The best diversity and inclusion videos communicate an inclusive corporate culture by sharing employee experiences. Prove that your company values diversity, inclusion, and belonging by uncovering and amplifying a variety of employee voices from throughout your company. That’s the only way to prove your actions are making a real impact for your underrepresented employees.

Unfortunately, many organizations create “diversity content” with stock photos and videos, EEO statements, and broad messages from leadership.

But what does it say about a company that uses stock images to represent its employees, and only features far reaching and aspirational statements from your CEO? It says your commitment to creating diverse and inclusive cultures is surface-level.

So if you’re working on it, great: feature the work you’re doing to change, from the people leading major diversity and inclusion initiatives. If you’re making progress, show the world you’re for real. Here’s how.

The best diversity and inclusion videos show what your company does specifically to create an inclusive environment, and is proved by employee stories.

You need to feature real employees in your recruitment marketing and employee engagement content. Everyone wants to know how your company makes its team members feel seen, valued, and celebrated for who they really are.

Get inspired by these videos that use stories to illustrate inclusion and belonging. Here are the best diversity and inclusion videos.

Dell Technologies: Diversity of thought is welcome here.

It is possible to show an overall inclusive corporate culture and prove that your company whole-heartedly welcomes diversity. To successfully communicate that to talent audiences, the best diversity and inclusion videos feature team members’ personal examples from all over the organization. Dell Technologies developed on overall “D&I video”, with employees share their own experiences of how diversity is welcomed and celebrated. The effect is so much more powerful and believable to audiences than “casting” a roster of employees to read from a script.

Dell Technologies — Tiffany’s Story: I’ve never felt limited.

Additionally, they created another video that provides a deeper look into one employee’s personal experiences with inclusion at Dell Technologies. No matter your industry or background, it’s impossible to watch and hear Tiffany and not identify with her story. The culture of support for her professional goals, personal life, and the ERG she helps lead come through vividly. Because her stories are so personal, they’re instantly relatable and memorable to any candidate or employee.

BAE Systems, Inc.: Inclusion is not just a buzzword.

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are sometimes a critical resource and source of empowerment to underrepresented team members. Involvement and engagement in ERGs can vary a lot from one organization to the next. This video from BAE Systems, Inc. features stories of inclusion and community from members of multiple ERGs throughout the company.

Interactions — Shanerical’s Story: Come sit here!

Often times our first moments as employees set the tone for the rest of our employee experience. Interactions team member Shanerical shares a story of how she felt welcome as a new employee. This story is highly insightful to candidates considering the company, and it also communicates an overall culture of belonging. Can you think of a more effective way to communicate a warm, welcoming place to work?

Expedia Group: We support women in technology.

61 percent of women in engineering report that they have worked in unsupportive cultures. That’s why companies that create positive places for women engineers do well by sharing real employee stories from women in tech who are thriving at work. These stories provide proof for female engineer candidates searching for culture clarity.

Expedia Group creates a positive place for women in engineering. They want women to know they are a place where they are supported, and that they have an advantage as a woman in tech.

Electronic Arts: Our team reflects the diversity of our consumers

As an EA employee on the FIFA Video Game team explains, “We want to make a game that’s for everybody, and to do that — if your game is the world’s sport [soccer/football] — then you need people who represent the world working on your game.” Stories Inc. uncovered a collection of employee stories that collectively show how the brand’s global value of diversity and inclusion is experienced by employees on a team.

Loews Hotels: We want you to be yourself. Really.

Ask your storytellers, “Can you think of a time when you were able to truly be yourself at work?” It’s a question that lends itself to great stories that show the inclusive nature of culture. The answer will reveal something personal or unique about the storyteller and how they were positively accepted by their colleagues.

When asked this question, Emmanuel from Loews Hotels, his answer came quickly: “I’m into fashion, and I always walk into a meeting doing my runway walk. Everyone laughs and cheers and I just feel so accepted for who I am. Even my crazy side.” His story and others from Loews employees show that the company motto “Welcoming you like family” doesn’t only apply to customers.

HSBC: Your neurodiversity is a strength.

HSBC gathered stories from neurodiverse employees of their experiences at work. The result is a video that shows all candidates, neurotypical or neurodiverse, that their individual strengths and skills are valued. The result is one of the best diversity and inclusion videos we have seen. And, it’s pretty cutting-edge culture content for a 155 year-old banking institution.

Deloitte — Patrick’s Story: We celebrate veterans and how your service shapes who you are today.

As a veteran, Patrick’s military service and resulting paralysis played a part in shaping the person he brings to work. He shares how Deloitte supported his whole self, as well as his idea for a fundraiser to support the Paralyzed Veterans of America. He highlights how he felt when Deloitte invited him to be the event’s inaugural speaker and share his story.

Chevron: We don’t want you to hold back.

Chevron accomplished many firsts for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, especially within the oil and energy industry. This video makes our best diversity and inclusion video list because it celebrates their PRIDE Network members, its history, and its impact on life at Chevron today. The founding member stories show how an inclusive workplace can completely change people’s lives.

Sonoco — Rebecca’s Story: Leadership wants to listen to and learn from young employees.

As a young person looking to make a splash early in their career, a large organization like Sonoco might seem intimidating. But what if you heard that the CEO proposed holding a panel of young professionals so that leadership could learn from them? Rebecca’s story just might convince you to click “apply.”

Netflix: We celebrate Pride and intersectionality, virtually.

In this video by Netflix, employees share what pride means to them. Of course, the pandemic of June 2020 challenged companies to find virtual ways of celebrating Pride. This video serves as both a celebration of and for its LGBTQIA+ team members, and candidate-facing content. It also shows what it looks like to work remotely at Netflix right now. As the team members share their stories from their distributed locations, they reveal a culture of allyship for non-heterosexual and non-cisgender employees.

First Solar — Deb’s Story: We will seek out accommdations for you.

Facilities technician Deb lost her hearing while serving in the military and now uses cochlear implants. In her role she works all over the First Solar campus, but finds hearing team radio communications challenging. So, her colleagues are working to develop new tech to create a custom solution for Deb. Their efforts show Deb she is valued and that her accomodation is a priority.

Pixar: Change your culture, not your people.

This animated short contrasts exclusive and inclusive cultures. Tellingly, it’s based on a real story from Pixar animator Kristen Lester. Feeling like an outsider, Purl finds a way to fit in at B.R.O. Capital, and it works until she is faced with a dilemma. Will she allow the culture to change her, or will she change the culture?

The video, and Kristen’s story, have happy endings. “[At my first job], I was like the only woman in the room, and so in order to do the thing that I loved, I sort of became one of the guys. Then, I came to Pixar and I started to work on teams with women for the first time. Actually, that made me realize how much of the female aspect of myself I had sort of buried and left behind.”

Focus on creating content that shows diversity, inclusion and belonging from your employees’ perspectives.

Diversity and inclusion are top of mind for candidates as they evaluate your workplace. Therefore, don’t stop with broad statements. Find and share the stories that demonstrate your promises in a real way.

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