In which areas of diversity do you have more to learn? How do you plan to grow?
Some of the most common areas of desired growth among working professionals include unconscious bias, gender equality, creating diverse teams through broader talent attraction strategies, and effective leadership in varied environments. The interviewer would like to know where they can best support you in meeting their diversity and inclusion efforts and expectations. In a sense, this question is asking, 'what is your greatest weakness' when it comes to the topic of diversity and inclusion. Be honest in your response and spend the bulk of your reply addressing the actions you are taking to improve and grow.
"Admittedly, I could learn more about the psychology of unconscious bias. As much as I am keenly aware of this topic, I believe there is always more to learn about understanding stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice and learning how to reduce instances in the workplace. These topics are critical, and they are fluid, which means that I will never stop learning. I want to identify acts of stereotyping in the workplace better, and I would like to develop stronger strategies for engaging a diverse team. To meet these goals, I will continue to enroll myself in self-led online courses. I will read books from thought leaders such as Candice Morgan, who is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Partner with Google Ventures. I will continue to listen to podcasts such as 'Change Cadet' from Dr. Akilah Cadet, and of course - I am eager to take any workshops your organization arranges for its team members."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I need to improve my unconscious bias in favoring working with people who are similar to me: male and nerdy. To improve on this, I should break out of my shell to work and chat with people who are different from me like people from different genders and departments during lunch hours. This helps me to better understand different people's points of view and better empathize with them.
All things like stereotyping, hatred, intolerance all stem from not being able to empathize with someone so although online courses can help with this, the best way to have a more accepting mentality is to see the underlying person by interacting with them.
Amanda's Feedback
Excellent! You've pointed out an area that you want to grow in and set out a plan to achieve that growth as well as why it's important.
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