Global Brands With Exemplary DEI Practices! — KNOLSKAPE

In this blog, we will take a closer look at some of the global brands that lead by example when it comes to reviving their DEI quotient. Besides, we will also consider what these global brands have been doing to prevail against the rising attrition rates. These brands, along with their leadership teams, are making DEI a priority in the workplace. Let us explore their incredible work in detail-

Introduction

Over the last two years, conversations are rife around gender diversity, equality, and cultural inclusion in the workplace as some of the most important factors to organizational wellness. Organizations are striving to become the change they want their employees to embody. This is perhaps because brands have now finally understood that diversifying their workforce is not only good for the people but also the business. A 2018 Boston Consulting Group study showed that organizations with diverse teams and inclusive culture generated 19% higher revenue than organizations with below-average diversity. Over 1700 organizations from eight different countries participated in the survey. Based on the stats, ‌it is clear that organizations can no longer rely solely on inclusivity statements.

To make a significant shift in the long run, it is imperative that organizations and their senior leaders establish strong policies, articulate the importance of inclusion and consider DEI as the cornerstone of company culture.

Despite being more diverse, global brands too suffer from the absence of diversity of inclusion. In this blog, we will take a closer look at some of the global brands that lead by example when it comes to reviving their DEI quotient. Besides, we will also consider what these global brands have been doing to prevail against the rising attrition rates. These brands, along with their leadership teams, are making DEI a priority in the workplace. Let us explore their incredible work in detail-

Concentrix

Industry- Business Outsourcing, IT Consulting

Headquarters- Fremont, California, United States

Acclaimed for its inclusive and equitable work culture, Concentrix is amongst the top global digital customer experience brands that heavily invest in four key areas of wellbeing, ethics, LGBTQIA inclusive culture, diversity, and inclusion. To strive for a culture of inclusion, Concentrix adheres to a workspace where everyone feels valued, empowered, heard, and welcomed — irrespective of their age, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.

To support the needs of its employees:

• The organization runs, Total Wellness Program that promotes awareness about the different aspects of health and delivers opportunities for positive lifestyle changes and encourages employees to deliberately embrace healthier behaviors.
• Concentrix launched Executive Leadership Listening Tours and an Uncomfortable Truths Campaign to assess and update the organization’s culture with a bias and equity lens.

Through their commitment to diversity, culture, equality, and inclusion, the organization has been awarded “Best Company for Diversity”, “Best Employer of the Year”, “Best Company for Happiest Employees” “Best Company for Women” and many other “Organizational Resilience” and “HR Excellence” awards.

Besides, Concentrix has also been awarded in categories like “Best Leadership”, “Best Compensation”, and “Best Leadership”. Above all, Concentrix’s CEO Caldwell was also entitled with “Best CEO For Diversity” and “Best CEO for Women wins”.

With diversity and inclusion embedded in its DNA, Concentrix continues to build fair workplaces where everyone is appreciated for the unique perspectives they bring to the table. Below are key thought leaders who are passionate about driving DEI efforts at Concentrix and play a key role in bridging the gap between diverse talent and the organization. Their contribution towards driving Concentrix’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Strategy is indispensable. You can check out their LinkedIn profile to follow them.

USA-

Richard Hintz — Director Human Resources

Doug Free- Director of Learning and Development

APAC-

Amit Kapoor — Sr. Director

Amit Sharma — Director — HR

INDIA-

Arpan Dasgupta -Director — Global — HR Automation, Digitization & Employee Relations Leader — India

Sonal Verma- Director, Learning and Development — India, ASEAN and ANZ

Microsoft

Industry- Software Development

Headquarters- Redmond, Washington

Microsoft ranks on top in the 2021 Fortune 500 Diversity and Inclusion list. Whether it’s race, gender, ethnicity, or disabilities, Microsoft has constantly generated awareness about diversity and inclusion through its initiatives on equal women representation, increasing its racial workforce, and hiring people with disabilities. In fact, 6.1% of its U.S. employees have self-identified themselves as “disabled”.

The organization’s mission is to include people from most groups in their business. At this time, their Asian representation peaked at 23.3% as compared to the last two years. As part of the Racial Equity Initiative, Microsoft plans to have a diverse team by 2025. This will have individuals from Black, African, American and Hispanic, and Latinx in senior leadership positions. Almost 40% of Microsoft’s board and 50% of its workforce is racial and ethnic minorities.

Hiring talent from diverse backgrounds is a change that Microsoft continues to showcase to the world. From infusing diversity into its principles to the way they communicate and innovate, the organization’s talent head and senior leadership are spearheading a real change. Their efforts in tackling tough gender, cultural, racial issues and fostering an inclusive workforce should be applauded.

An overview of each of their LinkedIn profiles can be found below:

USA-

Kathleen Hogan — Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Peter Heller — Sr Director — Global Learning & Development

APAC-

Hyuk Chae — Head of HR, APAC

INDIA-

Shipra Singh- Director Human Resources

Indrani Choudhury- Chief Learning Officer

Abbott

Industry- Medical Device, Diagnostics, Hospitals, and Health Care

Headquarters- Abbott Park, IL

Recognized as a global leader in Medicine, Science, and Technology, Abbott has been named on DiversityInc’s list of top companies for long-term commitment to diversity from 2002- 2021. Besides, it has also been certified as a “Great Place to Work” in the U.S. and has been honored by Fortune as one of 19 “best workplaces” with 100,000 + employees.

The organization introduced a new Diversity in Research Medical Advisory Board which constitutes independent doctors, trialists, and health advocates and is aimed at reducing barriers to access within underrepresented communities of color in clinical trials.

Creating a diverse and equitable workforce has always been a mission that Abbott is infusing into its culture. One of the many reasons why the organization has been able to deliver groundbreaking technologies to the world is its inclusive culture.

Abbott’s initiative to drive diversity, equality, and inclusion starts with its people. Their talent acquisition and senior leadership wing is the driving force behind creating an equitable employee experience.

Take a look at these profiles who have been championing inclusion internally at Abbott-

USA-

Kevin Ball — Global Director, Training and Development

Sandra Parra — HR Director, USA

APAC-

Shirley Leo — HR Director, APAC

Rashmi Sharma — Area Program Manager — Learning & Development, Asia Pacific

INDIA-

Sankaranarayanan V — Director — Business HR

Marriott International

Industry- Hospitality, leading global lodging company

Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Awarded as the №1 company for diversity across industries in the 2020 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list, Marriott International has 800+ hotels managed by women and diverse partners. 85% of their staff says Marriott International is a great place to work — which is more than the 59% average for a U.S.-based company.

Marriott runs a multicultural affairs group aimed at improving cultural competence and influencing global sales, communications, advertising, and marketing The group renders cultural awareness and opportunities to close to 17,000 associates and customers in the form of forums, sessions, and webinars on cultural importance. The hospitality giant was also ranked on specialty “Top Companies” lists for Executive Diversity Councils (#2), Philanthropy (#3), Board of Directors (#4), Supplier Diversity (#5), and LGBT efforts (unranked list).

Marriott also came up with an expanded wellbeing certification program to support holistic wellbeing and growth. Take Care -Level-30 is a custom app-based well-being challenge that prompts guests and associates to take actionable steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

Marriott has received numerous awards for its outstanding initiatives around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some of them are listed below:

• The Best Employers for Diversity 2022, Forbes
• 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune
• World’s Famous Companies, Fortune
• Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality, Human Rights Campaign Foundation
• America’s Most Trusted Companies 2022, Newsweek
• America’s Best Employers for Diversity, Forbes
• America’s Best Employers for New Graduates, Forbes
• America’s Best Employers for Women, Forbes
• America’s Best Employers for Veterans, Forbes
• World’s Best Employers, Forbes

Get to know the thought leaders leading the charge for inclusion at Marriott International:

USA -

Katherine Nash — Director, Learning & Development

Kathryn Blech — Human Resources Manager, Texas

APAC -

Grace Chang — Vice President, Learning and Development, Asia Pacific

Regan Taikitsadaporn- Chief Human Resources Officer — Hong Kong SAR

INDIA -

Bhagyashree Kamat — Quality and L&D Manager — JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa

Arti Raghava — Area Director of Human Resources, North India Bhutan and Nepal

Bank of America

Industry- Banking, Financial Services

Headquarters- Charlotte, NC

When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Bank of America has achieved great accolades in recent years. For instance:

• Most Sustainable Companies list for 2022- Barron
• Forbes bestowed it as America’s Best Large Employers, Best Employers for New Grads, Best Employers for Women, Best Employers for Diversity, America’s Best Banks, World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies list in 2022, and ranked №26 on the 2022 America’s Best Employers for Veterans list.
• 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI)
• 2021 Belonging and Equity Visionary Award by Out & Equal

The firm’s support in helping their LGBTQ+ peers thrive at work is commendable. Regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, disability, or religion, the organization has ingrained support for LGBTQ+ culture. The LGBTQ+ Pride program introduced in 2009, fully backed by the bank includes the LGBTQ+ groups from Bank of America and Merrill.

The world’s leading bank has consistently been breaking barriers and fostering opportunities for Black, Hispanic-Latino, Asian American, and Native American people nationwide. In addition, the bank places a strong emphasis on enabling women to develop skills to advance in their careers. They have invested in forums, leadership programs, and women’s executive development programs to provide strong networking opportunities and the right tools to support women in their success.

Known for their influence on leadership development and talent management, below are must-follow names from Bank of America who have been championing the cause of inclusion, eliminating racism and gender biases, and ensuring employee centricity and employee well being:

USA-

Sheri Bronstein -Chief Human Resources Officer

Joanna Aldridge — Human Resources Manager

APAC-

Fiona Gardner — SVP, Learning and Leadership Development, Asia Pacific

INDIA-

Anupam Chakraborty — SVP & Head HR, Global Business Services-India

Dinaz Shrivastava — Vice President — Learning and Leadership Development

Citi

Industry- Financial Services, Investment Banking, Wealth Management

Headquarters- New York

Citi has taken Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion a notch higher with its remarkable base of clients from diverse communities. The organization has been rethinking different strategies to close the gender pay gap. It was the first bank to address the gender pay gap within the premises. At the start of 2020, Citi added paid maternity leave of up to 16 weeks for both parents and 4 weeks of parental leave, irrespective of the gender! They also upgraded their reimbursement policies for adoption and surrogacy to approximately $30,000. In response to the pandemic, the company immediately widened its backup childcare program and offered academic assistance to employees who needed it for their children.

Citi’s ongoing commitment to bridging the racial wealth gap and promoting mobility for people of color in the U.S. makes them a model for others to follow when it comes to diversity initiatives. To advance anti-racist practices, the firm unveiled “Action for Racial Equity”- a far-reaching approach to maximize investment in Black-owned businesses, provide greater home ownership amongst Black Americans, and expand access to banking in communities of color.

The organization’s goal to have more women in leadership positions continues to progress. Citi’s initiatives around hiring, retaining, and promoting women enable women to empower themselves and build promising careers. For its “Back to work” program in 2019, Cit Group received overwhelming responses. The program aimed at encouraging working mothers by helping them re-establish in the corporate world and reach their fullest potential.

Mentioned below are influential leaders at Citi highly recognized for creating and implementing strategies for employee experience, diversity, equity and inclusion across geographies:

USA-

Jennifer Gabriele Miller — Global Head of Learning and Development, Global Markets and Early Career

Sara Wechter — Head of Human Resources

APAC-

Tooba M- Sr. Vice President & Head of Learning, Performance & Talent Management, Diversity & Inclusion, South Asia

Julie Hynes — Head of Human Resources, Asia Pacific Consumer Bank & Global

INDIA-

Anupam Suri — Sr Vice President, Leadership, Executive & Professional Development, APAC — Talent & Learning

Navin Upadhyaya — Vice President, Head HR at Citi Corp

While the organization continues to deepen its DEI commitments, they believe there’s still a long way to go as they plan to get their hands on new markets and other discriminated groups.

Nike

Industry- Athletic Shoes, Apparel, Sports Equipment, Digital, Merchandising, Innovation, Technology, and Retail

Headquarters- Beaverton, Oregon

Nike has been leveraging the power of inclusion, diversity, and belongingness to empower communities across the globe. By 2025, the brand envisions to achieve:

• Women occupying 50% of their global corporate workforce
• Women occupying 45% of the VP-level and above positions globally
• Racial and ethnic minorities at 30% of the Director-level positions in the U.S.
• Racial and ethnic minorities occupying 35% of their U.S. corporate workforce

This global brand stresses upon its 5 key pillars, Transparency, Visibility, Accountability, Belonging, and Authenticity, to promote diverse representation. For Nike, Diversity and Inclusion is the key to the brand’s ethos and its potential to build sustainable and innovative products. Nike believes that innovation is not possible without a diverse workforce. The brand intends to cultivate a talent stream that fuels its sustainable solutions.

The sneaker brand has always been rooted in purpose and committed to creating an equal playing field for all. Nike leadership believes the brand would not have been successful without the immense contribution of racial, ethnic minorities, and black culture. To eliminate the gender pay gap by 2025, Nike plans to achieve 100% pay equity across the organization, annually, with competitive and equitable benefits.

Additionally, the company in association with the University of Southern California incorporated a holistic learning curriculum encompassing racial inequity, anti-racism, and microaggressions to address these societal issues and help them advance towards their 2025 goals. Apart from Nike’s 2025 targets, their current initiatives reveal how far the company has come in successfully implementing DEI into its culture. Looking at these winning strategies, it’s clear that Nike is an inspiring global brand with exemplary DEI practices.

Check out the profiles of officials responsible for implementing and driving meaningful inclusion practices at Nike:

USA-

Kim Callahan — Sr Director, HR Business Partner, Oregon

Jennifer Emery — Director, Learning & Development Partnership

APAC-

Mari McBurney — Asia Pacific HR Director

Erin Johnson — Sr. Director, Learning and Development — Learning Practices and Delivery

INDIA-

Shobha Wilson Simon — Human Resources Leader

Namita Vyas — Director Talent Acquisition

Pfizer

Industry- Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Headquarters- New York

At Pfizer, inclusion touches nearly all arenas of the business. Recently Pfizer Canada was recognized as one of “Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2022” by Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Pfizer views Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion as more than just corporate catchphrases. Instead, inclusion is ingrained in their culture starting from recruitment, retention, development, and supplier selection to external partnerships. The organization’s long-term commitment to ensuring equality has enabled them to shrink the gender pay gap.

The key initiatives that the organization leverages to make sure their employees feel seen, heard and valued include:

Work-life balance- Creating a flexible environment, especially for women who become mothers, get married, or face ageism in the workplace. By 2025, Pfizer aims to exceed women’s representation from 33% to 47% globally.

Return to work support- To make sure that employees resuming work after a period of absence are welcomed, valued, and respected equally, whatever the reason may be.

Attract diverse talent- Diverse teams are more collaborative and open to appreciating varied perspectives. The company appreciates diverse talent across all stages of the business.

Family-friendly policies — Pfizer acts as a role model for other organizations. They believe in going the extra mile to support the needs of their colleagues at different phases of family life.

Whether it’s about raising awareness against biases or building a more equitable workplace, Pfizer aims at creating a work environment that is diverse, inclusive, and supportive. That said, below are a few influential leaders who have been at the forefront of creating a culture of compassion, empathy and equality at Pfizer:

USA-

Alfredo Linares -Head of People Experience, North America

Payal Sahni — Chief People Experience Officer, Executive Vice President

APAC-

Chow Ngian Thong — Learning & Development Manager, Asia Pacific

Cecilia Cheng — Director of Human Resources, Asia

INDIA-

Shilpi Singh — Director, People Experience

Sunjeev Pandita — Training Lead India (Learning & Development)

Closing Lines

The global brands listed above are excellent examples of how businesses can invest in a culture that is free from bias and lets people from different backgrounds thrive. Let us seek inspiration from these brands that are leading the way forward with emerging DEI initiatives. The current hybrid world needs it more than ever. It’s time to break the barriers, contemplate ways and create a more innovative and positive workplace.

At KNOLSKAPE, we are dedicated to fostering employee wellness, positive work environment and a culture that embraces people from all walks of life. Hence, we are persistently introducing simulation-based courses that empower the modern workforce. Our consistent commitment to providing a platform for CXOs, CEOs, CTOs, senior leaders, and individual contributors empowers businesses to bring impactful change. Our learning programs “ Happiness@Work”, , and focus on providing a psychologically safe space for individuals and help create a culture of belonging. We believe that DEI is not a one-off activity. It is imperative. Hence, we are inspiring leaders to develop emotional intelligence as a key skill and prepare them for the hybrid era. In addition, our simulation-based offering, “The Unbias” enables rational and effective people-management, builds a diverse workforce, and fosters an environment of inclusion and innovation within the team. If you are interested to know more about our products, you can request a demo! Contact us to find out how our simulations and learning programs make your employees future proof.

Originally published at https://knolskape.com on May 24, 2022.