Jan 28, 2022 04:36PM●By Donna Isbell Walker
Q. What has influenced your thinking about DEI and motivated youto get involved in being an advocate for change?
A. My son was diagnosed with autism about three years ago, andfrom that day I vowed to be his advocate, and for everyone else who may lookdifferent or have different abilities. Initially when he was first diagnosed,my fear was that he would be treated as less-than and overlooked foropportunities because he communicates and views the world differently. However,I decided to channel that energy into making change, specifically in theworkplace. My goal was to create a DEI program with my former employer to bringawareness to neurodiversity, and increase cultural competency skills throughtraining, while also celebrating our differences.
Larrolyn Bennett,
talent acquisitionmanager,
Discovery Life Sciences in Simpsonville
A. In 2010, when I was charged with leading the DEI initiative atthe Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), the executive director at the time,said to me: “These are the current numbers as far as DEI staffing and spending(10 to 12 percent) with minority-women-owned businesses, now go and doublethose numbers.” Getting those marching orders from the top leader empowered meto enthusiastically work hard to make a difference in the DEI landscape..
In terms of staffing, as a human resources professional, I haveseen firsthand how a diverse staff on all levels of an organization isprogressive and forward-thinking. In 2010, I became the first minority ever ata director level in leadership at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. I was thrilledto be the first but I had a determination that I may be the first but I wouldnot be the last or the only minority at that level.
On the small business outreach side of DEI, I was motivatedfirstly by being the daughter of a small business owner all my life, and I knewthe possibility of small-, minority-, and women-business owners if given aninvite to the table. I and the team at CAE worked very hard to at least bringthese minority-women-owned companies to the table and make them aware of theopportunities with the possibility for inclusion in the process to do businesswith CAE.
ChappelleBroome-Stevenson,
director of human resources and diversity,
Columbia MetropolitanAirport
A. I spent much of my life being on the outside as a woman ofcolor in a white-male dominated industry. While I was able to successfully growmy career, I still felt excluded and unseen in many ways. I know that I was notalone and that many people, specifically from underrepresented backgrounds,feel that way in corporate America. I want to contribute to a world whereeveryone feels like they belong, no matter their skin color, their nationality,their gender, their accent, their weight, or who they love. I want everyone tohave equitable opportunities for success and equal pay. I want young people tosee themselves represented in success and have full assurance that they can besuccessful as who they are without having to assimilate into being someone elseor hide a part of themselves to be accepted.
Beth Ruffin
CEO
The Everyday Inclusionist
A. My lifelong experiences as a woman and a minority have beenthe most influential when it comes to my motivation to advocate for change.Throughout my career, I have seen, firsthand, how the best and brightest ideasrise to the top when people of diverse backgrounds come together to create anew initiative, manage a project, or solve a problem. In situations such asthese, the group gets the opportunity to try out new theories, knowing that everyonein the group has the same goal, so everyone is working toward a positiveoutcome
In the last two years, it has been refreshing to see corporateAmerica, on a large scale, embrace diversity and inclusion as a businessadvantage. Companies are finally beginning to recognize the true value ofdiverse experiences and ideas. I am proud to have been at the forefront ofadvocacy for change and I look forward to more impactful changes in the future.
Tonia Buie
director of employee experience
ChartSpan Medical Technologies
A. As an African American woman, my personal and professionallife experiences have influenced my thinking around DEI and motivated me to bean advocate for change in the community and the workplace. I realized early onthat in order for change to be impactful, it must be intentional, it must bepurposeful, and it must be persistent. I have found myself in severalconversations with people who did not see eye to eye with me. But throughcivility and respect, we can come to an understanding that does not divide butunites us for the greater good of everyone. My goal and mission in doing thiswork is to make an impact and help organizations foster a more inclusive,diverse and equitable environment for all.
Kizmet T. Moore
CEO and founder
Kulture Beyond the Rootz LLC
Q. Can you share some examples of how DEI affected your companyin a positive way?
A. When the DEI program with International Vitamin Corporationwas first introduced to the organization, we received tons of positive feedback!Employees were pleased to see that the company was taking steps to create amore inclusive culture. Our DEI interest survey showed that a huge area ofconcern was the lack of diversity in leadership positions. Soon thereafter weadded a female chief of marketing officer. In addition, a Leadership Trainingprogram was established for the sole purpose of developing our current talentwith hopes of promoting into leadership roles. Over 50 percent of theparticipants were African American.
– Larrolyn Bennett
A. Internally, today there are women and minorities on all levelsof leadership in the organization, from executive-level directors, to managers,supervisors and including diversity and leadership in our Public SafetyDepartment. Staff members have taken advantage of the opportunities for tuitionreimbursement, training and certifications, and there have been positiveexamples of DEI promotions from within. CAE spending dollars went from around10-to-12 percent to a high of 40 percent with small, local, women-owned andminority-owned businesses. As the aviation arena recovers, CAE will beresetting goals for its DEI outreaches to businesses.
Externally, for the many strides CAE has made in DEI, CAE hasbeen recognized with the S.C. Chamber of Commerce Excellence in WorkforceDiversity Award, the Airports Council International-North America InclusionChampion Award for Small Airports, and as a founding member of the SC AirportsCoalition, the Upstate diversity Leadership Award. One does not work for awards,but it is a positive when your industry peers acknowledge the successes andaccomplishments your team has made in DEI in the past 11 years.
– ChappelleBroome-Stevenson
A. At ChartSpan, the establishment of a DEI committee, led byfront-line employees, has been a game-changer. Our front-line employees can nowimpact company culture by using their influence to weigh in on policies andpractices that impact them directly and indirectly. In 2021, several policiesand practices were modified based on input from the committee. Many employeeshave commented on how pleased they are to see that the committee has a voice.They have remarked about how their trust in the leadership of the company hasincreased since the committee has been in place.
Also, in 2020, after measuring diversity throughout theorganization, we found that minorities and women made up only 8 percent of ourprofessional employees. This was genuinely concerning, and the executiveleadership team committed to increasing the number of minorities and womenamong our professional ranks. By 2022, minorities and women occupied 27 percentof our professional positions. We are seeing positive impacts on theorganization from sales to patient operations; the company is performing muchbetter as an organization than we did before our diversity efforts.
– Tonia Buie
Q. How do you get your entire company – including the leadershipteam – on board with DEI initiatives?
A. First, share with stakeholders how DEI positively impactscompany goals and demonstrate how they tie to the bottom line. Make a businesscase for it, but don’t forget the personal connection as well! Secondly, getemployees involved at the onset with the initiatives by implementing a DEIcommittee or board and creating employee resource groups. In addition,regularly communicate the company values to all the employees, always usinginclusive language. This creates more awareness and possible discussions aroundit. If employees can see the commitment from leadership, they are more apt tocommit as well.
Most importantly, all efforts have to be consistent. Driving aneffective DEI program is no small feat and requires inclusive, strong, andconsistent leadership. Such initiatives are no longer a business choice — theyare a moral imperative for managing a 21st-century organization.
– Kizmet T. Moore
A. At CAE, the executive director made it a part of thedepartment head’s annual performance. For example, in the spending initiativeswith minority-/women-owned businesses, department heads were charged withincluding at a minimum of at least one minority-/women-owned business in theirquote processes for their departmental spending.
– ChappelleBroome-Stevenson
A. The work of DEI should come from the top, beginning with thevision of the CEO. DEI should be tied to the company’s overall strategic visionand plan. It should be woven within every company function, and leadershipshould be held responsible for the outcomes. DEI should be included as part ofleadership reviews and expectations. It should be considered a businessimperative, and tied to the mission and vision of the company. Anyone who isnot on board should evaluate if the organization is still a right fit for them.That’s how important this work is.
– Beth Ruffin
Q. What are some creative ways to proactively source candidatesfrom underrepresented communities?
A. The goal is to be inclusive in your recruiting and to broadenthe talent pool by reaching as many communities as possible. Buildrelationships and partner with your local community organizations likeVocational Rehab to reach individuals with disabilities, 2nd Chance communityorganizations for individuals who were previously incarcerated, etc. Whenrecruiting early talent, proactively search from HBCUs, community/techcolleges, and at many predominantly white institutions you will find variousnetworks like LGBTQ groups, Hispanic Student Alliance, etc. Secondly, take alook at your employer’s referral process. If the goal is to add a woman to anall-male IT team, increase the reward when an employee refers a woman. Lastly,source from your internal talent. Oftentimes, African American professionalscan get stuck at the supervisory level and for whatever reason just don’t makeit to manager- or director-level roles.
– Larrolyn Bennett
A. Businesses must sometimes go where the underrepresentedcommunities are: churches, barbershops, beauty shops, etc. CAE once contractedwith a minority company that had video commercials that played continually inthese types of locations. Information about how to do business with CAE andgetting on our business listing were played at many locations around the citywhere these underrepresented communities went for services. CAE increased ouroutreach in a cost-effective manner.
We hosted a “Let’s do coffee” morning with a prime constructioncompany one year looking to meet with small businesses for constructionsubcontractors.
This is redundant but it is about relationships. It is about whoyou know. Underrepresented communities must do their part as well and show up.Show up for the pre-bids; show up for the outreach events, build a strongnetwork that can keep you apprised of opportunities. It may not be youropportunity but pass it on in your network. Get to know the decision makers,find out their names and make an introduction or follow-up on an introductionmade at an event.
In staffing opportunities: Volunteer, do internships, jobshadowing, build relationships.
– ChappelleBroome-Stevenson
Q. What is your biggest piece of advice for getting started withDEI within a company?
A. The best way to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusionin your business is by starting with a top-down approach. It is important tostart the necessary conversations with leadership to get buy-in from the top,then move through middle management and nonmanagement employees to get everyoneproactively involved. It is important for business leaders to understanddiversity, equity, and inclusion should not be a stand-alone priority on theirlist, but rather it should be ingrained into every single other priority sotheir business strategy has an inclusive lens. It makes it less a task on alist and more of an approach to business and building and inclusive, diverse,and equitable sustaining culture
– Kizmet T. Moore
A. You must, must, must get the CEO on board with DEI. The CEOmust see the value in being an inclusive and diverse environment, whether it isin personnel or how the money is spent. The CEO must also see the risk of notbeing a DEI company. It has to start at the top! Sometimes risk will work withthe CEO if value does not.
– ChappelleBroome-Stevenson
A. Start with an assessment to see your areas of strengths andopportunities. Survey your staff to determine how included or excluded theyfeel. Review your policies and procedures using an inclusive lens. Look at yourmarketing materials to see who is missing from the external picture you presentto your customers. Use all of this data to assess the gaps and lean into yourstrengths to build your strategy.
– Beth Ruffin
A. I would advise companies who are getting started with DEI topace themselves. It is tempting to go all-in and launch big, far-reachinginitiatives at once; however, they must keep in mind that the quality of theinitiative is just as important as the number of initiatives launched.
My advice is to begin with the end in mind. For example, atChartSpan, our goal was not necessarily just to increase diversity amongprofessionals. Our goal was to improve the profitability of the company. Ourdiversity efforts were part of a larger picture of a stronger organization.
– Tonia Buie
Q. Should CEO pay be tied to diversity progress? If yes or no,please explain why.
A. During the social unrest in 2020 that took place after themurder of George Floyd, hundreds of CEOs were putting out statements advocatingfor more diversity within their employee base. After the dust settled, it wasfound that not much progress, if any, was made toward increasing diversity. Tocombat this, I do believe the CEO pay needs to be tied to diversity metrics.For this to be effective, specific goals need to be set. Similarly to howemployees in corporate America earn a bonus if they meet certain criteria, Ibelieve the CEO should also be held accountable.
– Larrolyn Bennett
A. If diversity progress is a stated objective of the company,yes, CEO pay should be tied to how well the company meets the diversityobjectives, just as it is impacted by the accomplishment of other statedobjectives.
– Tonia Buie
Q. Should companies face penalties if they don’t have gender/racerepresentation on their boards? If yes, please explain why or how.
A. Yes, they should. Some of the recent issues with boards andcompanies making egregious statements or decisions, whether it be fashionhouses or coffee businesses, may well have been prevented if there were diversepersons on the board to question decisions from a totally different set ofeyes.
– ChappelleBroome-Stevenson
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