Dive Brief:

• Diversity and inclusion experts are increasingly in demand, new research from Indeed shows. As employers widen their search for candidates in a tight labor market and recognize the value of diversity, many are bringing professionals onboard with expertise in diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• According to the research, the amount of diversity and inclusion postings​, as a segment of all postings, rose by 18% in February from last year and are 35% higher​ than in the previous two years. The number of job postings remained around the same level between 2014 and 2016 before hitting an unprecedented high in 2017, and then slumping in the same year.
• Indeed says that while it's difficult to pinpoint a single cause of the increase in employer demand for diverse and inclusive workplaces, growing awareness could be one driver of the rise in postings.

Dive Insight:

Employers who are committed to inclusion in hiring and retention are not only doing what's right socially; they're also likely to see a greater return on investment. Studies have found a direct correlation between diversity and bottom-line gains.

But the "we're an equal opportunity employer" tag in job postings isn't enough to attract applicants. Anyone who has worked in an unwelcoming environment knows that the slogan doesn't always apply. Employers must show an authentic commitment to diversity and inclusion through cultural values and unbiased practices — and usually, to ensure such a change takes place beyond the hiring stage, a company needs leadership focused specifically on the issue.

Thinking on the issue of diversity is shifting widely, and thus discussion is widening. Lesbians Who Tech is a grassroots community of 40,000 non-binary people, women, people of color and LGBTQ technology professionals. The company resorted to quotas for hiring speakers after discovering that most of its speakers and affiliates ended up being mostly white, according to an article for Quartz. While use of quotas is polarizing, their purpose — to specifically open up opportunities to those who may not have them — speaks to another reason why more companies are looking for diversity and inclusion officers.