First Steps Forward: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

What does a successful corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiative look like? Angela Howard, vice president, people development and human experience for Spindle, Woodridge, IL, described her vision by citing an analogy from consultant Verna Myers, who said, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Howard and two other panelists addressed the challenges of developing DE&I initiatives at their respective companies during a Feb. 25 webinar titled Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Creating a Road Map. The one-hour session drew nearly 100 attendees.

Salita Jones, TRSA’s director of education & events, moderated the webinar. She kicked off the program with a summary overview of DE&I terms such as “equity,” which she described as “the fair and just treatment of all potential and existing members of an organization through the creation of opportunities.” She also defined “equality,” as the “nondiscrimination of people based on physical characteristics, religious beliefs or lifestyle choices, ensuring everyone is treated fairly.”

The first panelist to speak, Joe Geraghty, chief operating officer; chief people officer (COO/CPO) for ImageFIRST, King of Prussia, PA, said that the healthcare laundry chain launched its DE&I initiative in July amid rising concerns about the treatment of black suspects who either died or were severely injured while in police custody. “The times really challenge us to better understand our differences,” he said. Geraghty emphasized the importance of gaining “buy-in” from top management in order to sustain a successful initiative. One challenge he faced was to convince ImageFIRST executives that a “Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging” initiative was more than a “flavor of the day.” In fact, it could help build unity, staff engagement, and ultimately, enhance retention among the company’s 2,400 employees. Geraghty couched his pitch for the initiative in terms of how the value of DE&I aligns with ImageFIRST’s “Core Operating Principles.” These include the need to “create a positive moment with every interaction.” He also cited the company’s purpose as “To build a great company by positively impacting the lives of our associates, our community, our customers and their patients.”

Another aspect of the launch of ImageFIRST’s DE&I initiative was to gauge the attitudes of its staff on various issues related to equality and similar issues. Along with creating a baseline of information, the survey data could show if the company would benefit from developing employee resource groups (ERGs) in which employees with common backgrounds, such as Hispanics or women, could assemble to share ideas and common concerns. To get this information, ImageFIRST hired a third-party specialist to survey staff on a range of issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Molly Ruiz, human resource generalist for ImageFIRST locations in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, FL, described the company’s in-depth survey. It queried employees on a range of issues including demographics. This section featured questions on employee ages, racial or ethnic identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and other personal distinctions. Another section asked respondents about their views on diversity, such as its importance to them personally, and whether the company leadership backs “diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.”

A third section zoomed in on the latter term “belonging.” It posed questions such as “I feel respected and valued by my teammates” and “I feel like I belong at ImageFIRST.” Ruiz said they survey helped lay the groundwork for a successful initiative by creating a baseline for company managers to understand where employees stand on various issues.

Howard said her company has made similar progress in developing a DE&I initiative based on the company’s “Core Values.” Among these are “Team Success and Do the Right Thing.” Howard, an organizational psychologist, said Spindle staff are in the process of defining their core values in terms of behavior related to DE&I issues. “What does inclusivity look like? What does it feel like? How does somebody experience it? That’s going to provide a foundation,” said Howard. Spindle executives will base their DE&I initiative in part on a survey that asked employees about their perceptions of inclusive behaviors.

Geraghty said gaining employee trust and a comfort level that allows them to speak freely is a critical first step in running a successful DE&I initiative. “We create an environment of trust that our team knows that this initiative is real, that it’s purposeful.” A sense of trust also helps employees work through the occasional discomfort that comes up when discussing diversity and related issues. Geraghty noted that its DE&I Committee already has taken on a project focused on educating staff about safety concerns related to COVID-19 vaccinations.

During a question & answer session at the end of the webinar, one attendee commented on Myers’ quote about “being invited to the dance.” This attendee quipped that, “We should add that ‘belonging’ is being comfortable to dance like no one’s watching.”

Other topics of discussion during the webinar included:

• Unconscious Bias: Howard described unconscious bias as attitudes about people that are based on preconceived notions, rather than knowing individuals or their traits. It’s a universal problem that extends across all racial and ethnic groups, she said. “We all have that,” said Howard, who also chairs TRSA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. “We’re humans; we’re flawed.” Companies can combat unconscious bias with training that brings people together in an environment where employees can examine their attitudes toward groups or individuals and ask themselves if such attitudes are justified based on facts.
• Language issues: Ruiz said ImageFIRST deals with its multilingual workforce by providing English-as-a-second language classes, as well training for English-speaking managers in Spanish. Geraghty added that these and other efforts have helped improve communications, while promoting a sense of inclusion and trust. “You’ve got to be prepared to do business in those languages,” he said.
• Retention: While it’s too early to document the impact of DE&I initiative on turnover, Ruiz says her sense is that it’s having a positive impact by giving staff a greater sense of belonging. “I’m sure we are going to see our retention rate get better,” she said. Geraghty added that he’s picked up on positive comments in interviews about ImageFIRST’s DE&I initiative from job applicants. They liked the company’s stand on the issue as noted via social media channels. “I haven’t connected it to turnover, but I do know it’s attracting people to us,” he said.

Company size in the development of DE&I initiatives: Does the number of company employees matter in crafting a DE&I initiative? Not necessarily, says Howard. The concept of promoting teamwork is the same no matter how large a staff a company may have. Ruiz agreed, but noted that larger companies like ImageFIRST face organizational hurdles with multiple locations and different types of ERGs at various plants. Geraghty added that in a company of any size, if you have energized people driving the process, they will help fuel its success. “The key is to have a core set of ‘influencers’ who really connect with the team and advance the program,” he said.

TRSA members can purchase webinars, and other training and educational resources at a reduced member price. Visit www.trsa.org/ondemand to go to TRSA’s On-Demand Learning portal to view this webinar and more.