Diversity

I believe that diversity encompasses more than the differences that exist between people; diversity is about accepting those differences.  I believe that diversity is about overcoming ignorance.  Valuing diversity will help me be the best that I can be in my career because it will define and enhance:

• my professionalism
• my leadership skills
• my interpersonal skills
• my communication skills

Diversity Statements - examples

NSF

It is the policy of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to ensure equal opportunity

in all phases of employment, delivery of services, and administering of grants and

contracts. NSF will maintain an environment for all of our employees and customers

that is free from prohibited discrimination and harassment based on race, color,

religion, sex (includes sexual harassment and discrimination based on pregnancy),

disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and protected genetic information.

Individuals are also protected from retaliation for exercising their rights under anti-

discrimination laws.

Genentech

Our Philosophy

Diversity is core to Genentech's values and culture. We are committed to developing an inclusive work environment where diversity of thought, style, culture, skill sets and perspective is valued and celebrated in support of individual performance and potential, as well as our business goals and mission.

Our Diversity Value

Diversity is integral to our culture and how we conduct our business. It is evident in who we are, the patients we serve, the physicians with whom we partner, the vendors we rely upon, and the communities in which we work. It strengthens our organization and contributes to our competitiveness. We are inclusive; we demonstrate respect and appreciation for diversity and encourage the richness of ideas, approaches and points of view that it enables.

SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation)

Diversity and inclusion drive innovation, employee engagement and create a competitive advantage in the marketplace. We seek to attract a highly skilled and motivated workforce. We are committed to diversity and inclusion — just as we would any core business area. Differences in thoughts, styles, backgrounds, and opinions are valued at SAIC.

Sigma Aldrich

At Sigma-Aldrich we respect, encourage and value the diversity that exists in our workplace and our surrounding communities. It isn’t just ethnicity or gender or age, but also how each of us contributes to the corporate culture in our own way. We are committed to fostering a workplace that builds employee capability and engagement.

All four of the above diversity statements are similar in that they describe inclusiveness.  Only the last one mentioned how individuals contribute to the business/company in different ways because of diversity.  Unlike my idea of diversity, the diversity statements I found do not state anything about overcoming ignorance.  Even if employees of the company do not openly discriminate against others, they may still have the wrong mentality about diversity.  In addition, merely having a diversity statement and actually following through with it (as individuals and as a whole) are two different things.