Key takeaways:
- DEI Board members shared how companies should focus on a holistic approach to DEI that goes beyond surface-level efforts. This includes activities like employee resource groups, reporting, and initiatives to show prospective employees that your company has an inclusive environment.
- It’s necessary to promote transformational leadership to drive change and create a sense of belonging. A sense of pride and connection to inclusion in the business strategy should be fostered for all employees.
- Progress should be tracked and analyzed through attainable metrics and data. Measuring the employee lifecycle from acquisition to attrition is critical in identifying obstacles that impede diverse talent’s advancement.
In a recent DEI Board panel discussion on building sustainable DEI practices, senior leaders of diversity, equity, and inclusion shared how they developed long-standing practices for diverse and inclusive workplaces. They gave insights on streamlining DEI initiatives across large companies and incorporating them into every facet of business operations.
From fostering dedicated DEI leadership teams and cultivating an all-encompassing culture of inclusivity to measuring the performance of DEI strategies, we delve into how DEI Board members integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into the very fabric of an organization.
How Beam Suntory’s unique organizational structure drives DEI initiatives across the entire organization
Monique Ozanne, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for North America at Beam Suntory, offered perspectives on their organizational structure focused on encompassing DEI across the entire company.
Recognizing the need for comprehensive coverage, Monique said Beam Suntory has strategically positioned DEI Directors across different geographic regions and business functions. These directors have specific responsibilities, overseeing areas such as North America, international and APAC regions, business functions, and global manufacturing.
Monique shared how they also have a dedicated director who focuses on employee impact groups, addressing themes like LGBTQ+, mental health, and women’s initiatives.
“We are fully flexed into the different parts of the business, which is why I say it’s a bit uncommon because we have a fully functioning team,” Monique said. “And the team comes with a diversity of experiences.”
She explained the range of experiences include HR, communications, marketing, and legal expertise.
This diversity enables effective collaboration and alignment with the goals of executive and senior leadership, making DEI an integral part of their overall business strategy. By embracing this comprehensive and sustainable approach, Monique explained how Beam Suntory ensures consistency and replicates successful practices globally.
“We are fully flexed into the different parts of the business, which is why I say it’s a bit uncommon because we have a fully functioning team. And the team comes with a diversity of experiences.”
– Monique Ozanne, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for North America at Beam Suntory
Integrating DEI efforts beyond the surface-level for a sustainable inclusive environment at UScellular
John Greene, Vice President of Enterprise DEI at UScellular, explained why he often challenges the notion that DEI functions primarily as marketing or communication entities. Instead, he stressed the need for a holistic approach that goes beyond surface-level efforts.
“I have long held the old mantra that diversity owns nothing but we influence everything,” John said.
To ensure sustainability, he identified two key aspects. The first is customary DEI activities such as employee resource groups, reporting, and awards, which provide evidence of an inclusive environment for prospective employees.
“These are things that need to show up to prospective employees of ours and future associates who are looking for evidence they can survive in our organization,” John said. “We need to make sure that’s taken care of.”
The second key aspect is strategic leadership focused on cultivating an inclusive management approach. John said he envisions DEI as an imperative business line tasked with creating an effective and inclusive company overall, delivering positive outcomes on behalf of the organization.
“I have long held the old mantra that diversity owns nothing but we influence everything.”
– John Greene, Vice President of Enterprise DEI at UScellular
Trimble’s journey to inclusion: Building transformational leadership and driving change for a sense of belonging
Melissa Uribes, Vice President of Talent and DEI at Trimble, explained how their company created a focus on promoting diversity and inclusion for about two and a half years.
“One thing when we started this work was recognizing those who were based in the U.S., they were feeling a lot of the racial sensitivity. They were feeling a lot of the struggles,” Melissa said. “We were seeing that in other parts of the world as well”, said Mellisa. “But the sensitivities were different. So, one of the things we wondered was if we immediately dive into inclusion training and unconscious bias.”
Instead of immediately turning to training, Trimble started by creating a sense of pride and connection to the significance of inclusion in their business strategy. They wanted Trimble to be a place where everyone, regardless of their location, could feel a sense of belonging.
“We’re working on what I would call ‘next step training’ to make sure leaders understand that, in order to be a successful leader at our company, you have to be successful at leading inclusion.”
– Melissa Uribes, Vice President of Talent and DEI at Trimble
Melissa noted they have now provided some initial training, but are focused on further developing leaders who can effectively drive inclusion, communication, and change within the company.
“We’re working on what I would call ‘next step training’ to make sure leaders understand that, in order to be a successful leader at our company, you have to be successful at leading inclusion,” Melissa said. “You have to be successful at communication. You have to be successful at driving change. If you can’t do those things, you’re probably not going to be an effective leader in our company.”
Driving progress: Beam Suntory’s emphasis on measuring and tracking data for meaningful impact
Monique at Beam Suntory emphasized the importance of measuring DEI efforts within all companies. She mentioned the adage “what gets measured gets done” and applies it to the DEI context.
“On the people side, we’re still early in our journey in understanding how we are going to understand our people, populations, and everything from the talent acquisition side to the talent lifecycle of employees during their time at Beam Suntory,” Monique said.
She added how they aim to set realistic goals and attainable metrics to evaluate talent movement and progression throughout the organization.
They enlisted the help of an external third-party to examine their data and identify barriers and obstacles that impede diverse talent’s advancement.
They focus on multicultural and women populations when tracking diversity metrics, although Monique acknowledged the need to expand beyond the U.S. in the future.
She said Beam Suntory utilizes engagement surveys to gauge the sense of belonging and inclusion among employees. They also consider the talent lifecycle, including talent acquisition, development, performance, and attrition, as key areas to track and analyze for DEI efforts.
“We know data always has to lead the way, and we’re leading with facts, not feelings, at Beam Suntory,” Monique said.
Prioritizing people-centered decisions alongside demographic metrics
John discussed the balance between measuring DEI efforts and making people-centered decisions at UScellular.
He acknowledged the importance of having metrics to show progress and accountability, and noted that business leaders prioritize measurement. However, he highlighted the need to go beyond solely focusing on metrics and instead make meaningful people decisions.
In his experience, he found individual accountability, coaching sessions, and working closely with leaders have been effective in driving progress.
He believes in constructing DEI strategies tailored to specific functions or businesses, addressing their specific needs and challenges. While metrics are important, he encouraged DEI leaders to focus less on the big scoreboard and more on understanding the unique context and issues within their teams.
“That coaching allows them to be accountable,” John said. “Not just to what [DEI teams] say, because sometimes diversity folks don’t have enough rank in the organization to influence, but what they feel like are the most critical business issues for them.”
John noted this personalized approach creates a natural accountability that complements the top-down metrics-driven approach.
Gain unbiased peer insights on how you can create long-standing DEI practices
During the DEI Board panel discussion, Melissa, Monique, and John discussed the importance of a comprehensive approach to integrating DEI into all company operations and cultures.
By fostering close collaboration between dedicated DEI leaders and top executives, organizations can align DEI initiatives with the overall business strategy, paving the way for sustainable change.
If you’re a DEI leader in a large organization, you have the opportunity to learn, benchmark, and gain unbiased peer insights by joining our confidential, vendor-free community. Apply now to learn how the DEI Board provides you with support for your strategy.
