Coming from corporate HR, much of my exposure to diversity and ‘diversity hiring’ as been focused on ethnic diversity. Then we remember that ‘diversity’ means more than what you can see and observe. It’s not just about self-disclosure and EEO classification that one is Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, male or female. It’s where you grew up, with whom you associate, where you attended college, what has shaped and influenced your thoughts, values and processes . . . and how that translates into your daily work, your interaction with team members, and your deliverables.

Let’s focus on one type of diversity that is often overlooked, that proves critical to the bottom line of a business: employee INDUSTRY diversity. This is critical since employees drive the company. Many of my hiring teams from retail/CPG require previous retail/CPG experience in their new hires. They want to ensure their new hires know the customer, the industry culture, the SKU volume, etc. so they can start impacting immediately. Many of my hiring teams from healthcare require previous health and medical marketing experience so their new hires can tackle the regulatory and compliance aspects immediately. True, a new hire who can produce quickly with limited learning curve is of value.

Let’s not, however, forget about innovation and ability to adjust to industry shifts. If all your employees are the same profile, what if you’re thrown an industry curve ball? If a few people swing at that curve ball and miss, chances are your whole company might strike out. Example #1: Healthcare hiring. Right now, health insurance has become more consumer focused . . . even CPG-like. Therefore, how dangerous and valuable could a marketer who’s a quick study from a top electronics company, a big sporting goods brand, or even a competitive restaurant chain be when they’re an expert in consumer behavior and how to market to customers who have choices? Example #2: Finance. Investment portfolios and retirement planning are long-term oriented products. They involve thinking ahead, initial and mid product stages, and what will happen in the future. One of the best hires made by a previous Finance Marketing Director client of mine was a Marketing Manager from the transportation/logistics industry. Armed with a bit of marketing expertise and a quick learning ability, that new hire was programmed to analyze and think about freight inventory and market demand, product shelf lives, lead and turn-around times, and dealing with hiccups along the way. Hence, thinking about the stock market and customer portfolios or 401(k)s and their life cycles was a breeze.

Remember . . . diversification goes deep. In the words of a fantastic Fortune 500 CEO, “Diversity isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s smart business.”