Diversity Statement Template
A diversity statement is public, short, and read most carefully by the people deciding whether to apply or to complain. Its whole job is to be specific enough to be believed, which means it should be uncomfortable to publish if the organization has not done the work.
See the coursesEverything on this page is yours to copy and adapt. The courses cover the decisions behind it: what to commit to, how to measure it, and what to put in writing.
What yours needs to cover
- ✓ An opening that says what the organization is trying to be, in its own words
- ✓ One or two specifics that could be checked by an outsider
- ✓ What the organization does about it, in the present tense
- ✓ A line on where a candidate or employee can ask for an adjustment
- ✓ A contact route for someone who thinks the statement is not being honored
- ✓ Guidance on where the statement should and should not appear
How to use it
- Write the specifics first. A statement made only of values reads as a template, because it usually is one.
- Delete anything that could be published unchanged by a competitor.
- Check every claim against something you could evidence if asked.
- Keep it to a length someone will actually read on a careers page.
- Review it whenever the underlying facts change, and date the review.
Who reads a diversity statement, and what they check
The careful readers of a diversity statement are candidates deciding whether to apply, employees deciding whether to raise a concern, and occasionally journalists deciding whether the organization means it. Each of them reads for the same thing, which is whether any sentence could be checked. Statements made only of values are skimmed, because readers have seen hundreds of them.
That makes specificity the whole craft. One practice the organization has actually changed, described plainly, does more than a paragraph of adjectives, and it also makes the statement harder to publish if the work has not been done, which is exactly the discipline it should impose.
Drafting from the specifics outward
Write the specifics first. List two or three things the organization does that an outsider could verify, such as publishing pay ranges on every posting, offering structured interviews for every role, or providing a named contact for adjustments. Then write one opening sentence that says, in your own words, what those practices are for.
Keep it short, usually under two hundred words for a careers page. Use the present tense for what the organization does now, and avoid promising outcomes it does not control. Close with a contact route for anyone who thinks the statement is not being honored, so the statement invites accountability rather than only admiration.
Where it appears and when it changes
Put the statement where decisions are made, such as the careers page, the foot of job postings and the candidate information pack. A statement that appears only in an annual report was written for investors rather than for the people it describes, and readers can tell.
Date it, and review it whenever an underlying fact changes. If a practice named in the statement stops, the statement must change the same week. Unit 7 of the course, in the advanced track, covers deciding what the organization is allowed to say and keeping public claims consistent with internal reality.
A filled-in example
| Opening | We want every person who works here to be able to do their best work, and to know how decisions about them are made. |
|---|---|
| First specific | Every role we advertise shows its salary range. |
| Second specific | Every candidate is asked the same core questions and scored against the same written criteria. |
| What we do now | Promotion criteria for each level are published internally and reviewed each year with staff. |
| Adjustments | Candidates can ask our office manager for any adjustment to the interview process. |
| Contact route | Anyone who thinks we are not meeting this statement can write to a named partner. |
| Last reviewed | Dated at the foot of the page and reviewed each January |
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing only adjectives. Words like diverse, inclusive and welcoming are claimed by everyone. Replace at least two of them with practices an outsider could check.
- Claiming what you cannot evidence. Every claim in a public statement may be tested. Include only what you could show if asked, and remove anything aspirational.
- Making it too long. A statement nobody finishes does not do its job. Keep the careers-page version short and put detail in the policy.
- Never reviewing it. A statement that names a practice the organization has quietly dropped is worse than none. Date it and review it on a schedule.
Diversity Statement Template FAQs
What is the difference between a diversity statement and a DEI policy?
The statement is public and short, and says what you are trying to be. The policy is internal and long, and says what happens in specific situations. Publishing a statement with no policy behind it is the common mistake.
What makes a diversity statement credible?
Specifics an outsider could check. Naming a practice you have changed does more for credibility than any adjective, and it is also the part that is hardest to write if the work has not been done.
Where should it appear?
The careers page and job postings at minimum, and anywhere a candidate makes a decision. Putting it in an annual report and nowhere else tells you who it was written for.
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