Report five: Five ways to develop diversity

(without relying on recruitment)

Published July 2022

Cover of the hidden cost of "women work" report

This month’s focus: Career development 

If companies are serious about creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization, they can’t rely on hiring alone. Employers must invest in the upward mobility and retention of women and marginalized individuals already in their organization, which is best achieved through career development programs.

  • Gain a clear understanding of how career development can strengthen your diversity strategy
  • Key findings into what career development opportunities women want and need
  • Tick lists to help you audit your company’s current offering
Illustration of a screen with a survey on it, overlapping the screen to the left is a speech bubble with text boxes and lines, overlapping the right of the screen is the WORK180 Endorsed Employer badge

Investing in career development can strengthen your overall diversity strategy

Investing in the career development of your current workforce creates upward mobility for women and marginalized groups. This not only helps your company increase representation in different departments and roles but also creates an ongoing virtuous cycle that will continue to strengthen your diversity strategy.

 

Investing in developing diversity internally can:

  • provide career development, which retains talented women and marginalized individuals already in your team;
  • increase representation which helps to attract more women and marginalized individuals;
  • enable your organization to become an employer of choice for women, and reap the rewards.
Image of the WORK180's 10 key standards for driving workplace equity.

“So many companies are focused on recruiting and getting to that 50/50 gender or 30/70 ethnicity level of representation […] But they’re not then working on ways to retain this talent. What a waste of money, resources, time, and effort.”

Asif Sadiq MBE

Global DEI thought leader and member of WORK180 DEI Board

WORK180 helps organizations of all sizes and stages of their DEI journey to build and benefit from a truly diverse workforce.

 

We provide a wide range of expert tools, guidance, and (for eligible employers only) a globally recognized endorsement.

Where should you be focusing your efforts when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Empower, listen and learn from underrepresented voices in your organization using Experience180 — the ready-made engagement survey you can provide in partnership with WORK180.