When it comes to Diversity and Inclusion, marketing teams have a significant role to play in promoting a message of inclusivity, not just as part of a company’s brand, but also behind the scenes. A marketing team made up of diverse perspectives increases cultural sensitivity, encourages creativity, and offers a broader and deeper appreciation of individual thought and experience. Here, we delve into the benefits a diverse marketing team can bring to an organisation, and how to offer inclusive recruitment practices to make sure you’re attracting a wide pool of candidates over the long-term. 

Benefits of Diverse Perspectives

By employing people of different genders, ages, sexual orientations, disabilities and ethnicities, your marketing team will have an in-built wealth of insight, knowledge and lived experiences that can aid and elevate projects. This range of perspectives can encourage a collaborative and innovative environment. Likely, the end product will authentically connect with an audience because its creators understand the nuances of the demographic. This is beneficial for the business as it offers a financial and competitive advantage.This collaborative method opens a dialogue rather than assumes knowledge, accounting for cultural sensitivities that could otherwise be overlooked. Being open to another person’s ideas creates an excellent opportunity to learn and grow, both professionally and personally.

Target Audience

A diverse team that represents or understands the target market can only mean positive outcomes for campaigns. Dove, for example, launched 'The Dove Real Beauty Pledge' which has diversity and inclusion as its core message, encouraging women to define beauty on their own terms. It’s an empowering message with a strong campaign behind it, crafted and marketed by a team that understands the audience and the values it wants to promote.

This is why building a marketing team that truly connects with its demographic is key to success. Conversely, a homogeneous culture is detrimental to growth; an echo chamber of thought and ideas will stifle rather than empower marketing teams’ potential. To this end, people don’t know what they don’t know, and someone bringing in fresh ideas can elevate your thinking and make you better at your job. 

Explore other options for job posts rather than the mainstream outlets. Utilise job boards, community groups, forums, and newsletters with a diverse readership. Go a step further and encourage feedback from Diversity and Inclusion professionals, for example North East based diversity consultants 50:50 Future Ltd. An outside perspective can help account for gaps in this

How to Build a Diverse Team

Organisations looking to centre Diversity and Inclusion within their own teams and future recruitment drives should look at their overall hiring practices. 

Attracting candidates starts with inclusive job descriptions. Look at the language used in job adverts: is it gender neutral? Will it appeal to neurodivergent candidates? Does the role offer flexibility, particularly around childcare? By making it clear as a company that you’d like to hear from people who don’t have all the attributes but do have a great attitude - astonishingly, stats reveal women won’t apply for a job unless they fit 100% of the criteria, whereas men will apply if they’re around 60% qualified - you’re set to attract a wider pool of candidates.

Explore other options for job posts rather than the mainstream outlets. Utilise job boards, community groups, forums, and newsletters with a diverse readership. Go a step further and encourage feedback from Diversity and Inclusion professionals, for example North East based diversity consultants 50:50 Future Ltd. An outside perspective can help account for gaps in this vision, however well-intentioned. If it’s an option, engage with the HR team and work closely with them to build a strategy that prioritises inclusivity as something more than a buzzword. 

Sometimes the best approach is accepting that good intentions don’t automatically translate into positive action, so for employers looking to outsource their recruitment, companies like NRG who are compliant with inclusive recruitment practices will use their vast network to find suitable candidates.

After the application stage, providing further accommodations is necessary: this awareness and effort extends through to the interview and onboarding phases too, and will help retain talent in the longer term. It’s important to create a culture where everyone can flourish and reach their full potential.

All of these steps will require a continuous effort to recruit, retain, and develop a diverse team, as well as to foster a positive and supportive work environment.

Inclusive Culture

To cultivate a welcoming environment, build a calendar of events that reflects your workforce, celebrating cultural events and holidays that encourage learning and connection. A comfortable place of work creates opportunities for members to share their experiences and perspectives, benefiting everyone. This encourages allyship amongst the workforce and creates a sense of belonging. To truly cultivate this environment, it starts at a leadership and managerial level. Without fear of judgment or hierarchy, and with an onus on creativity and risk-taking, the resultant marketing efforts will reflect an engaged and thriving team.

Conclusion

Building a diverse marketing team is good for people, good for business, and good for brand values. The function of the marketing team is not just about promotion of the brand, but to generate new business through authenticity, moving away from the stereotypical PR function. In today's digital world, people are looking for evidence that companies and the people behind them genuinely live and breathe what they are promoting. Ensuring the marketing team is given every opportunity to succeed in a work environment that supports and encourages inclusivity and collaboration is vital to not only retaining the best talent on the market but also elevating the company brand and its overall impact.

Diversity and inclusion aren't just buzzwords – they're essential elements for a successful marketing team that resonates with today's diverse audiences. If you're ready to embrace this mindset and assemble a team that truly reflects the world around us, our specialised marketing recruitment experts understand the value of diverse perspectives and backgrounds and are here to help.

Reach out to us today, and let's start crafting a marketing powerhouse that celebrates diversity and leaves a lasting impact.