Human Resource mission statements used to be little more than brochure-ware. Now, they address more critical issues. They are vulnerable. They are conversational. They mention specifics.
Here are five organizations with well-written HR mission statements (along with Ongig’s take).
1. Adobe
“At Adobe, we believe that when people feel respected and included they can be more creative, innovative, and successful. While we have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion, we’re investing to move our company and industry forward.”
–– Ongig’s take: Adobe recognizes its flaws in its human resources mission statement, noting it has “more work to do” with diversity and inclusion. Being vulnerable like that is attractive to candidates and employees. The company has a coherent plan to overcome these issues, saying it will invest more money to “move our company and industry forward.” Adobe’s hope for the future, according to its HR mission statement? That all people feel more “creative,” “innovative,” and “successful.”
2. Synd
“Ensuring people are paid fairly is long overdue and is a fundamental issue that needs to be addressed to progress towards an equitable society. Syndio is an objective solution that removes unconscious bias from the equation and changes the way business leaders tackle workplace equity, making pay equity the standard for companies around the world.”
— Ongig’s take: Pay equity startup Syndio, which recently received funding from Steph Curry, starts its human resources mission statement with a call out to “address progress” because it’s a “fundamental issue.” The company then explains how it can overcome diversity by helping businesses “tackle workplace equity” and “making pay equity the standard” for all companies. Its human resource mission statement is straightforward, inclusive, and inspirational.
3. Denver School of Science and Technology
“The Denver School of Science and Technology is dedicated to providing a diverse student body with an outstanding liberal arts high school education with a science and technology focus. By creating a powerful learning community centered on core values and a shared commitment to academic excellence, DSST will increase the number of underrepresented students (women, minorities, and economically disadvantaged) who attain college science and liberal arts degrees. DSST graduates will be responsible, engaged citizens who are prepared to be leaders of the future.”
— Ongig’s take: Denver School of Science and Technology’s HR mission statement is strong because of how specific it is:
“DSST will increase the number of underrepresented students (women, minorities, and economically disadvantaged).”
The Denver Foundation, Colorado’s largest and oldest community organization, commended the DSST HR mission statement for combining its mission with a statement of inclusion.
4. AXA
“You are valued. Your voice is important. As a global team with a huge range of different backgrounds, ways of thinking, and varied experiences, we want each and every one of you to feel that you belong, are included, and can thrive. We care about you and your well-being. Because it’s when you feel at your best that you can do your best.”
— Ongig’s take: Insurance brand AXA’s captures the attention of the reader in the first line with a powerful opening statement: “You are valued.” The company then proves its commitment to inclusion by highlighting a global team that hails from a “range of different backgrounds” and “varied experiences.” There’s a lot of positive, reassuring language here, with the statement appearing far less formal than the traditional corporate narrative. AXA then says it cares about the well-being of its employees. The full text of AXA’s HR mission statement outlines the steps AXA plans to take to promote inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
5. Nike
“At Nike, we believe in the power of people to move the world forward. Our mission is to be a leader in building a diverse, inclusive team and culture.”
Nike’s mission statement is a bit different — it’s a 2-sentence opener followed by a page of supporting content. A powerful opening line — “we believe in the power of people” — and a promise to “move the world forward.” The second sentence is just as strong, with a commitment to building a more “diverse and “inclusive” team and culture.
The longer HR mission statement then lists its “Our 2025 Vision” with demographics of its global workforce in percentages, outlining the number of women and ethnic minorities at VP and director levels and how it plans to improve these numbers.
— Ongig’s take: All organizations need to address diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a well-written mission statement can prove commitment to these issues. The five human resources mission statements above are good examples, and you can use them as inspiration when creating a statement for your organization. All of these HR mission statements use positive language and promote an inclusive workforce.
Why I Wrote This?
Ongig’s Text Analyzer software scans job descriptions for biases about age, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and more. Along with creating more inclusive human resource mission statements, you can invest in this tool to improve D&I during the hiring process. If you’d like to learn how Ongig might help you, please click the link above.
Shout-Outs:
- Mission Statement (by James Chen and Ebony Howard)
- Steph Curry invests in a pay equity startup (by Emma Hinchliffe)
