Examples of Impactful DEI Initiatives That Took Place in 2020
What a Year!
2020 has been eventful - especially in terms of challenges related to COVID-19, social justice and politics. We’ve all had to adapt and learn to effectively address global events, ideas and policies. We’ve had tough conversations, strengthened ties with co-workers, and implemented or advocated for change across multiple mediums. We’ve experienced multidimensional growth on an individual level and extended that to our teams and beyond. Change remains to be a necessary constant in DEI and we’ve all undergone a ton of change in 2020!
Brands and companies have worked to strengthen DEI strategies this year, with emphasis on anti-racism, diversity and racial equity in the workplace. New commitments and initiatives have been taken on, with the hope of spurring systemic change through incremental progress. Here are some impactful projects and initiatives from this year and how they aspire to challenge the status quo in DEI.
Netflix - Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen
Disclosure is a groundbreaking documentary released on Netflix this year, documenting transgender depictions in film and media along with the perspectives of many prominent trans creatives such as Laverne Cox, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, Mj Rodriguez, Jamie Clayton, and Chaz Bono. The documentary breaks down the oftentimes inaccurate and dehumanizing historical portrayal of trans experiences as well as the evolution of this representation and the continual importance of visibility. Disclosure examines the journey of trans representation with the goal of creating exposure for the 84% of Americans who have not met a transgender person before, and have knowledge on trans subject matter only through media depictions
Mastercard - The True Name Feature
This year, Mastercard launched the True Name feature, allowing people to select their chosen names to appear on the front of their cards. This initiative is directed towards preventing name misrepresentation and allowing members of the LGBTQIA+ community to feel comfort in their identity. Deadnaming, a practice that can induce unwanted feelings through the mention of a past name, can be harmful. This feature aims to target this and uplift identity representation through choice and flexibility.
Target - Racial Equity Action and Change Committee (REACH)
This year, Target established REACH, a committee that centers on building racial equity by focusing on Black team members and guests. The committee has 4 pillars of focus: Team, Guests, Communities and Civic Engagement and Public Policy. Within these areas, Target hopes to achieve progress in engaging Black employees and guests through transparency, accountability and enterprise effort. Creating and retaining a diverse workforce, working with diverse suppliers, maintaining a product range that caters to diverse preferences, forging partnerships and supporting Black-owned businesses through the Target Foundation are a few of their ongoing initiatives. Laysha Ward (VP & Chief External Engagement Officer at Target) explains what makes a great D&I strategy and how this is integrated at Target here.
Merck - DEI partnerships + CEO Kenneth Frazier participates in a range of commitments
Kenneth Frazier - CEO of Merck, has been involved in several initiatives with the goal of creating social impact towards DEI. This year, Merck partnered with Year Up, a non-profit that helps young adults from all career and socio-economic backgrounds reach their potential through employment and higher education. Frazier has also pledged to ACT ON diversity and inclusion with the CEO Action pledge which outlines a set of commitments to support D&I, as well as The Board Challenge which allows companies to commit to adding a Black director to their board of directors. In addition, as Co-Chair of OneTen, Frazier has committed to striving to create 1 million jobs for Black Americans within the next decade. Frazier has also spoken about the relevancy of BLM and the murder of George Floyd in the context of his own life experiences as a Black man.
Condé Nast - Releasing their first DEI Report
Condé Nast recently released a diversity and inclusion report for 2020, the first of its kind at the company. The report includes data pertaining to the gender (at a global scale) and ethnicity (within the U.S.) of new hires, editorial and non-editorial staff, editors-in-chief and senior leadership.
Condé Nast plans to make the report more holistic by releasing data regarding non-binary employees, a voluntary LGBTQ+ survey and pay equity analysis in 2021 and in the 2020 full-report. As part of their commitment to racial justice, they plan to ensure that by 2021, 100% of their global employees will undergo mandatory unconscious bias and anti-racism training, Juneteenth will be an annual paid holiday for U.S employees and 50% of candidates on hiring slates will be from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds each year.
Hiring POC Directors
This year many companies altered their hiring methods, and brought new people of colour into leadership positions within their teams. Companies such as Uber, Nordstrom, WW International, Salesforce, Verizon, Nasdaq, Lyft, Techstars and Best Buy also pledged to add a Black director to their board of directors as part of The Board Challenge. Although these decisions are nominal action in comparison to reviewing company practices, culture and the experiences of POC employees, we’re excited to see new growth and inclusion through the vast experiences that these executives bring to the table. Here are a few of the companies that hired POC executives into their board of directors this year and what these executives could bring to their roles:
Photo by Erika Dufour/Pinterest
This year, Pinterest hired Andrea Wishom as its first Black director. As president of Skywalker Holdings, former executive at the Oprah Winfrey Network and having served on several boards, Andrea brings a passion for creative vision and inspiration. She has also served as an advisor for several initiatives including Black Women Animate, a black-female owned animation studio and Spokin, a food allergy app. Andrea is eager to bring her perspectives and elevate the expansion of Pinterest’s content and media.
Photo by Ariel Investments
Starbucks
Starbucks hired Mellody Hobson as Vice Chair of its board of directors, making her the first Black woman in that role. Hobson brings a large breadth of experience as Co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments and past Chair of the board of DreamWorks Animation. She is also spokesperson for the 401(k) Plans in Living Color study and the Ariel Black Investor Survey along with Chair of After School Matters - a non-profit creating high quality afterschool programs. Hobson is pushing for accountability and diversity within all corporate boards.
Photo by The Coca-Cola Company
Adobe
Melanie Boulden was named to Adobe’s board of directors in October, 2020. As President of the Stills Business Unit for Coca-Cola North America and a past Head of Marketing and Brand Management at Reebok, Boulden offers a vast knowledge of marketing and consumer products. With her strong leadership expertise and track-record, we look forward to her contributions to Adobe’s growth and the empowerment of creators.
Looking Forward
As the year comes to an end, we encourage you to reflect on the changes made to your DEI practices, hiring methods and workplace culture. It’s essential that we continue to strengthen our commitments to equity and inclusion in 2021 through progressive learning and change. If you’re interested in amplifying your DEI strategy, take a look at our case studies to see how Crescendo works with companies to foster growth and impactful change in DEI. Also see Lever’s guide on 5 Practical Ways to Move the Needle on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for useful insights from industry leaders. At Crescendo, we wish you a wonderful new year and look forward to growing and learning alongside you in 2021.