identify and recruit talent, and restructure the selection process to increase diversity within American companies.
Many board diversity discussions are centered around the need to deal with a diverse demographic representation of the company, but the primary goal should be to find people with a range of skills, competencies and experiences. Diverse board members bring new perspectives to the table and disrupt the status established. They can also make more innovative decisions that will create value over the long term.
You can make a decision to target recruitment according to a mix of factors such as age, education and professional experience. If your board is heavily made up of people with degrees in engineering, for example it may be beneficial to include directors with some experience in marketing to help facilitate a more thorough discussion.
Some companies take the step of making an official commitment to diversity. This is an excellent way to hold the senior management and board members accountable. You can also make use of your board portals to conduct a diversity audit, which will reveal areas where you should increase the diversity of your workforce.
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