The absence of racial and gender diversity on corporate boards is unacceptable. A diverse board will help companies better reflect the community’s demographics and make better decisions. It will also improve their image. It is imperative that corporations and federal policymakers focus efforts to build equitable systems, identify and recruit talent, and reform the selection process to increase diversity in American corporations.

Many discussions about diversity on boards revolve around the need to tackle a lack of representation of the demographics of the company, but the primary goal is to identify people with a range of skills, capabilities and knowledge. Board members with diverse backgrounds can bring new approaches to the table, challenge the status quo and take more innovative decisions that will create long-term value.

Through a combination of variables such as education, age, and professional experience, you can identify the categories that your board is not or over-represented and target recruitment accordingly. If your board is predominantly comprised of people with degrees in engineering, for example it may be beneficial to add directors with an experience in marketing to facilitate a more comprehensive discussion.

Some companies go as far as to announce public statements about their commitment to diversity. This is an excellent way of holding the board and senior management accountable. You https://board.international/how-to-increase-corporate-board-diversity/ can also conduct an assessment of diversity via your board portal that will highlight the areas in which you need to increase the diversity of your workforce.