It is unacceptable that there is no gender or racial diversity on corporate boards. A diverse board can help companies better reflect the population metrics of their communities, make better decisions based on a broad range of perspectives and experiences, and enhance their image. It is crucial that businesses and federal policymakers focus efforts to build equitable systems, identify and recruit talent, and reform the selection process to increase diversity within American corporations.

The focus of a lot of discussions on diversity of the board is the need to rectify a misguided representation of the company’s demographics. But the primary objective should be to identify candidates with a wide range of abilities, skills and knowledge. Diverse board members bring new perspectives to the table and can change the status that is in place. They can also make more creative decisions that create long-term value.

Using a combination of factors such as education, age, and professional experience, you can identify what categories your board is under- or over-represented and target the recruitment process accordingly. If your board is heavily made up of people with degrees in engineering, for example it may be beneficial to include the director with a background in the marketing field to facilitate a more comprehensive discussion.

Some companies even take the step of making an official commitment to diversity. This is a look at this now great way to hold the management team and board members accountable. You can also make use of your board portal to run an audit of diversity, which will highlight areas in which you need to bolster your workforce.