In an era of painfully slow progress, some businesses are offering valuable lessons in fairness and equality.

The conversation about diversity in corporate America can often be a downer, accented by lackluster statistics, slow progress, and superficial initiatives.  But there are some companies who are going beyond lip service to make their workplaces accessible and enjoyable for all.  It’s these brands – the ones delivering on their promises and not just making them – that we can learn from the most.

At Salesforce, the company enlisted a Racial Equality and Justice Task Force comprised of employees and community leaders, and the result was four pillars of action, in which the company is making significant investments of time, money, and resources[1].  Among its many goals, Salesforce has pledged to double representation of Black employees in leadership roles by 2023; spend $100 million with Black-owned businesses in the next three years; invest 1 million volunteer hours with social justice organizations in the next 5 years; and advocate for local, state, and federal policies that address equity gaps in health care, education, and workforce development.

Banner Health, an Arizona-based nonprofit healthcare company, takes a similarly well-rounded approach.  Its talent pipelines are targeted at underrepresented or under-resourced groups like veterans; its community outreach happens via partnerships with community leaders; and it focuses its efforts on understanding and addressing health disparities in different communities.

And at Accenture – which placed second on the 2021 DiversityInc Top 50 list of the most diverse companies in the U.S.[2] – employees became eligible for subsidized childcare and school-day supervision services during the pandemic, ensuring that the playing field remained even for all despite the changing circumstances.  The company has also committed to representation amongst differently abled and LGBTQ+ employees.

All three of these companies stand out for the holistic view they’re taking of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but within their bold programs and initiatives are some important overarching lessons:

• Partnership: It’s impossible to provide support for a particular community without engaging members of that community. Salesforce didn’t absentmindedly commit to moving a few numbers or releasing a new report.  Company leadership called for participation from those in and around its ecosystem and sourced their ideas.  They ensured that the steps they took would be beneficial and relevant.
• Life Beyond Work: DEI is never just about what happens within a company’s four walls. Diversifying a workforce is about removing barriers to entry, and quite often, that requires addressing (and knocking down) other societal barriers in education and access to opportunities.  Thus, it’s inspiring to see Banner Health digging into social health determinants and Accenture providing childcare services, so mothers don’t have to choose between their families and their jobs.
• Long-Term Commitments: Diversity isn’t a trend. These efforts are aimed at reducing decades of inequality, and companies must be in it for the long haul.  Critics may look at what Salesforce is promising and think its timelines are too long.  They may want results right now.  But what’s assuring about these three- and five-year commitments is that they’re realistic, and they demonstrate that these initiatives won’t be tossed aside by 2022.  There’s a long-term commitment here, and there’s a deliverable with built-in accountability.

The companies that are succeeding at DEI are taking thoughtful, skilled, and informed approaches to changing their workforces.  They know that change won’t happen overnight, nor will the needle be moved by a single action like publishing an annual report.  They understand that DEI is a complex problem that requires a multilayered solution, and any company that wants to make progress should follow their lead.

[1] Fluker, Dominique. (May 8, 2021). 12 Companies Ramping Up Their Diversity & Inclusion Efforts – and How You Can Too. Retrieved from: https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/inspiration-for-ramping-up-diversity-inclusion-efforts/

[2] DiversityInc. (2021). No.2 – Accenture. Retrieved from: https://www.diversityinc.com/diversityinc-announces-the-2021-top-50-companies-for-diversity-list-2/