We identified 25+ instances of diversity objectives from leading firms striving to enhance diversity, inclusiveness, and belonging in the workplace. To qualify for this list, the diversity objectives had to be documented on their website or articulated by their leaders (e.g. CEO or Head of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)) in a public setting (e.g. similar to VMware’s CEO on CNBC (see below)).
What are Diversity Objectives and Inclusion Performance Targets?
Diversity and inclusion performance targets function as blueprints for fostering an atmosphere where every individual feels welcomed and appreciated. Hence, consider it a strategy to ensure that individuals from diverse backgrounds—various cultures, histories, genders, and ages—experience a sense of belonging. This is essential not only for satisfying website compliance regulations but also for cultivating an inclusive workplace.
Numerous organizations now recognize the significance of cultivating a diverse workforce. When you amalgamate individuals with varied skills and viewpoints, it results in more innovative ideas and solutions.
So, what precisely are these objectives? Essentially, they are distinct goals that organizations establish to nurture a more inclusive work atmosphere. Such aims may encompass initiatives like increasing the representation of women or minorities in leadership roles, offering unconscious bias training for all personnel, or ensuring that religious observances are acknowledged and accommodated.
The positive aspect is that there are numerous strategies to accomplish these targets. Thus, companies can initiate this by executing a diversity audit to ascertain their current standing and identify areas for enhancement. They can also enact DEI initiatives, like employee surveys or focus groups, to gather further insights and opinions.
Why is it Essential to have Diversity Objectives and an Inclusive Workforce?
Possessing a diverse and inclusive workforce isn’t merely a favorable notion—it’s vital for achievement. Let’s delve into the reasons.
To begin with, diversity aggregates individuals from varying backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Picture a team where everyone shares identical thoughts and concepts—it would resemble playing a game with a singular strategy. However, with diverse teams, it’s akin to having a complete playbook of strategies at your disposal. Consequently, you gain fresh viewpoints, groundbreaking ideas, and inventive solutions to challenges. Thus, it’s an excellent way to maintain interest and progression.
Cultural diversity in the workplace also promotes an inclusive atmosphere where every individual feels esteemed and acknowledged. When individuals observe others who resemble them or come from similar backgrounds, they feel they belong. This sense of belonging is vital for employee morale and effectiveness. Furthermore, it aids in employee retention—individuals are more inclined to remain at a company where they feel valued.
Thus, having a diverse workforce is not merely the ethical choice—it’s also beneficial for business. Additionally, research has indicated that organizations with more diverse teams experience superior financial performance. They attract a broader array of customers and clients due to their understanding of various cultures and perspectives.
Categories of Inclusion & Diversity Objectives
What commonalities exist among the diversity objectives of the 25 organizations listed below?
Based on our compilation, a firm can enhance diversity and inclusion in the workforce by concentrating on one or several of these categories of objectives:
- Diverse Candidates as a % of total candidates — Examples: Hilton and Restaurant Brands both pledge that they will have 50% of candidates be diverse.
- Diversity Objective at Interview Stage — Example: VMware’s CEO vowed (on CNBC) to “No job-hiring process will conclude unless a minority candidate is interviewed.”
- Diversity Hires Aim (%) — Example: Mozilla aspires to double the percentage of Black and Latinx representation among its 1,000-person U.S. workforce
- % of Women Recruited in Technical Positions — Example: Intel aims to “increase the number of women in technical positions to 40%” (of all roles)
- Leaders Hire Quota — Example: Facebook aspires to a 30% rise in the number of people of color in leadership roles over the forthcoming five years. Others undertaking this include Google/Alphabet Inc., HP Inc., Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Mozilla, RBC, Wells Fargo)
- Diversity and Inclusion Training and Objectives — Example: At HPE, all managers are mandated to engage in diversity and inclusion training. Expedia also implemented this.
- Supplier Diversity Initiative — Example: The AT&T Supplier Diversity Team pledged to invest $3 billion with U.S. Black-owned suppliers by year’s end
- Forming a Diversity Council/Advisory Board (GM, HPE)
- Investing considerable funds in commendable D&I initiatives — Example: Adidas dedicating $120 million to causes related to addressing racial injustice between now and 2025 (others participating in this include Apple, AT&T, Facebook, Google/Alphabet Inc., Microsoft, Netflix, RBC, Yum! Brands)
Note: If you seek inclusivity in the composition of your diversity objectives, consider utilizing these 4 Diversity tools.
Constructing a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
Establishing inclusive objectives is no longer simply an alternative. It’s becoming increasingly necessary. Organizations must adopt a comprehensive approach to fostering a more diverse workplace as a younger generation enters the workforce, valuing diversity and inclusiveness. Crafting a DEI strategy with precise, attainable goals is the optimal method to accomplish this. These objectives shouldn’t solely be quantitative targets but inclusive aims that integrate various perspectives and competence.
By collecting baseline data on the company’s current conditions, leadership can pinpoint distinct challenges and establish realistic aims for enhancing diversity. These could be specific aspirations for leadership roles or broader goals regarding cultivating a diverse culture through inclusiveness initiatives. Periodic evaluations, perhaps quarterly, can monitor progress and guarantee that the objectives remain relevant.
Another strategy would be to initiate training programs that enlighten employees on diversity principles and unconscious bias. Nevertheless, a genuinely successful DEI strategy transcends that. It necessitates ongoing dedication from leadership, with objectives incorporated into annual reports and effectively communicated throughout the organization.
By establishing a welcoming atmosphere that appreciates the unique contributions of diverse individuals, companies can attract top-tier talent and construct a more robust, innovative workforce.
Now, let’s examine the diversity objectives for each firm. It’s arranged in alphabetical order, so be sure not to overlook the excellent ones at the conclusion as well! 🙂
Accenture
Diversity Objective: Foster a gender-balanced workforce.
A leading global entity on the Reuters Diversity & Inclusion Index, Accenture has established a diversity
aim to establish a gender-balanced workforce by 2025.
source:The Diversity Super League: The 15 most inclusive employers(Retail Week, 22 May 2019)
Adidas
Diversity Objective: Allocating resources to support Black communities and enhancing diversity in recruitment.
After receiving feedback regarding her method for tackling racial challenges within the organization, Karen Parkins, Adidas Global Head of Human Resources, stepped down. Consequently, Adidas vowed to:
- ensure a minimum of 30% of all new roles — both internal and external — will be occupied by Black and Latino individuals.
- commit $120 million towards US projects aimed at eliminating racial injustice and assisting Black communities until 2025.
source:Adidas HR head resigns as company addresses diversity issues(CTV News, June 30, 2020)
Airbnb
Diversity Objective: Enhance the ratio of women and underrepresented minorities in the US labor force.
TechCrunch states that Airbnb has established two diversity objectives for their workforce in the U.S. These aims are:
- targeting 20% of its U.S. workforce to be individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. This includes those who self-identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
- boost the representation of women to 50% by the conclusion of 2025.
source:Airbnb sets new diversity goals(source TechCrunch, December 15, 2020)
Amazon
Diversity Objective: Raise the proportion of women and Black employees in leadership positions and cultivate a more inclusive environment for retaining employees from underrepresented groups.
Beth Galetti, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of People eXperience and Technology, shared a communication with the global workforce in April 2021. The communication detailed the tech giant’s diversity objectives for 2021.
Below are Amazon’s comprehensive diversity and inclusion targets for this year:
- Examine any notable demographic differences in Q1 2021 performance ratings by VP team to identify underlying issues and, if necessary, develop action plans.
- Assess any significant demographic disparities in attrition and low performance actions by VP team on a monthly basis to uncover root causes and, if needed, create action plans.
- Maintain employee retention at statistically equivalent rates across all demographics.
- Develop a scalable method in Connections to gauge inclusion sentiment by demographic for all employees.
- Guarantee that 100% of Amazonians complete the mandated company-wide inclusion training.
- Create scalable solutions to rectify new occurrences of non-inclusive terminology in our code and document repositories or development tools.
- For the second consecutive year, double the number of U.S. Black employees at L8-L10 (Directors and VPs) year-over-year from 2020 figures.
- Augment recruitment of U.S. Black employees at L4-L7 by at least 30% year-over-year from 2020 hiring statistics.
- Boost the number of women at L8-L10 (Senior Principals, Directors, VPs, and Distinguished Engineers) in technical and scientific positions by 30% year-over-year.
- Increase the number of U.S. Black software development engineer interns by at least 40%.
- Engage 1.6 million underrepresented students globally through Amazon Future Engineer with real-world-inspired virtual and hands-on computer science project learning.
source: Amazon Pledges to Promote More Women, Black Employees (Bloomberg, April 14, 2021).
AT&T
Diversity Objective: Collaborate with Black-owned enterprises
AT&T’s Supplier Diversity team is dedicated to fostering a significant economic influence within the Black business community. Susan Johnson, EVP of Global Connections and Supply Chain stated:
“Our dedication to ensuring that Black-owned organizations and other diverse businesses can collaborate with AT&T is enduring, sustainable, and steadfast,”…
“Our commitment to these suppliers will persist beyond 2020; these are not short-term promises. We will continue to partner closely with all suppliers to stimulate economic development and innovation within the communities we serve.”
source:AT&T states it is on course to fulfill its promise of spending $3 billion with U.S. black-owned suppliers by the end of this year
Apple
Diversity Objective: Financial support for racial equity.
Apple has allocated $100 million to the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. CEO Tim Cook remarked that the:
“uncompleted task of racial justice and equality calls us all to be accountable.”
Apple has additionally initiated a new developer entrepreneur camp for Black developers.
source:5 Companies That Came To Win This Week(CRN, June 12, 2020)
Best Buy
Diversity Objective: Employ 1/3 of corporate positions with individuals of color and recruit more women by 2025.
Best Buy has pledged to recruit 1 Person of Color for every 3 new hires over the ensuing 5 years and additionally to hire women for 1/3 of full-time, store-based positions.
CBS News also reports that:
“Part of Best Buy’s initiative involves establishing at least 100 so-called “Teen Tech Centers,” where teenagers from underprivileged communities can acquire skills in design, filmmaking, music production, and programming. The $44 million will facilitate scholarships for students of color attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”
source:Best Buy wants 1 in 3 new corporate hires to be people of color(CBS News, December 9, 2020) &Best Buy commits $44M to diverse hiring, community engagement(HR Dive, December 16, 2020)
CBS
Diversity Objective: 50% of talent must be BIPOC, and 25% of the budget allocated to BIPOC producers.
Thus, CBS reality TV programs are becoming more diverse due to the new diversity objectives established by management for the 2021-22 seasons. According to Deadline:
“The network has enforced a directive that 50% of its casts for its unscripted shows must be Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC), and it has committed that at least 25% of its yearly unscripted development budget must be allocated to BIPOC creators and producers.”
source:CBS Sets Diversity
Targets For Reality Casts; 50% Of Talent Must Be BIPOC & Commits 25% Of Unscripted Development Budget To BIPOC Creatives (Deadline, November 9, 2020)
Citi
Diversity Objective: Enhancing Black and female representation in leadership by 40%
Citi intends to:
“boost the representation of women in leadership roles to 40% by the conclusion of 2021, rising from 37% in 2018.”
and
“enhance the representation of Black individuals in leadership positions to 8% during the same period, up from 6% in 2018.”
source: Citi’s head of diversity asserts the firm is on track for 40% female leadership by year-end (Insider, September 23, 2021)
Diageo
Diversity Objective: Augment diversity within the global leadership team by 2025.
Diageo has more than 40% female representation in the boardroom. They have also established a target to achieve 40% female representation in additional roles (below board and at the executive level) by 2025.
source: The Diversity Super League: The 15 most inclusive employers(Retail Week, 22 May 2019)
Expedia
Diversity Objective: Every employee is expected to have at least one inclusion goal.
Expedia’s Chief Inclusions Officer Melissa Maher was recently interviewed by Web in Travel concerning the company’s recovery strategies, post-COVID, along with diversity and inclusion objectives. Maher stated:
“Our CEO has been very actively involved in steering this conversation, which has been fantastic. One of the truly exciting points he shared with all Expedia Group members last week is that we’re in the process of establishing goals. He expressed that he wants every single employee to possess at least one inclusion objective.”
source: Expedia’s Melissa Maher Discusses Recovery In Travel, Partnership With Hotels, and Diversity & Inclusion(Web in Travel July 8, 2020)
Diversity Objective: Augment diversity in leadership and financial backing for Black-owned enterprises.
CEO Sheryl Sandberg unveiled Facebook’s diversity ambitions in a recent blog post. They entail:
- a 30% rise in the number of individuals of color in leadership roles over the next five years
- $200 million to assist Black-owned enterprises and organizations
source: Here are tech companies’ strategies for enhancing diversity amid protests over racial inequality(MarketWatch, June 30, 2020)
Ferrara
Diversity Objective: Enhance racial diversity in corporate and leadership positions.
In June 2021, Ferrara declared their commitment to fresh diversity objectives. These encompass:
- Advance individuals of color and women in corporate leadership. Ferrara is committed to a target of 30% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) representation in director-level and higher positions by 2024. Additionally, there is another goal of women constituting 50% of director-level and above positions by 2026.
- Enhance university recruitment. Ferrara is amplifying recruitment and engagement initiatives to connect with students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).
- Encourage inclusive product marketing. Ferrara aims to reflect our consumers’ diversity in our innovation, brand strategy, and brand communications with multicultural representation in our insights, input from diverse stakeholders during campaign development, and increased partnerships with BIPOC content creators and agencies.
- Augment philanthropy and promote economic equity. Ferrara will support local communities through annual contributions, employee volunteering, and in-kind contributions. Thus, the company will bolster BIPOC entrepreneurs and small business owners through business education, mentorship, and other resources to accelerate their advancement.
source: Ferrara Announces New Aspirations for a Diverse Workforce from the Boardroom to the Facility Floor (PR Newswire, June 2, 2021)
General Motors
Diversity Objective: Establish an Inclusion Advisory Board to ensure adherence to diversity and inclusion best practices.
GM CEO Mary Barra is taking the initiative to keep the company aligned with its diversity goals. In a letter to GM employees, Barra stated:
She would establish an “inclusion advisory board” composed of both internal and external leaders, along with establishing short-, medium-, and long-term goals pertaining to diversity and inclusion.
source: GM CEO Mary Barra: ‘It’s my responsibility’ to ensure company changes following the passing of George Floyd(CNBC, June 9, 2020)
Google Parent Alphabet Inc.
Diversity Objective: Enhanced diversity inclusion and belonging in leadership and funding for related businesses.
Alphabet, Inc. parent company of Google, aims to:
“Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai pledged to hire sufficient Black employees and managers to elevate Google’s figures to 30% by 2025.”
source: Snowflake CEO Says Diversity Goal Is Secondary in Hiring Choices, Bloomberg, June 3, 2021
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
Diversity Objective: Formulate a Global Inclusion and Diversity Council & enhance diversity training for managers.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise created a global Inclusion and Diversity Council. Therefore, the council will devise a comprehensive strategy to guarantee equal opportunities for all HPE employees. CEO Antonio Neri stated following a company meeting for HPE’s 60,000 employees:
“Everyone deserves to exist free from oppression and racism”…“We must utilize this moment to take a stand, to express support for inclusion and to advocate for equity.”
HPE managers will also be mandated to participate in diversity and inclusion training.
source: 5 Companies That Came To Win This Week(CRN, June 12, 2020)
Hewlett Packard, Inc.
Diversity goal: Attain gender parity in leadership & technology and enhance representation for racial/ethnic minorities.
HP unveiled 5 new diversity ambitions in May 2021. Thus, the tech company aims to achieve these (what they describe as “ambitious”
goals for variety) by 2030:
1. Realize 50/50 gender parity in HP leadership by 2030
2. Achieve more than 30 percent technical women and women in engineering by 2030
3. Attain or surpass labor market representation for racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. by 2030
4. Sustain a rating higher than 90 percent on the internal inclusion index for all employee demographics annually
5. Connect one million workers through empowerment initiatives by 2030
source: HP Inc. Shares Ambitious 2030 Objectives to Foster a More Diverse, Fair and Inclusive Tech Sector (HP Press Center, May 21, 2021)
HP, Inc.’s CEO Enrique Lores stated in a press announcement:
Variety Objective: Double the quantity of Black executives by 2025 & enhance hiring % from underrepresented groups.
“Recent occurrences have exposed the systemic racism and profound inequalities that linger as a blemish on society, and it’s essential for all businesses to respond urgently on all fronts”
HP Inc. aspires to double the number of Black and African-American individuals holding executive positions by 2025 and consistently enhance the hiring percentage from underrepresented groups — which includes women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
source: 5 Things To Know About HP’s Recent Investments In Diversity And Sustainability(CRN, June 24, 2020)
Variety Objective: Retain fees from external law firms that fail to meet diversity objectives
As stated by Bloomberg Law, HP Inc.’s Chief Legal Officer, Kim Rivera, has achieved success by withholding legal fees from outside law firms that do not fulfill diversity objectives. An article from October 13, 2020, indicates HP Inc. now has 95% meeting the standards.
“Rivera’s legal division was among the first to give financial implications to diversity demands for external counsel. The initiative was implemented in phases starting in 2017, requiring most firms to staff at least one diverse attorney on HP matters or face a 10% fee reduction.”
Hilton
Variety Objective: 50% diverse candidate pool.
Hilton has experienced significant layoffs due to COVID-19, and the VP of Diversity and Inclusion role was among the reductions. However, Chief Talent Officer Laura Fuentes asserts this will not hinder Hilton’s progress towards achieving their diversity, inclusion and belonging goals. Fuentes remarked:
“Hilton is ‘reverse recruiting’ and advocating for its own furloughed and laid-off employees to firms that are still hiring during the downturn. Nonetheless, it is also maintaining its conventional recruiting avenues for when travel demand rebounds. The goal is to provide a 50 percent diverse candidate pool for all available positions.”
source: Hilton’s Diversity Strategy Highlights Recruiting Efforts Amid Significant Job Reductions(Skift, July 6, 2020)
Intel
Variety Objective: Boost hiring of women and underrepresented minorities.
Intel’s latest Corporate Responsibility Report indicates they intend to:
“increase the proportion of women in technical positions to 40% and double the representation of women and underrepresented minorities in senior roles by 2030.”
source: Intel’s new diversity objectives: Establish 40% of technical roles for women by 2030(CNET, May 14, 2020)
Kraft Heinz
Variety Objective: Realize gender balance within management roles worldwide by 2025.
In October 2021, Kraft Heinz proclaimed their diversity goal to elevate the representation of women in management from 37% to 50% by 2025.
The organization is also:
“working to achieve demographic balance in the nations where it operates by 2025. In the U.S., where over half its workforce resides, the company aims for people of color to make up 30% of the salaried employee populace by 2025, up from its current 24%.”
source: Kraft Heinz Outlines 2025 Diversity Objectives(MarketWatch, Oct 14, 2021)
Levi Strauss & Co.
Variety Objective: Enhance diversity among executives and interview 50% more candidates of color to align with diversity and inclusion best practices.
Jeans manufacturer Levi Strauss initiated a new diversity strategy. The strategy will:
- appoint a “head of diversity, inclusion, and belonging”
- include an African American individual on the board of directors
- aim for 50% of job candidates to be individuals of color
- disclose its employee diversity statistics and subsequent updates
- educate all employees on racial equity
- recruit from historically Black colleges and universities
source: Exclusive: Levi Strauss & Co. reveals diversity strategies, commits to appointing a Black board member(Fast Company, June 16, 2020)
McDonald’s
Variety Objective: At least 35% of leadership roles from underrepresented groups and 45% women in senior positions by 2025.
McDonald’s diversity ambitions for 2025 focus on higher-level leadership and director positions. The fast-food chain’s top two objectives are:
- striving for 35% of senior-director and upper-level leadership roles to be held by individuals from “historically underrepresented groups”
- and increasing the representation of women in leadership from 6% to 45%
The organization is also pursuing “total gender balance” for leadership roles by the conclusion of 2030.
source: McDonald’s establishes objectives to diversify its leadership, aims for gender balance by 2030(CNBC, February 18, 2021)
Microsoft
Variety Objective: Financial investment in diversity and inclusion & enhanced diversity within management positions. Additionally, increase the number of Black leaders.
Microsoft’s corporate blog conveyed the following regarding company objectives for diversity and inclusion:
- investing $150 million in its diversity and inclusion budget
- doubled the count of Black and African American people managers,
- senior single contributors, and senior officials in the United States by 2025
source:Here are technology companies’ strategies for enhancing diversity amid protests regarding racial disparity(MarketWatch, June 30, 2020)
“Microsoft announced its intention to attempt to double the number of Black personnel in senior and leadership roles.”
SOURCE: SNOWFLAKE CEO STATES DIVERSITY OBJECTIVE IS SECONDARY IN RECRUITMENT DECISIONS, BLOOMBERG, JUNE 3, 2021
Mozilla
Diversity Objective: Enhance Black and Latinx hiring across all tiers.
In pursuit of best practices for diversity and inclusion, Mozilla aims to:
- double the proportion of Black and Latinx representation within its 1,000-employee U.S. workforce
- elevate Black representation in the U.S. to 6% at the director level and above (including representation on the Mozilla and Mozilla Foundation boards)
Mark Surman, Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation mentioned:
“There’s no doubt that recent events have highlighted the need for a stronger focus on racial equity. The unified effort of the tech sector is promising and vital, but we must ensure collective accountability in making progress.”
source:Here are technology firms’ strategies for enhancing diversity amid protests concerning racial inequality(MarketWatch, June 30, 2020)
NBA
Diversity Objective: “Our aim is to shift from a diversity reflex to an instinct of inclusion. The NBA aspires to create a workspace where everyone feels welcomed and enabled to be their authentic selves at work.”
Some statistics, from Front Office Sports’ NBA Remains At Forefront of Sports’ Diversity and Inclusion Efforts:
“Achieving an A+ grade in racial hiring, the NBA saw increases in areas such as assistant coaches of color, individuals of color in the league office, and players. As of November 1, 2019, 45.8% of the league’s assistant coaches were individuals of color, marking a 3.3% rise from the 2018-2019 season. Within the league office, 39.4% of professional staff positions were occupied by individuals of color — the highest percentage to date. By July 22, 83.1% of the NBA’s players were individuals of color — a 1.2% increase from the 2019 Report Card…
Women accounted for 40.3% of all professional roles in the league office.”
NBCUniversal News Group
Diversity Objective: Achieving 50% diversity in the workforce.
NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde aims to boost diversity in both on-camera and behind-the-scenes roles. This begins with:
Setting a target of establishing a 50% diverse workforce within his division. Conde characterized this effort as the “50% Challenge,” asserting “a desire for the division to mirror the demographic shifts in the nation.”
source:NBCUniversal News Group chairman aspires for a 50% diverse workforce(Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2020)
Netflix
Diversity Objective: Financial backing for Black community organizations.
Netflix’s diversity and inclusion aspirations encompass:
allocating “2% of its cash reserves, or up to $100 million initially, towards financial institutions and other entities ‘that directly assist Black communities in the U.S.’”
source:Here are technology firms’ strategies for enhancing diversity amid protests regarding racial inequality(MarketWatch, June 30, 2020)
Nike
Diversity Objective: Boost minority representation in leadership and link diversity goals to executive remuneration.
Nike unveiled its diversity strategy which includes several diversity targets to be achieved by 2025:
- an increase of 49.5% in female employees across the organization
- at least a 29% rise in U.S. VP leadership roles for racial and ethnic minorities
As noted by Retail TouchPoints:
“The retailer plans to enforce the Purpose 2025 Targets program by linking diversity, along with environmental and ethical objectives, to executive remuneration for the first time.”
source: Nike Ties Executive Compensation to Achieving 29% Minority Representation in Leadership by 2025 (Retail TouchPoints, March 12, 2021)
Noodles & Company
Diversity Objective: Commitment to promote and endorse a more inclusive environment.
Noodles & Company has joined over 2,000 other businesses by signing the CEO Action pledge. The CEO Action pledge aims to:
“promote and support a more inclusive environment by fostering spaces that encourage open dialogue on intricate and challenging discussions; implementing and augmenting education and training on unconscious bias; sharing best practices in diversity and inclusion initiatives; and involving the board of directors in the creation and assessment of inclusion and diversity strategies.”
Quote from the company:
“Our aim is to make Noodles the premier workplace in the industry, and for us, that commences with listening, learning, and taking action. We have initiated measures to develop a company culture that is exemplary for inclusion and diversity — the CEO Action Pledge is another key step in reinforcing this commitment.”
Some notable initiatives that Noodles & Company undertakes to promote inclusion and diversity include:
- Facilitating regular listening forums throughout the company
- Establishing an internal Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Council
- Developing a resource library on inclusion and diversity
- Providing benefits such as surrogacy and adoption assistance, tuition reimbursement and support, & complimentary mental health counseling
source: Noodles & Company Joins the CEO Action Pledge, Advancing Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion (The Daily Sentinel, March 17, 2021)
Diversity Objective: Increase the number of female executives and individuals of color by 2025.
By 2025, Pinterest promises to:
“boost the percentage of individuals it employs from marginalized racial and ethnic backgrounds to 20% from 12%.”
and
“increase the proportion of female leaders to 36% from 30%.”
source: Pinterest Commits to Enhance Female Leadership and Workers of Color (Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2021)
Restaurant Brands International (Burger King, Popeyes et al)
Diversity Aim: 50%+ candidates should be “clearly diverse, including race”
Statement from the company:
“Effective immediately, I am committing to guarantee that at least half of all final-round candidates interviewing for roles at our four RBI offices will be from groups that are clearly diverse, including race,” RBI CEO Jose Cil stated in a company press release.
source:Burger King, Popeyes, Tim Hortons intensifying commitment to corporate diversity hiring(QSRWeb, June 29, 2020)
SAP
Diversity Aim: Marketing enhancement for Black enterprises and doubling African-American representation.
SAP is committing to:
“double the presence of African-American talent in the U.S. over the upcoming three years.” Additionally, introducing a new marketing initiative, “Spotlight Black Businesses,” to support small, black-owned companies affected by COVID-19 and protests stemming from social unrest.
source:Here are technology companies’ strategies for enhancing diversity amid protests regarding racial inequality(MarketWatch, June 30, 2020)
Sky
Diversity Aim: Boost ethnic diversity and representation
In June 2020, Sky unveiled a series of commitments to enhance inclusion and diversity by 2025. Below are their diversity targets:
- 20% of UK & Ireland workforce from Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with at least a quarter being Black.
- A leadership team comprising 5% Black, and 20% Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic overall.
source:Sky sets ambitious 2025 target to enhance its ethnic diversity and representation(January 21, 2021)
Snap
Diversity Aim: Enhance representation of underrepresented groups throughout the organization by 2025.
Snap’s 2020 diversity report indicates slow advancements toward gender and racial diversity; nonetheless, they’ve established diversity objectives to foster improvement by 2025:
- boost female participation in tech roles from 16.5% to 25%
- increase representation of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups from 18.7% to 20%
- uplift women and racial and ethnic groups in leadership by an additional 30% each, from 13.7% and 17.4%
source: Snap diversity report reveals it remains predominantly white and male (The Verge, April 29, 2021)
Starbucks
Diversity Aim: Augment the workforce by recruiting individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.
Starbucks has established a diversity goal to incorporate more variety within its workforce by 2025. Additionally, they aim for people of color to represent 30% of corporate employees at every level:
“the company aims to have them hold at least 40% of retail and manufacturing roles at all levels by 2025”
source:Starbucks commits to have 30% of corporate workforce identify as a minority by 2025(CNBC, October 14, 2020)
SurveyMonkey
Diversity Aim: Achieve gender equality in the workforce by 2024.
SurveyMonkey’s diversity, equity, & inclusion section on their website states:
“Our 2024 objective is to attain gender parity for males and females in our workforce, while also encompassing representation from the gender non-conforming and non-binary community.”
The chart below helps illustrate their diversity aims from 2019 through 2024.
source:Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at SurveyMonkey(December 2020)
Target
Diversity Aim: Augment Black team members by 20% over the next three years.
Target has set a diversity goal to elevate the % of its Black workforce. Target’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Kiera Fernandez, also intends to offer training, mentorship, and leadership development for its Black team members. Fernandez mentioned:
“The changes we’re implementing are poised to significantly benefit the careers of our Black team members and potential team members. We recognize that the support we provide for our team helps expand our influence beyond our organizations, creating a ripple effect that affects our patrons and communities.”
Target’s fresh Black employment goals arose from the company’s Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) committee. REACH comprises a group of diverse senior leaders established as part of the effort against racial injustice in the United States.
Target’s diversity and inclusion aims concentrate on three principal areas:
- Establishing a team that more accurately reflects Target’s patrons
- Providing an “inclusive experience” for all Target team members
- Investing in [diverse] suppliers, products, and marketing
sources:Target plans to elevate its Black workforce by 20% over the next 3 years(CNN, September 10, 2020); and Target DEI Goals interview with Target DEI Chief Kiera Fernandez by HRDive.
Tesla
Diversity Aim: Augment women in leadership roles by 2021.
The 2020 Tesla diversity report shares
a breakdown of marginalized groups within their workforce. At Tesla, females constitute 21% of their U.S. workforce and 23% of total promotions. The Tesla workforce diversity report stated:
“Although women have traditionally been underrepresented in the technology and automotive sectors, we acknowledge there is room for improvement in this domain. We are dedicated to collaborating with companies in these sectors to facilitate advancements. We are actively enhancing our outreach to women and fostering an inclusive environment that promotes their growth and retention. Elevating women’s representation at all levels, particularly in leadership, is a primary focus for 2021.”
source:Tesla’s racially diverse workforce is predominantly led by white males, internal report indicates(TechCrunch, December 5, 2020)
Verizon
Diversity Objective: Verizon associates executives’ compensation with diversity and inclusion targets
Verizon’s diversity aspirations from 2019 described:
“To qualify for 5% of the short-term incentive award linked to ESG metrics, executives were required to achieve the following objectives: ensure at least 60% of the U.S.-based workforce consists of minority and female staff; allocate a minimum of $5.2 billion of overall supplier expenditure to minority- and female-owned businesses; decrease carbon intensity — the quantity of carbon the company emits divided by the terabytes of data it transmits over networks — by no less than 10% compared to the previous year.”
source:Here’s the framework Verizon employs to link executives’ compensation to diversity and inclusion targets — and how other companies like Starbucks and Uber are replicating this approach(Business Insider, November 18, 2020)
VF Corporation
Diversity Aim: Achieving global gender parity & raising BIPOC representation in the U.S.
VF’s third annual Profile on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) delineates the company’s diversity objectives:
“By 2030, VF aims to attain gender parity at the director level and above globally, and establish 25% BIPOC representation in the U.S. at the director level and beyond. During fiscal year 2021, VF experienced growth against both targets, with individuals identifying as women constituting 41% of the global director and above demographic, and BIPOC associates accounting for 16% of the director and above demographic in the U.S.”
source: VF Corporation Publishes Third Annual Profile on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) (Business Wire, November 15, 2021)
VMWare
Diversity Aim: Requiring the interview of at least one representative from an underrepresented group for every hire
Statement from the company:
“We’ve concentrated more on gender than on race, and now we need to emphasize both aspects together…Now we’re asserting that each position must factor in gender and race…”
source:No hiring process will culminate without an interview with a minority candidate: VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger(CNBC, June 19, 2020)
West Coast Conference
Diversity Objective: Including at least one individual from an underrepresented community in the interview procedure.
The West Coast Conference established the “Russell Rule,” an internally developed interview protocol aimed at promoting individuals of color. The rule is named after NBA Hall of Famer and USF icon Bill Russell. Mercury News reported that:
“The conference’s hiring initiative mandates each of its member institutions, including Saint Mary’s, Santa Clara, Pacific, and USF in the Bay Area and beyond, to adhere to new guidelines when appointing any head coach, full-time assistant coach, athletic director, or senior administrator in the athletic department. Specifically, the league announced Monday, the final candidates must encompass at least one person from ‘an underrepresented community.’”
source:WCC implements ‘Russell Rule’ to enhance diversity in hiring within athletics(Mercury News, August 3, 2020)
Workday
Diversity Objective: Recruiting and nurturing diverse talent, fostering a sense of belonging, creating inclusive products and technologies, and reinforcing communities by 2023.
In 2020, Workday unveiled specific diversity targets surrounding four key domains. By May 2021, they reported on their advancements to that point. The chart below illustrates an increase in Black and Latinx representation among others:
source: Our Commitments to Support Equity: An Update on Workday’s Progress (Workday, May 25, 2021)
Yelp
Diversity Objective: Aligning workforce diversity with community diversity percentages.
Yelp has established a diversity goal to correspond the percentage of employees from underrepresented ethnic groups with the demographic makeup in each locality nationwide. For instance, if a region is 50% Latinx, then the Yelp workforce in that area should be composed of 50% Latinx individuals.
source: Rob Kelly, CEO of Ongig (note: this was a diversity goal that a Yelp VP relayed to Rob around 2015 – it may have since altered)
Yum! Brands
Diversity Objective: Enhance the representation of Black, Latinx, people of color, and women in its executive and management positions, franchisees, and suppliers; and guarantee Black, Latinx, and diverse representation in leadership and account teams at Yum’s U.S. agencies.
Yum! Brands has recently declared a $100 million Equity and Diversity investment in their restaurants. Yum! Brands encompasses leading restaurant chainsKFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill.
This announcement follows Yum’s commitment of $3 million to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, American Civil Liberties Union, and other organizations advocating for social justice in Louisville earlier this month.
source: Taco Bell, KFC Parent Invests $100M To Combat Inequality (Restaurant Business Online, June 25, 2020)
Airlines with Diversity Initiatives
Alaska Airlines
Diversity Objective: Achieving a more inclusive workforce by 2025
In 2021, Alaska Airlines has pledged to at least a 30% rise in racial diversity of
their guidance to mirror the variety of their frontline personnel by 2025.
Their two primary diversity objectives are focused on culture and public leadership:
Culture: By 2025, we will enhance our organization’s “Inclusion Index Score” in our employee engagement assessment by 10 points, signifying our dedication to fostering a genuinely inclusive culture where everyone feels they belong. Our efforts will involve our Business Resource Groups, which are vital in supporting our leaders to better assist our people. Through DEI training, we will foster awareness, educate, and reinforce policies that endorse equity and inclusion.
Public Leadership: By 2025, we will aid in establishing career pathways for a minimum of 175,000 young individuals. We will achieve this by backing programs such as UNCF, which empowers and facilitates opportunities through a framework of racial equity. Our employees have also expressed the desire for us to embody our values through public leadership. We will utilize our voice and platforms modestly, recognizing our continuous learning and growth alongside community-focused organizations dedicated to education and racial equity.
source: Alaska Air
source: Alaska Air Group pledges to a more inclusive workforce by 2025 (Alaska Airlines Blog, February 18, 2021).
United Airlines
Diversity Goal: 50% more pilots who are women or individuals from minority groups over the next decade.
A recent report regarding United’s diversity objective states:
“Our flight deck should represent the varied group of individuals aboard our planes each day. Thus, we aim for 50% of the 5,000 pilots we train in the upcoming decade to be women or individuals of color.”
The diversity initiative has generated some debate. While many support the efforts, others are not as enthusiastic. Brigitte Gabriel voiced her dissent on Twitter:
United’s Aviate Academy aspires to enroll its first 100 students in 2021, with scholarships available from United and JPMorgan Chase, ensuring that “highly qualified, motivated, eligible candidates won’t be turned away for financial reasons.”
source: United Airlines Sparks Debate With Pledge to Diversify Pilot Staff (Newsweek, April 7, 2021) and United Sets New Diversity Goal: 50% of Students at New Pilot Training Academy To Be Women and People of Color (PR Newswire, April 6, 2021)
Financial Institutions & Services Firms with Diversity Objectives
Bank of America’s Diversity Objectives
Diversity Goal: Invest in economic opportunities for communities of color
In June 2020, Bank of America declared an investment in communities of color. The investment is designated for:
- healthcare
- employment for individuals of color
- small enterprises
- affordable housing
source: Goldman Sachs Says It Will Invest $10 Billion To Support Black Women — Here’s How Other U.S. Banks Have Responded To Racial Justice Protests (Forbes, March 10, 2021)
BMO’s Diversity Objectives
Diversity Goal: The Zero Barriers to Inclusion 5-year (by 2025), diversity objectives target gaps impacting Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Latino, and LGBTQ2+ employees, customers, and communities.
- Enhancing representation of Black employees in senior leadership roles to 3.5% and 7% in Canada and the U.S., respectively
- Increasing representation of People of Color employees in senior leadership roles to 30% or more in Canada and the U.S., respectively
- Boosting representation of Latino employees in senior leadership roles to 7% in the U.S.
- Maintaining our current gender equity status with a range of 40 to 60% representation in senior leadership roles throughout our organization
- Raising representation of Black and Latino interns and entry-level employees to 30% in the U.S., and ensuring 40% of student roles in Canada are assigned to BIPOC youth
- Increasing representation of Indigenous Peoples across our workforce in Canada to 1.6%
- Enhancing representation of individuals with disabilities within a range of 5 to 7% of our workforce
- Introducing an LGBTQ2+ representation target of 3% of our workforce
Goldman Sachs’ Diversity Objectives
Diversity Goal: Only take companies public with at least 1 diverse board member, increasing Black, Latino & women hires, and boosting women executives.
As reported by Yahoo! Finance, Goldman Sachs intends to:
- Only take companies public with at least 1 diverse board member, prioritizing women in 2020. And aim for at least 2 diverse board members by 2021.
- Strive for half its new analysts and entry-level associates in the U.S. to be women, 11% to be Black, and 14% to be Latino.
- Aim for 40% of its vice presidents to be women.
- Target 7% of executives to be Black and 9% to be Latino.
source: Goldman Sachs CEO’s diversity advice: ‘Set very specific, aspirational goals’ (Yahoo! Finance, September 30, 2020)
Goldman Sachs 2021 Diversity Goals Investment for Black Women
In March 2021, Goldman Sachs announced it would allocate $10 billion over the next decade towards businesses and programs benefitting Black women.
“Investments could include, for instance, a firm that retrains home-care workers, an industry that employs a considerable number of Black women; a community-development financial institution in the Deep South; and a health center in a predominantly Black neighborhood of New Orleans.”
source: Goldman Sachs Unveils $10 Billion Push to Invest in Black Women (Wall Street Journal, March 10, 2021)
JPMorgan Chase’s Diversity Objectives
Diversity Goal: Invest in advancing racial and ethnic equity in the U.S.
In October 2020, JPMorgan Chase revealed its diversity objective of committing $30 billion towards initiatives to assist Black and Latinx Americans over the next five years. The investment strategy includes facilitating 15,000 loans to small businesses in Black and Latinx communities, totaling $2 billion.
In February 2021, the bank announced a new wave of investments to “elevate Black, Latinx,
and other neglected communities.” The newly established $42.5 million fund titled “Entrepreneurs of Color” is aimed at aiding “Black and brown” founders.
source: JPMorgan Chase declares $30 billion investment to enhance racial equity in the US (Business Insider, October 8, 2020)
source: JPMorgan unveils the latest segment of its $30 billion commitment to assist Black and brown communities (Business Insider, February 25, 2021)
PwC’s Inclusivity Objectives
Inclusivity Objective: Recruit 10k Black and Latinx employees within five years
In June 2021, PwC unveiled their $125 million commitment aimed at preparing Black and Latinx students for careers in business.
“We’re going to prepare them for the job market, create internships, and provide training chances. Ten thousand will come to us, which is significant, but we will be equally proud of the [other] 15,000 we’re going to assist because that contributes to addressing the wider societal issue.”
Tim Ryan, U.S. chair and senior partner — PwC
source: PwC pledges to employ 10,000 Black and Latinx individuals over five years (Fast Company, June 15, 2021)
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Inclusivity Objectives
Inclusivity Objective: Contribute to BIPOC support and allocate more summer positions to BIPOC youth.
RBC is amplifying assistance for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). RBC stated:
“Diversity and inclusion have been fundamental to our principles for years. We have made strides towards some of our objectives, but there is more work ahead.”
RBC is contributing millions to BIPOC, dedicating 40% of summer opportunities to BIPOC youth, setting and assessing internship and new hire targets, and boosting Black and Indigenous executive representation by 10%.
source: RBC enhances support for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (HR Reporter, July 7, 2020)
Standard Chartered Bank’s Inclusivity Objectives
Inclusivity Objective: Augment ethnic diversity in UK and US senior leadership teams.
According to Business Wire, Standard Chartered Bank states:
“Diversity and inclusion are ingrained in the Bank’s principles and form an intrinsic part of its brand and culture. Standard Chartered believes that its workforce should represent the varied markets in which it operates.”
The global banking institution has established diversity targets for its leadership team to achieve by 2025. The table below illustrates a comparison of the objectives for 2020 and 2025.
source: Standard Chartered Establishes Senior Leadership Diversity Goals Across UK and US (Business Wire, December 14, 2020)
Wells Fargo’s Inclusivity Objectives
Inclusivity Objective: Increase Black leadership and diversify the operational committee.
Members of Wells Fargo’s operational committee will be assessed annually on their efforts to enhance the inclusion and representation of diverse employees, impacting their compensation packages. CEO Charlie Scharf
“has implemented targets including doubling Black leaders at the firm — currently 6% of senior management — within the next five years, and establishing a new diversity and inclusion role reporting directly to the CEO. He emphasized that he will add more Black individuals to the operational committee, a process he views as being impeded by Wells Fargo’s “unique” regulatory and control challenges.”
source: Wells Fargo Connects Senior Executive Compensation to Enhancing Diversity (Bloomberg, June 16, 2020)
Law Firms with Inclusivity Objectives
DLA Piper’s Inclusivity Objectives
Inclusivity Objective: Increase the number of partners who are women and belong to underrepresented groups.
International law firm, DLA Piper, recently announced its diversity objectives to be met by 2025 and 2030. Here are the firm’s three diversity aspirations:
- 30% of all partners to be women by 2025
- Double the proportion of women in the partnership to at least 40% by 2030
- Half of all future internal partner promotions to be from underrepresented groups
source: DLA Piper establishes diversity and inclusion targets for International partnership (Lexology, March 23, 2021)
Companies Proud of Their Inclusivity Objectives
Here are several other organizations that take pride in their diversity and inclusion goals. We gathered these diversity statistics from the Wall Street Journal. WSJ reported that:
“These disclosures are voluntary but prompted by recent Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, along with investor interest.”
- Chipotle — 38% of the U.S. workforce is Latinx
- PepsiCo. and Mondelez International — both indicated that about 40% of global managers are women
- Cummins — 50% of executives are women
- Tyson Foods — 25% of the U.S. workforce is Black
- Colgate-Palmolive — 40% of executives are women
- Walmart — Approximately 25% of officer roles are occupied by individuals of color — including 8.42% held by Black or African-American staff.
(source: The Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2021 and Walmart states increasing numbers of women, people of color in leadership roles April 26, 2021)
If you are curious about additional diversity and inclusion statistics, explore our blog 6 Examples of Employers with High Diversity and Inclusion Statistics.
20 companies join the “25×25” diversity initiative
In February 2021, Silicon Valley Leadership Group hosted its inaugural Diversity Forward event. During the gathering, these 20 companies committed to a 25×25 pledge:
- Alaska Airlines
- Bay Area Council
- Equilar
- Flex
- Foothill De Anza College
- Listo
- Lumentum
- NAACP (California & Hawaii)
- Santa
- Clara College
- San Francisco 49ers
- San Francisco Chronicle
- Silicon Valley Bank
- Silicon Valley Leadership Coalition
- Stanford Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital
- SunPower
- United Airlines
- Western Digital
- Zoom
What is the 25×25 commitment? The initiative challenges corporations to establish diversity objectives to achieve by 2025.
- aiming to enhance representation in leadership by ensuring that 25% of executive roles are filled by individuals from underrepresented groups
- committing to a minimum of 25% increase in leadership positions for underrepresented individuals
source: 20 Companies Sign on to 25×25 Inclusion Initiative at First SVLG Diversity Forward Summit(The Associated Press, February 19, 2021)
To summarize, a company can boost diversity and inclusion within the workforce by:
- Establishing percentage targets for candidates, interviews, and hires.
- Prioritizing diversity in leadership
- Committing to D&I training
- Increasing spend with diverse suppliers
- Formulating a diversity council
- Making financial commitments to worthwhile causes
…however, I am eager to uncover more instances of diversity goals. I’ll incorporate them here as I discover them!
Diversity Objectives: 2023 Update
Here’s a brief compilation of new organizations with DEI targets or DEI aims for 2023 and beyond:
Exploding Kittens’ Diversity Objectives
Diversity Objectives: Inclusive management training for their supervisors and leaders. Aiming for the following diversity objectives:
- They’ve teamed up with Vaya Consulting
- They will establish a DEI manager by April 2023
- They will utilize Culture Amp to collect employee insights
Lisa Boatman, head of people at Exploding Kittens, stated:
“To implement this, we’ve collaborated with distinguished DEI and workplace transformation specialist Nicole Sanchez from Vaya Consulting. Nicole will spearhead this training across three 75-minute sessions and will encompass aspects like effectively cultivating trust and psychological safety, as well as demonstrating both coaching and allyship to your team members.”
Source: How Companies are Propelling their DEI Initiatives Forward in 2023
Coca-Cola’s Diversity Objectives
Diversity Objectives: Coca-Cola has three principal diversity goals:
- Reflect our Markets
- Equity for Everyone
- Inclusiveness
Coca-Cola declares:
“Our aspiration by 2030 is for women to occupy 50% of senior leadership positions within the organization and for race and ethnicity representation in the U.S. to mirror national census data at all levels.”
Source: Coca-Cola Company
Reddit’s Diversity Objectives
Diversity Objectives: In 2023, Reddit aims to enhance their existing employee experiences, which includes:
- Assisting leaders in crafting inclusive team frameworks and strategies
- Incorporating educational tools and resources into employees’ DEI toolkits
- Fostering opportunities for peer-to-peer interactions and learning, while building support and equity throughout the employee lifecycle
To achieve this, Reddit will concentrate on educating both a broad employee base and smaller, cohesive groups. They have also invested in speaker tours at historically Black colleges and universities. Moreover, they are amplifying their efforts in inclusive leadership programming.
Christina Shareef, Head of Emerging Talent and Diversity, comments:
“Our objective with this refreshed strategy and more tailored initiatives is to boost employee engagement and aid us in developing personalized solutions that encourage specific outcomes for each of these groups, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Source: How 4 Companies are Enhancing DEI in 2023
Achieve’s Diversity Objectives
Diversity Objectives: Their aim in 2023 is to further develop their six Employee Resource Groups (ERG). These ERGs encompass LGBTQ+, veterans, Latinx, Black and African American, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and women’s leadership.
Kingsley Forde, Director for Diversity and Inclusion at Achieve, comments on this goal:
“Our employees are the reason we resolved to prioritize our ERGs in 2023! Our DEI initiatives center around our employees realizing their full potential and recognizing each individual as unique, with diverse experiences, viewpoints, and voices.”
Source: How 4 Companies are Enhancing DEI in 2023
Hydro’s Diversity Objectives
Diversity Objectives: One of Hydro’s targets this year is to improve gender balance within the company by:
- Aiming for 25% female employees and leaders by 2025. They attained a 20% female employee target in 2021
- Targeting 25% for women leaders by 2025. They achieved 18% of this goal in 2021.
- Aiming for 35% female employees across white-collar positions. They reached 27% of this target in 2021.
Hydro states this about diversity:
“We maintain a comprehensive definition of diversity at Hydro. We believe it includes both primary traits (which one cannot influence), such as gender, race, color, age, ethnicity, sexual preference, emotional orientation, personality, along with secondary factors (which one can influence), encompassing education, work history, skills, language, geography, communication methods, and beliefs.”
Source: Hydro Annual Report 2022
Diversity Objectives: 2024 Update
Here’s a brief list of new organizations with DEI targets or DEI aims for 2024 and beyond:
McKinsey and Company
Diversity Objectives:
- Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in business, society, and within our organization.
- Assist our clients in making significant, enduring performance enhancements
- Develop a firm that attracts, nurtures, motivates, and retains extraordinary talent
- Conduct and disseminate research to establish a business and economic rationale for diversity, convene partnerships for action, and inform critical decision-makers capable of enacting real change
Source – Diversity and Inclusion: Achieving through…
Diversity
Nike
Diversity Objectives:
- Develop more just and inclusive practices to empower our staff and shape the workforce of the future.
- Guarantee representation and opportunity at all tiers of the organization.
- Establish objectives and evaluate progress to hold the organization responsible for DEI initiatives.
Source – Nike: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
DHL
Diversity Objectives:
- Proactively endorse diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout the organization.
- Create an equitable and inclusive workplace where each individual can flourish and be their true self daily.
- Formulate a Group-wide strategy for DEIB that covers all global activities and initiatives.
- Deliver value through DEIB for employees, leaders, clients, suppliers, and communities.
- Address diversity across several pillars, such as ability, ethnicity, gender, generations, LGBTQ+, and religion, among others.
Source – Diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging (DEIB)
Expedia
Diversity Objectives:
- Enhance connections, broaden perspectives, and bridge gaps for employees, partners, clients, and communities.
- Encourage travel to foster understanding among individuals from varying cultures and identities.
- Create a setting that honors diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
- Honor unique distinctions and unite through common values.
Source: Inclusion & Diversity
McDonald’s
- Proactively nurture a workplace where diversity is celebrated as an asset throughout the entire McDonald’s System.
- Dedicate efforts to being better allies and leaders, empowering the individuals and communities they serve.
- Embed inclusion into business decisions and take steps to advance it within communities.
- Be open about advancements and difficulties in building a fully inclusive brand.
- Ensure that operations reflect the diverse communities surrounding McDonald’s.
- Accelerate inclusion and belonging cultures on a global scale.
- Leverage McDonald’s scale to help remove barriers to economic opportunities.
Source: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Diversity Objectives: 2026 Update
Here’s a compilation of the most recent diversity objective updates from 2025 through 2026:
Puma
Diversity Objectives:
- Enhance workforce diversity by attracting talent from various backgrounds to enrich the brand’s collective spirit and mindset.
- Establish an inclusive workplace, where every contributor has the flexibility, equity, and collaboration to perform at their best.
- Ensure ongoing accountability by removing barriers among individuals while implementing diversity and inclusion throughout policies and practices.
- Listen to talent, enabling the company to consistently refine practices through meaningful feedback, particularly via internal satisfaction surveys as a platform for dialogue and development.
Ford
Diversity Objectives:
- Uphold a dedication to fostering a respectful and inclusive workforce for every employee, enabling them to achieve the Ford+ plan (the company’s strategic transformation initiative).
- Enhance collaboration across the organization, including leadership behaviors that drive operational practices.
- Actively seek input from employees of diverse backgrounds to improve workplace systems and create business value.
- Implement supplier diversity and inclusion initiatives that enhance sourcing processes with a competitive advantage.
Victoria’s Secret
The company has replaced explicit “DEIB” terms with “belonging” while maintaining robust support for diversity and inclusion practices.
Diversity Objectives:
- Assemble a global team of individuals from varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives while satisfying customer needs.
- Ensure genuine meritocracy by recruiting from a wide talent pool of qualified candidates.
- Maintain a fair culture where every team member has the chance to excel.
- Incorporate diverse decision-making that fuels innovation across the organization.
Wendy’s
Diversity Objectives:
- Provide foundational culture and inclusion training for all company restaurant support employees, focusing on imparting leadership skills that inspire and motivate each employee to function at their best in an inclusive environment.
- Collaborate with various organizations as an EEO to enhance consistent inclusive hiring initiatives.
- Continuously present employees with growth and development opportunities at every level, including close collaborations with employee resource groups (ERGs).
Campbell’s
Diversity Objectives:
- Value diverse employee insights that promote an innovative, creative, and enriched work culture.
- Prioritize the employee experience in shaping industry-leading engagements.
- Create an environment where every employee feels valued and included in the company’s narrative, enabling continual personal and professional growth.
Converse
Diversity Objectives:
- Achieve success collectively by developing safe spaces that respect individuals regardless of their backgrounds, allowing everyone to comfortably share and seek opinions and perspectives.
- Initiate progress by constructing and championing a diverse team for enhanced product development.
- Position diversity and inclusion as a fundamental aspect of the brand identity.
Hallmark
Diversity Objectives:
- Consistently increase the count of minority-owned businesses within their vendor network.
- Cultivate and uphold a diverse workforce, including leadership roles across middle and senior management.
- Guide inclusive product development that reflects the distinctive identities of diverse communities, contributed by diverse talent.
- Offer inclusive hiring and training initiatives to minimize workplace bias.
How do you Establish Goals for Balanced Diversity?
When it comes to defining goals for balanced diversity, it’s essential to keep objectives clear and attainable. We all strive to build an inclusive environment where diverse talents can prosper, correct? So, let’s discuss how to bring that vision to life.
Acknowledge Each Group
The initial step is to comprehend the various groups within your workforce.
We’re discussing gender identity, cultural variety, diverse backgrounds—you name it. Observe your work environment. Do you notice individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and age ranges? Embracing these diversities is the initial step toward forming varied teams.
Note: there’s a growing emphasis on neurodiversity today. Keep in mind to acknowledge various learning and information processing methods (i.e., talents with autism, ADHD, etc.), which is an essential factor in contemporary inclusive hiring strategies.
Now, let’s discuss establishing those intelligent objectives
SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-related. It’s a valuable approach to ensure your objectives are precise and genuinely achievable. Contemplate what you wish to achieve regarding diversity. Do you aim to enhance the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership roles? Or perhaps you aspire to create a more inclusive workplace by acknowledging religious observances and accommodating various cultural rituals.
Create an Action Plan
Next, it’s time to craft an action plan. This entails detailing the steps you’ll undertake to accomplish your diversity objectives. Consider implementing DEI initiatives, offering unconscious bias training, performing diversity assessments, and providing professional development opportunities tailored to employees from diverse backgrounds. Remember, substantial change requires time and dedication, so remain patient yet resolute.
Enhance with Feedback
Don’t overlook the importance of including your employees in the process. Employee surveys, focus groups, and consistent check-ins are the most effective means to gather feedback and make necessary modifications along the way. Ultimately, they’re the ones who will gain from a more diverse and equitable workplace.
Pro tip: If you’re designing a recruitment program for talents with ADHD, consider involving current employees who navigate the condition. This way, your team can realistically evaluate the effectiveness of your advertisements and pinpoint issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Recently, there has been a significant focus on workforce diversity objectives, and that’s encouraging! Companies are acknowledging the significance of fostering an equitable workplace where everyone has equal opportunities. However, it’s not solely about good intentions; it’s about taking action and achieving actual progress.
How to Attain the Established Inclusion and Diversity Objectives?
So, you’ve determined your diversity objectives, but now comes the exciting part: actually accomplishing them! It’s all about taking steps and making meaningful modifications in your workplace. Let’s explore how you can make it a reality.
Formulate an Action Plan
The initial step is to create a robust action plan. This involves breaking down your objectives into achievable segments and delegating responsibilities. Contemplate what precise actions you can implement to cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected for their distinctive contributions.
Pro tip: You might enhance your action plan by assigning Strategic Leads for managing the budget (and achieving KPIs) for each objective while designating a Culture Champion responsible for inspiring positive employee experiences. Essentially, compartmentalizing your action plan for better focus and accountability.
Inspire Highly Diverse Teams
One effective method to advocate for diversity and inclusion is by forming diverse teams. Another vital aspect is providing professional development opportunities that cater to individuals from varied backgrounds. This could comprise workshops, training sessions, and mentorship initiatives designed to assist employees in advancing and thriving in their careers.
Don’t overlook unconscious bias training.
This is essential for aiding employees in recognizing and addressing their own biases, ensuring equitable treatment for everyone in the workplace. By nurturing a culture of awareness and inclusivity, you can foster a more equitable workplace where every individual has an equal chance to succeed.
Frameworks like P.A.U.S.E. (present, appreciation, understanding, support, and elevate) can be beneficial as you improve communication among team members.
For instance, if a candidate appears shy or reserved during an interview, hiring managers should apply P.A.U.S.E. to avoid jumping to quick conclusions (i.e., that the person is a poor fit for the role). Instead, the manager identifies assumptions, considers diverse perspectives, and provides alternative interview options to engage that talent.
Employee surveys also serve as a valuable resource for collecting feedback and assessing progress. Regular check-ins enable you to monitor your endeavors and make modifications as necessary. Remember, achieving diversity and inclusion objectives is an ongoing journey that necessitates commitment and perseverance.
WHY I COMPOSED THIS
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