The city of Pullman recognizes that continued success in meeting the needs of the community requires the full and active participation of talented and committed individuals – regardless of their respective race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disabilities, and social, economic, or cultural background – and that only by fostering an environment of recognition and acceptance, can we begin to appreciate and support the strengths afforded by the range of problem solving styles, communication skills, ideas, and organizational contributions of each and every person.

Diversity is inclusion. It stresses equal employment opportunity, and recognizes and respects the multitude of differences that employees bring to the workplace, as well as acknowledging the changing diversity of our community. The ultimate goal of workplace diversity is to attract, hire, retain, and successfully manage the inclusion of individuals, representing different lifestyles, cultures, values, and ideas into our organization.

It is the city’s policy, therefore, to have a workforce that reflects the diverse composition of our community. To that end, department heads, managers, and supervisors responsible for hiring and/or promotional decisions, are charged with making good faith effort to achieve employment diversity within their area of responsibility. Diversity will be achieved when the city – at all organizational levels – recognizes the true value of a diverse workforce and is comfortable selecting and retaining individuals from diverse backgrounds, including them in our organizational culture, and utilizing their full range of potential. (Ord. 98-41 §2, 1998).