Thought-leaders in workplace diversity explain why inclusion drives success and what steps their companies are taking to build a better work environment for all.
Deborah Tsai Munster
Executive Director, Diversity Best Practices
How does having a diverse company and an inclusive atmosphere directly translate to the success of your business?
Inclusive cultures lead to more engaged employees, delivering greater productivity towards your bottom line (e.g. higher retention rates reduce turnover costs, greater innovation improves competitive advantage and reflecting customers helps capture market share). We’re often asked to prove the D&I business case. Do we have a business case for homogeneity?
Can you discuss how you are engaging with diversity and inclusion in the workplace differently than in the past? What are your goals for the future?
Employing greater transparency to drive change. C-suite executives are explicitly changing their demographic landscape. We applaud the bold leaders who establish goals, drive accountability and share metrics. Employee resource groups are more influential on social justice issues and impacting the bottom line by driving sales, championing employment brand, creating new products and influencing marketing strategies.
What are steps everyone can take to connect and engage in effective conversations with those who are different than they are?
Being open to dissenting opinions is critical if we are to bridge the divide and make progress. Ask tough questions. Listen with positive intent. Collectively agree to work towards positive outcomes. Use your corporate values to build unified understanding. Don’t be afraid to challenge. Agree to disagree.
Meeta Huggins
Chief Diversity Officer and Talent Acquisition Operations Leader, Ford Motor Company
How does having a diverse company and an inclusive atmosphere directly translate to the success of your business?
Ford Motor Company believes attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce makes us stronger as a company, which is key to success. Diversity at Ford includes not just race and gender, but those attributes that make people unique — how they think, for example, and the life experiences they’ve had. Our diversity allows us to deliver the innovative products and services our customers want and need.
Can you discuss how you are engaging with diversity and inclusion in the workplace differently than in the past? What are your goals for the future?
Diversity and inclusion is a priority for Ford, as it continues to be a part of who we are as a company. We focus our efforts on five strategic areas, including beginning with our top leadership leading the way. We aim to attract and retain a diverse workforce, to promote a respectful, inclusive environment, and to support work-life flexibility that creates a competitive advantage across our multigenerational global workforce. Finally, we focus on developing strategic partnerships to promote greater diversity and inclusion in the communities in which we operate.
What are steps everyone can take to connect and engage in effective conversations with those who are different than they are?
Individuals have to be open and curious to know more about each other. This helps set a tone for honest, respectful dialogue so we can acknowledge and celebrate our differences and work as one team. Our goal is to create a stronger, more fit, more sustainable Ford Motor Company for generations to come.
Jamie Hechinger
Diversity and Inclusion Practice Co-Leader, Russel Reynolds Associates
How does having a diverse company and an inclusive atmosphere directly translate to the success of your business?
Diversity and inclusion are powerfully correlated with innovation, creativity, retention and employee engagement. As a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, we must be diverse ourselves to provide the best team and serve our clients optimally. We must intentionally nurture an inclusive culture to leverage the benefits our diversity brings.
Can you discuss how you are engaging with diversity and inclusion in the workplace differently than in the past? What are your goals for the future?
We are the only firm in our industry to sign the CEO Action Pledge, publicly committing our firm to tangibly advancing diversity and inclusion across our workforce. This means revamping our hiring processes, ensuring that diverse talent is developed and retained, and empowering ourselves and our clients globally to evolve leadership.
What are steps everyone can take to connect and engage in effective conversations with those who are different than they are?
Listen. Empathize. Connect. We are more alike than we are different. Everyone wants to be understood. Connection leads to progress. Also, be courageous. Use your voice and platform to do what is right. Diversity and inclusion isn’t you against me, it’s you and me united. It’s about all of us thriving together.
Timothy J. Mayopoulos
President and CEO, Fannie Mae
How does having a diverse company and an inclusive atmosphere directly translate to the success of your business?
Diversity and inclusion is a hallmark of our culture and an area in which we strive to be a visible and respected leader. This longstanding commitment helps us better see and serve America’s increasingly diverse housing market. A diverse workforce brings different perspectives and better solutions to the challenges facing housing today.
Can you discuss how you are engaging with diversity and inclusion in the workplace differently than in the past? What are your goals for the future?
Leadership means always looking for improvement. We are expanding training so we can improve our cultural competence, and we are aiming to grow our 12 employee resource groups. Also, our Board of Directors is more deeply engaged in our D&I strategy than ever before, and we are actively tracking our progress.
What are steps everyone can take to connect and engage in effective conversations with those who are different than they are?
Diversity doesn’t work without inclusion, and we understand that differences should not be minimized but embraced and valued. This recognition makes it easier to have real dialogue. We strive to put these principles into practice not only within our company, but outside our company in conversations with our customers and other housing partners.