We at CIA equate diversity of workforce with diversity of thought. Nothing is more important to the intelligence profession than cultivating different perspectives on the foreign threats and challenges facing our nation. By hiring men and women with a broad range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, language expertise, and educational experiences, we effectively minimize the likelihood of groupthink. For us, diversity is a mission-critical objective.

As a global intelligence agency, we enjoy a natural advantage: America is a diverse nation. By drawing fully from its diversity, we have officers that come to the table with different backgrounds and viewpoints. That enables our Agency to be more successful at giving our policymakers the best possible picture of the world.

I strongly believe CIA cannot reach its full potential unless we reach out to find the most highly qualified officers from every corner of America and every part of our society. We must take full advantage of the extraordinary talent our nation has to offer.

Michael V. Hayden
Director