Video: John Hardy of Best Buy Talks Diversity at Net Impact '14

As part of our Talking Diversity video series, we spoke to thought leaders at the 2014 Net Impact conference. about what diversity means to them. We received all sorts of responses, from tips on diversity and inclusion management to personal stories and the business case for diversity.

For major multinationals like Best Buy, which operates more than 1,400 stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, maintaining diversity and inclusion throughout an enormous staff presents both challenges and opportunities. For the electronics giant, taking diversity seriously means creating a welcoming environment for more than 140,000 employees, said John Hardy, field diversity and inclusion manager for Best Buy.

"We want to make sure that we create an environment that really allows people to bring their 100 percent selves to work," Hardy said at the conference. "It's really important that we have employees in our stores that understand our customers, from a personal level and from a professional level."

Hardy, who manages Best Buy's retail diversity and inclusion efforts, goes on to explain why diversity is important to the company -- all the way down to the staff at its retail locations -- this 60-second clip.

Image courtesy of Best Buy

Based in the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area, John Hardy manages Best Buy's field (retail) Diversity & Inclusion efforts, partnering with leaders across the organization to create strategies for recruiting, developing and retaining diverse leaders in Best Buy stores.