We've all heard or participated in discussions regarding the workplace diversity figures released by Google, Facebook et al. Kudos to all for taking a step in the right direction.<p>But, how many of you have questioned the same from startups, successful and unsuccessful. What can they do to start on the right foot?<p>I was inspired to ask this question after reading Indiegogo's perfect alignment of business objectives and workplace diversity.<p>http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2014/10/53854-indiegogos-danae-ringelmann-reveals-importance-diversity-in-startups/<p>I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter of using a different data set to explore more sustainable solutions, implemented early on.<p>What efforts can startups implement in order create a culture of diversity while exceeding their growth objectives?
While I applaud the focus on diversity and think that it is important that organizations do not discriminate based on nationality/gender/whatever, I hardly think this is a serious concern for smaller companies looking to grow. While I don't believe that discrimination never happens, to me identifying a pattern of discrimination is something that is substantively more achievable with a larger organization than it is in a company with a size under 25.<p>Ultimately, what I'm getting at is that your question is approaching things from the wrong angle in my opinion. Companies should be choosing whomever best fits the role while ensuring they are not discriminating against minorities (either consciously or subconsciously). Setting out from the start to focus on diversity hires sounds a little too much like trying to fill quotas for my comfort.
Some more food for thought on how startups could be the key to solving this problem for themselves and the industry at large.<p>The Diversity Cure: How Startups Are The Key<p><i>We’d like to show how startups benefit from a proactive strategy to enlist a wide variety of talent and experience.</i><p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/oracle/2014/12/23/the-diversity-cure-how-startups-are-the-key/" rel="nofollow">http://www.forbes.com/sites/oracle/2014/12/23/the-diversity-...</a>
Isn't the definition of a start up that they lack bureaucratic tendencies such as recruitment targeted at niche employees? When you are well off enough to care about tokenism you are no longer a start up.
I was only able to glean a single "take-away" from the article on Ms. Ringelmann's presentation on the importance of diversity in startups, which is: doing diversity now helps you when you get to whatever point where you may want to do diversity later. And the immediate benefit to that in either stage as having a larger foundation and broad-based network via which one can do talent acquisition.<p>Is that about right, or did I miss something?
A startup is only concerned with one thing... survival. So an employee's gender, race or sexual preferences is secondary to their ability to deliver results for the business. A perfect environment for meritocracy. IMO startups don't need to worry about diversity because their inherent nature promotes a level playing field.