1. Do your research
Several organizations now assess industries and companies on a diversity scale. Consult the internet or business magazines for how your industry and company is faring.
2. Ask Questions
Especially if you are in a male dominated profession, such as sales or engineering, sheer numbers can tell you volumes. Worthwhile questions: “How many women do you have in the average teams?” “How many women do you have in senior management”? “How many women have left the company in the last six months. Why?”
3. Observe Management’s Handling of the “Dirty Little Secret”
Subtle cues are the most telling. What is the tone when managers talk about someone being pregnant or going out on maternity leave? If it’s spoken of as if it’s not big deal, chances are the company has incorporated it into a fact of life into the employee life cycle.
4. Understand the Remote Work Dynamic
Does management actively engage and develop employees that work remotely? Whether male or female, a company that is not able to expand its perspective to employees that are not physically in the office will not likely be the place to offer a progressively flexible lifestyle to fit your needs.
5. Look for Potentially Discriminating Business Practices
Does all the business happen over late evening drinks and weekend golf games? If so, you might want to look for a place that is more inclusive in its participation options.
6. Don’t Get Conned by Paternalistic Discrimination:
If your male bosses are so sensitive to your domestic “situation” that they do not even offer you the opportunity to represent the team at an important out of town meeting, you need to make sure everyone knows that you are capable of making these decisions for yourself and would like the choice nonetheless.
7. Clarify the Rhetoric Around Diversity
Do senior leaders believe that diversity is just the right or politically correct thing to do? Or is there a genuine understanding of diversity as a competitive advantage? The former can be just a passing fad that changes with each leader, but the latter makes the need more sustainable
