Fair360 examined how five best-in-class companies developed, executed and refined their ESG messaging. 

Define Your Purpose and Goals 

Whether it’s reducing carbon emissions, promoting inclusion, or enhancing board accountability, identify the ESG aspects most relevant to your industry and stakeholders.  

After outlining your objectives and identifying the core values that drive your ESG program, align them with your company’s mission and how they guide your decision-making process. All of Fair360’s 2023 Top 10 Companies for Diversity have ESG as a core management responsibility and CEOs that make public stances on ESG issues.  

“At Mastercard, we’re connecting the ‘why’ of our purpose to the ‘what’ of our fundamental business strategy to ensure we deliver long-term growth for our shareholders, build trust with stakeholders, and contribute to a more equitable and prosperous world,” says David Eichberg, Vice President, Sustainability at Mastercard (No. 1 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list and No. 2 on the Top Companies for ESG). 

In 2021, Mastercard linked compensation for most senior executives to three global ESG priorities: carbon neutrality, gender pay parity and financial inclusion. In 2022, the company expanded the model to all employees globally.  

“It’s at the intersection of people, prosperity and planet where we concentrate our efforts to drive collective action and demonstrable impact on the communities and environments in which we operate,” adds Eichberg.  

WATCH: 2023 Top 50: Fireside Chat: Navigating the Evolving Challenges of ESG  

Highlight Your Vision and Achievements  

Describe how you envision a more sustainable and inclusive world and how your company works toward that vision through ESG initiatives. Highlight specific achievements and milestones from your ESG journey to help stakeholders understand the broader impact of your efforts. 

Sustainability reports are an effective way companies can highlight their ESG accomplishments. Ninety-two percent of S&P 500 companies published a sustainability report in 2020, compared to 20% almost ten years prior. 

Eli Lilly and Company’s (No. 5 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list and No. 10 on the Top Companies for ESG) 2022 ESG report highlights include the reduction of greenhouse gasses by a third, nearly half of women in management globally, the improvement of insulin access in the United States and $358 million spent with Black businesses in the U.S. 

Through the global effort Lilly 30×30, the company aims to improve access to quality healthcare in low- and middle-income countries by 2030. In 2022, the estimated reach of Lilly 30×30  was approximately 13 million people, an increase of 8 million since 2015. 

WATCH: 2023 Top 50: Health Equity With Northwell Health, Centene and Eli Lilly  

Demonstrate Commitment and Transparency 

Emphasize your company’s commitment to transparency and accountability. Communicate how you measure and report your ESG performance, including the frameworks and standards you follow. Eighty-three percent of Fair360 2023 Top 50 survey participants annually review ESG goals, while 80% discuss plans at board meetings.   

In 2018, Hilton (a Hall of Fame company and No. 2 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for ESG) unveiled its Travel with Purpose 2030 goals. Travel with Purpose is Hilton’s ESG strategy to drive responsible travel and tourism globally and create a positive environmental and social impact across its operations, supply chain, and communities. 

Hilton highlights progress toward 2030 goals in its ESG report and during investor calls. The company publicly shares data on its representation commitments as part of its inclusion efforts. Investors receive third-party assured ESG data through annual reports, proxy statements and ESG disclosures. By the end of 2027, Hilton has pledged to achieve global gender parity and 25% U.S. ethnic diversity at corporate leadership levels.   

Integrate Into Business Strategy 

Illustrate how your ESG program is integrated into your core business strategy and woven into your products, services, and operations. Demonstrate that ESG is not just an add-on but an integral part of how you do business.  

With engagement and ownership from its board of directors to operational business owners, The Hershey Company (No. 3 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list and No. 22 on the Top Companies for ESG) says ESG shapes every part of its business.   

Hershey recently named its first Chief Sustainability Officer, expanded ESG oversight by the entire executive team and conducted its first climate scenario planning to determine climate change mitigation strategies. In 2022, the candy company also launched an inaugural double materiality assessment to identify and rank the ESG issues that impact Hershey financially and understand how its operations affect the world.   

Hershey says the initiatives will help it deliver long-term sustainable growth. The company reported one of its strongest years in history in 2022 despite record inflation, macroeconomic uncertainty and supply chain disruptions.  

READ: Understanding the ‘G’ in ESG 

Iterate and Evolve 

Your ESG story should be dynamic and evolve as your program progresses. Regularly review and update your narrative to reflect new achievements, challenges, and goals.  

Blue Shield of California (No. 12 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for ESG) included an ESG summary in its annual mission report to showcase its progress.   

“Our environmental, social, and governance efforts are integrated into our prime business strategies with commitments that include the company’s NextGen sustainability goals, efforts toward social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion, and governance such as our commitment to a zero pay-ratio gap,” says Antoinette Mayer, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at Blue Shield of California.   

The company’s vision is to create a better California by giving back and supporting all its communities. Blue Shield of California introduced Virtual Blue, a virtual-first plan that offers members mental and behavioral health support and integrated primary and specialty care. In addition, the Maternal Child Health Equity Initiative is a new effort that provides community-based resources, doulas and technology tools to support new mothers and their babies.   

“Like many initiatives at Blue Shield of California, we evolve and iterate our environmental, social, and governance strategy by maintaining a learning posture,” says Mayer. “We continue to monitor and learn from best practices in healthcare and other industries. We also continue to educate and engage our board, executive leaders, and employees in this important work and how it integrates and reaches across all parts of our business.” 

The Director for Community Engagement and Supplier Diversity was constantly approached by vendors of color asking how they could conduct business with Jefferson Health.

“One of the challenges in the industry is often MWBEs aren’t aware of open-to-bid opportunities,” she says. “The second challenge is with capacity. With an organization as large as Jefferson, MWBE’s may not be able to deliver the scale to our demands. We also must keep in mind incumbent vendors who have strong relationships with our supply chain which makes it difficult to compete.”

Innovating Supplier Diversity  

Jefferson Health’s solution was “Supply Chain Connect.” The program is designed to connect underrepresented business owners like minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals with opportunities at the healthcare provider.

“Our office of Enterprise Diversity and Inclusion, in partnership with Supply Chain, meet with vendors monthly ‘Shark Tank Style,’” says Battles.

This is where she leads with the walk and not the talk. Battles solicits, invites and prepares vendors to present to Jefferson Health’s decision-makers. This program builds trust with local, diverse suppliers and ultimately creates economic inclusion.

“Vendors get the opportunity to pitch to us,” she says. “Even if they don’t make it to the next round, I partner with advocacy agencies. We may not be able to give you a contract or an opportunity, but now you’re building a relationship and most importantly, you have been heard.”

Potential suppliers are presented with a template of the information they must put together, including their company’s mission statement, core products, services, and capabilities. Suppliers also need to identify their marketing strategy and what value they provide beyond the price of their product or service.

“I need to review their capability statement,” says Battles. “Understanding how they manage their business, customer service, and commitment to supplier diversity is a start to building a strong platform to be awarded a contract with Jefferson.”

READ: Supplier Diversity: Setting Expectations for Vendors and Expert Advice on Tracking Tier 2 Spend

Bridging the Gap  

An estimated 10,000 certified businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, LGBTQ+ and disabled people earn $10 million a year or more and are ready to compete for business, according to research from McKinsey & Company. Yet, in a separate study, only 38% of diverse suppliers indicated they received increased investment from marketing and advertising communities in 2022.

Battles says one way to bridge the gap is by tying leadership compensation to diversity goals, something Jefferson Health has done.

“Bringing these things to the forefront, tying it to your compensation, tying it to your organizational goal, that is the only way we’re going to make an impact,” she says.

An essential part of Battles’ role is to collaborate and cultivate relationships that improve the lives of the diverse communities Jefferson serves.

“I’ve talked to at least 30 or 40 business owners in a year now,” she says. “Because I’m dedicated to that, they have a name and a face. It’s not that they’re going to talk to a portal. I have created relationships. That’s part of the impact.”

The Toyota North America (No. 4 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) executive was among the leaders presented with Black Enterprise’s Lifetime Diversity Crusader Award at the inaugural Chief Diversity Summit & Honors. Recipients have driven supplier diversity increases across major companies and are vocal advocates for equal opportunities for everyone. 

“This has been a passion for 30 years,” said the Senior Vice President, Corporate Resources, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer at Toyota North America. “I’ve got a lot of things to continue to do and live up to be a lifetime achiever, but I will humbly accept this recognition. It is on the shoulders and backs of so many people who come before me that I am able to have the platform to impact change. And that is truly important to me.” 

Lifetime of Dedication  

Rogers has dedicated much of her career to advancing social justice in the corporate and legal spaces. She has continued her mission at Toyota North America by providing strategic guidance in critical areas such as labor and employment, sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG). 

“A crusader is somebody who’s dedicated to advancing social justice, putting themselves on the front line to advocate for and to affect substantive, measurable change,” she said. “It’s something I’ve always strived to be in my career.” 

Rogers stressed that equity and inclusion shouldn’t be based on which direction the wind blows and her commitment remains strong.  

“It needs to be sustainable and a business imperative,” she said. “It takes some ambition, creative thinking, a lot of prayer, courage and a steadfast commitment to the transformation across all aspects of corporate America. We know that the rewards for this are tenfold. Fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce supply chain, it benefits everybody. It benefits our customers. It benefits our team members, our partners and the communities that we serve. We know that it is at the end of the day, great business sense.” 

Rogers said even the most minor changes can make a difference. She encouraged the audience to find new ways to advance equity and inclusion in their personal and professional lives.  

“The next generation of business leaders is looking to us as models and we can show a path forward that involves asking the tough questions of leadership and challenging what’s possible,” said Rogers. “It is, after all, the daily work of our journey. This impact will reverberate well beyond the action itself, pulling forward progress today and not just relying on tomorrow for meaningful change.” 

This guide aims to provide companies with practical insights, strategies and best practices for onboarding and retaining transgender employees in the workplace.

While LGBTQ+ employees worldwide have progressed in the workplace, many are experiencing unseen challenges and concealed fears at work that hinder their ability to thrive.  

Only 14% of LGBTQ+ employees feel fully supported by their employer and more than half believe their gender identity, expression or sexual orientation has slowed their progress at work, according to a study from Accenture (a Hall of Fame company and No. 4 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for LGBTQ+ Employees list).  

We examined the workplace practices of five of Fair360’s Top Companies for LGBTQ Workers for insights into how they are delivering on the promise to help LGBTQ+ workers thrive and succeed. 

Develop an Inclusive Corporate Culture 

KPMG (No. 6 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list and No. 2 on the Top Companies for LGBTQ Employees list) believes that fostering a culture of inclusion for LGBTQ+ people is a priority that begins with top leadership and permeates throughout the firm. 

“Embracing LGBTQ+ inclusion means creating a workplace where every individual feels valued, respected, and able to bring their whole selves to work,” says Elena Richards, U.S. Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at KPMG.  

“By cultivating an environment that celebrates and supports LGBTQ+ employees, we can attract and retain top talent, enhance employee morale and well-being, and ultimately deliver exceptional results for our clients. We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, and LGBTQ+ inclusion is a vital part of that journey.” 

Leaders should demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity through their actions, policies and public statements, including a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  

“We’re a company that’s had a non-discrimination policy against sexual orientation as early as 1987,” says Dana Stevenson, Lead Systems Architect AVP at Wells Fargo (No. 32 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list and No. 15 on the Top Companies for LGBTQ Employees).  

“We also have a policy of non-discrimination against gender identity in the workforce since 2004. It’s a combination of having these policies behind us to help govern our behavior in the culture in a company that has grown significantly in the last 170 years. But also, having new generations and new diversity segments join our workforce and influence our culture.” 

WEBINAR: The Key to Successfully Onboarding LGBTQ+ Employees  

Implement LGBTQ+ Inclusive Policies and Benefits  

Fair360’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity have committed to increasing opportunities for segmented populations like LGBTQ+ individuals.  

Employers should ensure that their policies explicitly include protections for LGBTQ+ employees. This includes providing equal benefits and protection from discrimination in every aspect of the employment process, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation and termination.    

“Equal access to medical plans for our LGBTIQ+ people and their partners through Accenture-sponsored medical plans is offered to 100% of our people,” says Beck Bailey, Global Chief Diversity Officer at Accenture. 

“Coverage for transgender-inclusive health care is accessible to 95% of our people through Accenture-sponsored medical plans or government-provided plans. Our people in the U.S. have access to Included Health, an LGBTQ+ friendly concierge service that links our Accenture people and dependents with mental and physical health care tailored to individual and family needs.” 

Through a company named Cariloop, KPMG gives caregiver support to employees and their partners for anyone they consider a loved one, regardless of legal status or relation. 

“Cariloop provides support for everything from pediatric to elder care with access to a dedicated care coach to help navigate challenges by connecting the employee or loved one to a licensed or certified care coach, such as a social worker, nurse, therapist or case manager via phone or video chat,” says Richards. “The program also provides access to an online platform to share notes and status updates with the care coach and family members. All employees can access these benefits, at no cost, on their date of hire.” 

WEBINAR: Instilling Gender-Neutral Practices in the Workplace  

Foster Employee Resource Groups  

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are valuable resources for promoting inclusion and supporting marginalized communities. Fair360’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity have resource groups for employees that identify as LGBTQ+.  

The Pride at Accenture community has more than 90 employee networks and over 119,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer allies in all countries in which it operates. 

Over 20 years ago, Dow (No. 7 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list and No. 13 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for LGBTQ Employees) formed GLAD, the chemical industry’s first LGBTQ+ employee resource group. Dow’s GLAD ERG has almost four dozen chapters around the globe and the goal of improving LGBTQ+ workplace equality.   

ERGs can also provide mentorship opportunities and facilitate dialogue between employees and management. 2023 is the 20th anniversary of the formation of KPMG’s Pride Advisory Board and its Pride@KPMG Business Resource Group. 

“Pride@KPMG works closely with leadership and other business units to ensure LGBTQ+ inclusion is integrated into strategic plans, policies and practices,” says Richards. “The group leverages its network to provide insights on leading practices and market trends related to LGBTQ+ issues, contributing to the enhancement of client services.” 

Train and Educate Employees 

Offer diversity and inclusion training that explicitly addresses LGBTQ+ issues, terminology, and best practices for creating an inclusive environment. Stevenson says it’s important to make the training mandatory for everyone.   

“Don’t make it a yearly training. Make it continuous, every quarter. Include immersive things like a speed workshop where you get together with leadership and have conversations. Have training that you can do online and whatever is convenient, but make it measurable.” 

Encourage open discussions and provide resources, such as books, articles, and documentaries, to broaden employees’ knowledge and perspectives. Companies can also educate their workforce by working with their human resources departments and employee resource groups or soliciting the help of outside organizations and experts in the field.   

In 2022, Toyota North America (No. 4 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list and No. 1 on Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for LGBTQ Employees) introduced first-time training and education around gender identity.   

“We’ve made it virtual and it’s available anytime somebody wants to do it,” says Stephen Lewis, General Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at Toyota North America. “We’ve heard great feedback on that.”  

Education can take other forms. Accenture offers robust internal programs, including specialized training, networking support and mentoring for our LGBTIQ+ employees.  

“More than 650 people have participated in LGBTIQ+ Leaders Learning, our leadership development program that provides high-potential LGBTIQ+ people and allies with the information, tools and support to continue to build their careers and develop into LGBTIQ+ role models and leaders,” says Bailey. “The trainings are hosted virtually in all locations where Accenture has a presence.” 

Use Inclusive Language and Communication 

As companies look to become more welcoming to members of the LGTBQ+ community, preferred pronouns and gender-neutral language has become more commonplace. Research shows the number of people who know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns such as “they” instead of “he” or “she” is slowly increasing.   

“It’s not as easy as saying straight or gay and then male, female or transgender,” says Lewis. “There are a lot of different nuances that our team members are identifying with. We want to be current and do the right thing by our team members. We also tapped our team members on the shoulder to help us identify the appropriate categories that people can identify with.” 

Self-identification campaigns have been integral in Toyota North America supporting LGBTQ+ workers. 

“As part of that, we included pronouns and then we relied on the ERG to help us with the pronouns too,” says Lewis. “It’s not just him, her and they, which are the three obvious choices. A lot of team members would identify as she/they, so we made sure we captured that in the pronoun identification as well. Just listening to the voice of the team members has been a big help for us.” 

Employers can also promote inclusive language and communication throughout the organization, including job postings, employee handbooks and company-wide communications.  

In 2022, KPMG released its first Global LGBTQ+ Inclusion Statement. The document sets the tone for the firm at the global level and presents a unified voice in support of LGBTQ+ people and communities.   

Pride Month, Public Advocacy and Partnerships 

Recognizing and celebrating important LGBTQ+ milestones and events, such as Pride Month and the International Transgender Visibility Day, can demonstrate an employer’s commitment to inclusivity.  

“As part of our (Accenture’s) ongoing commitment to advance LGBTIQ+ inclusion, we celebrate key LGBTIQ+ observances throughout the year – such as Bi Visibility Day, Coming Out Day, Transgender Visibility Day and more,” says Bailey. “This Pride season, we removed the colors from our flag as a call to pause, reflect on the meaning of Pride and commit to accelerating a more equal future.” 

In addition to Toyota North America’s policies and programs, the company also supports LGBTQ+ workers through partnerships with organizations like the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Human Rights Campaign. 

“We also partner with LGBTQ community centers around the country in locations where we do business,” says Lewis. “We’re taking a 360 approach to it and we’re doing the very best we can to make Toyota a place where LGBTQ team members can thrive.” 

Companies can also use tools like Fair360’s Pride Month: Meeting in a Box to highlight significant moments in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and representation and further cultural competence education on the LGBTQ+ community. 

Not only does an inclusive onboarding process positively impact employee satisfaction, retention, productivity and engagement, but it also contributes to a favorable employer brand. Yet, only 12% of employees believe their organization does a great job onboarding new employees, according to research from Gallup. 

“The result of onboarding is that the individual is confident of their ability to succeed, has the tools and knowledge to enable them to succeed and that they’re engaged and driven to succeed,” says Doug Hammond, Division President, Randstad Inhouse Services at Randstad USA (No.16 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list). “If you don’t deliver on those three, you will fail.” 

Demonstrate Inclusion from Day One 

Almost half of the respondents in a Gallup survey say they want to work for an equitable, inclusive company that welcomes all types of people. Hammond says companies must “put their flag in the ground” and demonstrate their commitment to equity and inclusion.  

“That isn’t something that should go unsaid from the beginning,” he says. “That should be established, then the employee will see it in their everyday lives. They’ll not only hear it, but they’ll believe it because they’re living it.” 

Businesses often make the mistake of focusing on getting new hires to start working as quickly as possible rather than integrating the workers into the company’s culture. Hammond says a connection is even more critical in our distributive work environment.  

“Every single person I put to work in a Randstad office is set up in our client’s building,” he says. “By that very nature, a lot of them are on their own. They don’t work with anybody else from Randstad face-to-face. It’s important for us to have an onboarding process that not only gives people the tools and knowledge to be successful in their role but integrates them into the culture and integrates the culture into them.” 

In the fall of 2021, KPMG (No. 6 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) introduced a program called Launch @ Lakehouse for its new hires. The program goes beyond a typical onboarding by offering new hires the opportunity to experience KPMG culture and form bonds with colleagues.   

“For this program, we focused on reimagining a traditional “onboarding presentation” as a truly interactive, skills-based learning experience,” says Sandy Torchia, Vice Chair of Talent and Culture at KPMG U.S.  

Teams are presented with scenarios and challenged to apply KPMG values to proposed situations. Interrelated modules on storytelling, personal brand and networking also give learners hands-on preparation for introducing themselves to colleagues and clients. 

Onboarding vs. Orientation  

Most organizations confuse employee orientation with employee onboarding, says Ron Carruci, a contributor to the Harvard Business Review and author of To Be Honest, Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice & Purpose.  

“Employee onboarding is organizational, social and technical – three distinctly different sets of needs,” says Carruci. “Most companies pay some attention to the organizational onboarding – benefits, parking privileges, technology needs, etc., but forget that the greatest predictors of retention and thriving are deep and genuine social connections and early successes. They fail to create the conditions in which these can readily happen.” 

ADP (No. 15 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) says companies should view onboarding as three touchpoints: preboarding, orientation and onboarding. 

Preboarding helps new hires feel a part of the organization before the first day. It can include providing the worker with policy information, including the company’s culture, values and mission. Orientation includes finalizing paperwork and reviewing and electing benefits. Onboarding fully integrates an employee into the company and their new role.  

Staffing and HR experts told the Society for Human Resource Management that the onboarding process should last at least one year. However, ADP says companies spend only seven days onboarding a new hire. In Hammond’s division at Randstad, onboarding for new hires is a 12-week-long process.  

“There’s full buy-in through the organization, from me at the top of the pyramid all the way down to frontline managers,” he says. “Onboarding isn’t an afterthought and it’s not an extra. Onboarding is their job. It’s done during work hours so it doesn’t impact individuals’ lives or put them in a position where they feel like they’re behind because they have to learn their job.” 

Register for Fair360’s webinar The Key to Successfully Onboarding LGBTQ+ Employees on June 14! 

Rethink Onboarding  

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how Americans work. Flexibility is the order of the day, with a growing share of people working a hybrid schedule. Hammond says while the workplace has changed, many companies still haven’t adjusted their onboarding experience.   

“A lot of companies in many industries still look at their onboarding process or many of their processes the way it was pre-pandemic, or even farther back in time which is even worse,” he says. “If everything you’re doing is the same way you were doing it in the 2000s, you totally missed the boat,” he says.   

One survey conducted in 2022 found that most workers start searching for a job within three months of being hired, with younger Gen Zers and Millennials leading the trend. Not only does a negative onboarding process leave new hires feeling excluded, but the organizational costs of employee turnover can range from 90% to 200% of a worker’s annual salary. 

“That’s why you see so much churn in the first year of employment for so many people,” says Hammond. “If they don’t have confidence, they’re going to move on because there are lots of options. It’s even more critical now than it ever was.”  

The top 10 companies on Fair360’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity list have onboarding programs for management and non-management full-time and hourly employees. But onboarding isn’t just for new hires. Recently transferred or promoted workers can also benefit from onboarding when moving to a new role or department.  

Measure Outcomes, Incorporate Feedback 

ADP recommends creating an onboarding program with regular check-ins and checklists to monitor the employees’ progress. Companies can also solicit feedback from new hires with anonymous surveys.  

“We have a 360 feedback loop,” says Hammond. “I have an hour with every one of our new hires as the last step of their onboarding. I’ve got a couple of feeder questions to get people going. It’s full direct feedback. I’m essentially the last face they see in their onboarding program.”  

ADP says establishing and measuring metrics can help determine the onboarding process’ return on investment (ROI). The top 10 companies on Fair360’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity list measure the outcomes of their onboarding programs through employee focus groups and surveys, retention rates of new hires and participation in programs like a new hire buddy system.  

In 2022, The Hershey Company (No. 3 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) expanded its three-part virtual new employee orientation sessions to include Canada, New Ventures and retail employees. The company also leveraged its business resource group leaders to facilitate monthly virtual lunch n’ learn onboarding sessions, which increased participation by more than 40%. 

Keep It Personal 

Starting a new job can be exciting and stressful, leaving some workers feeling overwhelmed and disconnected. Inclusive onboarding sets the stage for a workplace where every employee feels valued, respected and supported.  

“There’s no one-size-fits-all,” says Carruci. “People from underrepresented groups need especially important care to find their way socially and technically. Organizations are working to improve diverse hiring, but then make it difficult for those hires to build connections within the organization.”  

In 2022, Moody’s Corporation (No. 21 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) launched a global New Hire Orientation program to enhance new hires’ onboarding experience and accelerate their job readiness. Key highlights of the program include a new hire guide and a manager onboarding toolkit, which helps managers support new hires through their onboarding journey. 

Companies also enhance their onboarding experience by utilizing employee resource groups (ERGs) to foster collaboration and help new hires learn about company values and policies. While ERGs play an essential role, Carruci says if a company’s culture isn’t one where belonging is intentionally created, the onboarding process by design will be exclusive, not inclusive.   

“Every employee comes to work looking to validate two questions: ‘Do I matter?’ and ‘Do I belong?’ That’s the importance of social and technical onboarding – to make sure employees know the answer is yes.” 

Khalfani-Cox and her husband took a home equity line of credit on their three-bedroom, three-bathroom ranch home and needed to appraise it. 

This wasn’t the couple’s first experience with home appraisals. Khalfani-Cox was ready with a one-sheet with all the home’s upgrades and improvements. What she wasn’t prepared for was the dismissive home appraiser. 

“An older white man came to the door,” she says. “He looked my husband and me up and down. Then he sped through and did a really quick photographing and measuring of our house.” 

Khalfani-Cox also wasn’t prepared for the low appraisal.  

“He came back with an appraisal that was about $100,000 less than comparable homes in our neighborhood that had recently sold. We had done a $40,000 renovation for our kitchen. We knew we were getting lowballed right off the bat. Sadly, we knew what the cause of it was. It was that we were African American.” 

Throughout history, Black Americans have faced unequal housing opportunities. A lack of representation in real estate-related occupations has been cited as one of the contributors to the disparities.   

“This is a multifaceted problem that requires a multitude of solutions at the policy level – certainly at the level of corporations and the industry, whether that’s the banking and lending industry, the appraisal industry, the real estate, the brokerage industry and more,” says Khalfani-Cox. “I do think representation matters.”   

Appraisal Bias 

According to research from the Brookings Institution, homes in majority-Black neighborhoods are valued up to 23% below non-Black communities, resulting in $162 billion in lost equity. The devaluing of Black homes is also a systemic problem in predominantly white areas, as Khalfani-Cox experienced.  

The home appraisal industry is overwhelmingly white and property appraisers are less likely than other real-estate-related occupations to be people of color.  

“We observe in education and health that greater diversity – specifically more people of color in those in sectors serving other people of color – have resulted in better outcomes for patients and students of color,” says Michael Neal, Principal Research Associate in the Housing Finance Center at the Urban Institute. “The same can potentially be true here. If there is racial bias, whether conscious or unconscious, diversifying the industry can help with that.” 

The Appraiser Diversity Initiative, a collaboration with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Appraisal Institute and the National Urban League, aims to eliminate disparities in appraiser demographics by providing new entrants with education and resources. U.S. Bank (No. 11 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) has launched a trainee program for residential appraisers to increase Black representation in appraiser roles.  

After the low appraisal, Khalfani-Cox and her husband immediately contacted their bank. A second appraisal was conducted at their own expense. But this time, a Black appraiser arrived at their home.   

“He was very meticulous,” she says. “He very carefully measured our property.” 

The appraiser also took pictures of all the rooms, but not before instructing the couple to take down their family photos. The process has been described as “whitewashing,” when non-white homeowners remove evidence they live in their home before an appraisal.  

“It was erasure,” she says. “Talk about having to battle toxic racism and structural inequality. We can’t even be represented in the pictures? The man was trying to pull our coattails and tip us. Even though we were so upset, my husband relented and we took the pictures down.” 

The second appraisal returned $100,000 higher than the previous one. Khalfani-Cox’s story is not uncommon. Not only does appraisal discrimination prevent homeowners of color from building generational wealth, but it also perpetuates the racial wealth gap. 

“It was disturbing to me overall,” she says. “I think about all of the sapped wealth. All of the disenfranchisement. All of the ways in which people who are less familiar with the process don’t have the same access to information or knowledge that I possess and who may not have even been aware that they were unjustly lowballed.” 

READ: How Appraisal Discrimination Devalues Homes Owned By People of Color  

Housing Discrimination   

The real estate professional industry is overwhelmingly white. While Blacks make up more than 14% of the U.S. population, only 5% of real estate agents are Black.  

“If you have a group of people who are racially prejudiced and at the same time, they’re the ones in positions of power, then you run the risk of racially discriminatory outcomes taking place,” says Neal.  

More than 50 years after the Fair Housing Act of 1968, race-based discrimination in housing continues to be a problem.  

Blockbusting is when real estate agents encourage white homeowners to sell their homes for low prices by convincing them minorities are moving into the neighborhood.   

“Real estate agents and speculators and others used the business strategy that allowed them to purchase homes that were owned by white Americans at cheap rates and then turn around and sell those same properties at steep prices to African Americans who had very limited housing options,” says Nikitra Bailey, Executive Vice President of the National Fair Housing Alliance.  “That was the way the market operated for many years.” 

Steering is when an agent guides someone to buy or rent a home in a specific area because of their race, disability, religion or other legally protected characteristics. 

“The industry has admitted that white real estate agents did engage in steering, which resulted in Black homebuyers buying lower-valued homes in less desirable neighborhoods,” says Neal. “This is critical because it contextualizes the homeownership rate gap and that there’s a need to close that inequity.” 

In 2020, The National Association of Realtors (NAR) apologized for its role in perpetuating housing discrimination. The organization, which once supported policies like steering and excluded members because of their race, reports that its demographics are changing.  

“Based on the 2022 data, Hispanics accounted for 11% of Realtors and this is up from 9% in the previous year,” says Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist & Director of Real Estate Research at the NAR. “Then we have Black Americans with 8% and Asians with 5%. New members tended to be more diverse than experienced members. Among those who have two years of experience or less, 37% were minorities which is up from 34% last year.” 

Mortgage Denials  

According to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, minorities are significantly underrepresented among loan officers, adversely affecting borrowers’ access to credit.  

Minority applicants are less likely to be approved than white applicants working with the same white loan officer when automated underwriting systems aren’t used. However, minority applicants are more likely to be approved and less likely to default when working with minority loan officers—especially when the officer is of the same race/ethnicity. 

Mortgage denials are a significant obstacle for Black Americans trying to get a piece of the American Dream. Not only does the group have the lowest homeownership rate, but the Black-white homeownership gap is the largest it’s been in a decade.  

All mortgage loan providers on Fair360’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity list have diversity goals set or approved by their Executive Diversity Council and are focused on improving opportunities for ethnically diverse populations. 

“A year ago, we hired 12 new Black mortgage loan officers across the country who are part of the bank’s first-ever training and development program designed to deliver on Access Home’s commitment to creating future mortgage leaders who represent all the communities the banks serve, starting with Black consumers,” says Lenny McNeill, Executive Vice President, Strategic Markets and Affordable Lending, U.S. Bank. “Mortgage experience wasn’t required to participate.”  

The U.S. Bank Access Home Program first targeted the Black community, where the disparities are the largest. In 2023 and beyond, the bank will expand its focus to include the Hispanic community.  

TD Bank (No. 20 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) is also transforming its mortgage salesforce to increase homeownership in the Black community. Michael Innis-Thompson, Senior Vice President, Head of Community Lending & Development & Fair Lending Center of Excellence at TD Bank believes increasing representation in the banking field can help prospective customers feel more comfortable and welcome. 

“The assumptions that we’ve made are actually playing out in the actual data that we’re seeing in the loans that are being produced by diverse loan officers,” he says. “It’s showing that it works. These individuals are reaching customers who otherwise probably would not have trusted the system because they feel more comfortable talking to someone who looks at them. It’s not enough to just hire diverse loan officers, but to ensure they have the tools to be successful across the board.” 

Fifty-two percent of workers are worried about the impact of economic uncertainty on their job security, according to Randstad’s Workmonitor Report. But even as the macroeconomic conditions change, talent maintains the advantage in the worker-employer relationship.  

“The truth is we’re still living in a world of talent scarcity,” says Traci Fiatte, CEO of Randstad North America (No. 19 on Fair360’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list). “While the economy has slowed, the most recent BLS report still shows a record-low unemployment rate of 3.4%. There is still demand for workers in the market but a shortage of talent available. Companies are competing for workers and must adapt to find and attract the best talent for their workforce.”  

Workers want more than just competitive pay and benefits. They want a workplace that offers stability, flexibility and inclusivity. Economic worries or not, employers still have their work cut out for them regarding the war on talent.  

Worker Priorities  

By 2025, Gen Z employees, those born in the late ‘90s to early 2010s, are expected to make up 27% of the global workforce.  

“We have Baby Boomers and Gen Xers – I have to admit I’m a Gen Xer – but we’re folks who are retiring,” says Ken Bouyer, Americas Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting at EY (a Fair360 Hall of Fame company). “We got that Gen Z talent coming into the workforce, but with that comes new priorities and demands. They’re looking for stability and benefits that support them personally and professionally and values that align with the work.” 

There’s a new term trending in the workplace called “resenteeism,” which is closely related to quiet quitting. Resenteeism is when workers are visibly unsatisfied with a job but stay in it because of a lack of options. According to a Pew Research Center survey, only 51% of U.S. workers say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job. How are the other half of employees feeling in the workplace? Day-to-day tasks, the amount of feedback they receive and benefits are among the aspects workers are most unhappy about.   

“There are opportunities in the market,” says Bouyer. “My advice would be to assess what you are unhappy about. What is it about your current role you are unhappy about? Is it the work or the person or persons you are working with? 

Whether or not workers find their job enjoyable, most consider work an essential element of their life. 

“The pandemic caused significant shifts for everyone, with companies and workers adjusting to their new dynamics,” says Fiatte. “Many employees learned that work-life balance was not just a nice to have but a requirement as they were forced to blur the lines between work and home.”   

READ: Workplace Fairness Trends to Watch in 2023 

Emphasis on Upskilling   

The World Economic Forum predicts by 2030, more than 1 billion people will need to be reskilled. Having the right skills within an organization is critical for companies as they look to reinvent their business model, reduce costs and manage external economic pressures.   

PwC (a Fair360 Hall of Fame company) says a skills-first approach can create more robust talent pipelines and may help to address skills shortages.  

“Nearly every industry has seen employee shortages and we expect the labor market to remain competitive as people continue to focus on finding a career that provides them with long-term growth opportunities,” says Rod Adams, Talent Acquisition Leader for the U.S. and Mexico and co-lead of the Digital Accelerator program at PwC. “Upskilling gives your people the opportunity to apply their foundational knowledge in new ways by developing important skills that allow them to move across disciplines.” 

To drive even greater value for employees, companies should consider offering upskilling opportunities that are customizable and personalized to each employee’s unique career path. 

“To realistically close the skills gap and help people build the skills they want and need, employers cannot just offer a one-size-fits-all solution,” says Adams. “Investing in upskilling is not only valuable for employees, but also reinforces your organization’s commitment to development and lifelong learning, which is key to attracting talent.” 

If your company provides upskilling opportunities, take advantage of those to develop and gain new skills.  

“Apply your foundational knowledge in a way that energizes you and opens up opportunities that align with your next big career goal,” says Adams. “If you are looking beyond your current employer, being able to showcase tangible leadership experience that accurately reflects the skill set you’ve outlined for yourself is a great way to set yourself apart.”  

READ: Winning the War on Talent in 2023 

Benefit Offerings 

The most valuable benefits companies can provide are those that meet the individual needs of people, both today and in the future, says Adams. 

“This means offering more personalized and customized benefits that provide people with flexibility and support at every stage of their lives. At PwC, we’ve created simplified and tech-enabled solutions, such as our personalized learning platform that provides access to more transparent skill development and various career opportunities. This also includes digital vacation tools that help our people plan and enjoy uninterrupted time off. We also shut down our firm twice a year for a full week to give our people dedicated time to recharge and prioritize their well-being.” 

Workers facing a rapidly rising cost of living are turning to employers for help. Randstad’s data found that workers’ most desired forms of assistance are a monthly cost of living stipend, followed by an increase in pay outside an annual review. Some workers also want help with expenses like energy costs or ways to cut spending with hybrid or flexible schedules. 

“With many companies cutting back on expenses, providing additional compensation may be challenging,” says Fiatte. “Alternatively, organizations can rely on other benefits like flexibility in hours or location, providing learning opportunities or supporting their workers with other programs.” 

Bouyer says workers looking for opportunities outside their companies must be thoughtful when looking at benefits. 

“Before you step foot in an organization, do your research,” says Bouyer. “Because many organizations through social media now really do a good job of informing the public who they are.”   

Focus on Flexibility 

A flexible workplace is beneficial for both employers and employees. It can boost productivity and help companies attract and retain talent by promoting a trust-based workplace culture. Flexibility has become an essential requirement in the post-pandemic workplace. 

“Companies responded to the pandemic by creating new policies that allowed for more flexibility for workers, whether that meant working remotely when possible or offering flexible schedules,” says Fiatte. “While that’s changing daily, it’s important to remember that there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution here. Instead, organizations must adapt to allow for flexibility in their strategies because it’s become an expectation of their workforce.” 

But it’s not just employers that need to be flexible.  

“As we continue to see the world change at such an unprecedented pace, it’s important to look for candidates who have proven they’re capable of building relationships and driving impact across different hybrid working environments,” says Adams. “To continuously adapt to new ways of working, we need to be able to connect and collaborate effectively, whether our teams are in-person, virtual or some hybrid combination.”    

Workers that are flexible with the changing workplace and have the needed skills will end up ahead of the game. 

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional,” says Bouyer. “Having a growth mindset is critical for everyone. If you focus on that and build your resume every day, you’ll be just fine.”  

When the United States first began tracking workers’ hours in 1890, it was common for manufacturing employees to work up to 100 hours a week. When Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, the U.S. limited the workweek to 44 hours. Two years later, the workweek was amended to 40 hours and became the workplace norm for almost a century.    

Andrew Barnes says a change is long overdue. 

“Humans are no different from machines. You don’t run a machine full stop and don’t give it maintenance and downtime. But we do that with our people, which makes no sense to me,” says the co-founder of 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit organization advocating for a four-day workweek with no reduction in pay and benefits.  

“Recognizing that how we work in the 21st century is not how we worked in the 20th century. Cognitive ability and creativity are far more important now. To make our minds work optimally, you need to do things in a different way,” he adds. 

READ: 5 Ways the Employee Experience Will Evolve in 2023 

Transforming the Workplace  

The push for the four-day workweek is underway. 

Over the past few years, many states have considered four-day workweek legislation. Most recently, California introduced a bill to reduce the standard workweek from five to four days, with no reduction in worker pay. Massachusetts lawmakers filed legislation for a program to create a tax credit for businesses that transitions their workers to a shorter week for the same pay.  

In addition, pilot programs launched in the U.S., U.K., Ireland and other countries have yielded positive results. Barnes stresses that the movement is not about squeezing a 40-hour workweek into four days.   

“What it actually is, is reducing the working week from 39, 40 hours to 80% of that,” he says. “That’s our goal. But we are perfectly happy if somebody can’t get that and they can only get to 35 hours. Brilliant. Equally, we’ve got companies with people working 50, 60 hours a week. You can’t get down from 50, 60 to 30 in one go. So, 50 to 60 drops to 40 something. It’s a win.” 

Barnes says extra time is one of the most valuable things employers can offer in the war on talent.  

“You’re worried about 80%, 90% of people who say they want more time,” he says. “Give them that and chances are you’re going to attract and retain better people.” 

Implementing a four-day workweek may be easier said than done in today’s jobs market, says Peter F. Orazem, Professor of Economics at Iowa State University. 

“On an average month, we have 4 million unfilled vacancies per month in the United States,” he says. “It’s probably easier to go from a five-day workweek to a four-day workweek when you’ve got a lot of workers available. It’s a little harder to do when you don’t have enough – when firms are begging for the number of workers they have.” 

READ: Winning the War on Talent in 2023 

Examining Pilot Results  

Studies show workers prefer a four-day workweek because it makes them more productive, happier and healthier. The findings from the global trials confirm the same.  

In 2022, 4 Day Week Global coordinated four-day workweek trials in the U.S., Ireland, the U.K. and other countries. While companies reported improved productivity and revenue gains, workers said there were significant drops in stress and improvements in their work-life balance.   

“If you have less stress, then you have less sick days,” says Barnes. “If you have less sick days, your productivity goes up. If you have people who are healthier and happier, they’re more likely to stay. That means you have less open positions. You find it easier to recruit. You get talent. If you get better talent, you get better output, and so on. We all know about this as business leaders. It’s just we don’t do it.” 

Sean Kosofsky researched the four-day workweek for nine months before implementing a pilot at the climate change nonprofit he worked for.   

“By May 2022, we decided to do a 90-day pilot and rolled it out. It was nearly flawless and we never went back,” he says.   

Kosofsky says four-day workweeks should not be viewed as a workplace benefit. 

“You’re offering them a method of getting the same job done, but faster,” he says. “What you’re saying is, ‘I’m going to let you choose if you want to have Fridays off to get all of your work done by Thursday, end of day. I’m going to authorize you to slash meetings. I’m going to give you the tools you need to do this.’” 

A potential byproduct of shorter workweeks is reduced carbon emissions. Fewer people going to the office means less commuting time, lower air pollution and electricity consumption. Barnes says for four-day workweeks to succeed, employees and businesses must benefit.  

“You can’t have the employees getting something and the business not getting something,” he says. “Everybody wins on this. The Irish campaign has a tagline that says #betterforeveryone. I think that’s actually true.” 

Barnes says the pilots follow the 100-80-100 concept, a model PwC (a DiversityInc Powered by Fair360 Hall of Fame company) adopted in a four-day workweek trial in the U.K. last summer.  

“It’s better from a work-life balance perspective. But that’s not at the heart of our model, which is this 180, 100 concept,” he says. “100% pay. 80% time. 100% productivity and by definition, 100% customer service.” 

READ: Tips for Working Through Workplace Trauma 

Implementing Flexible Schedules  

Ten percent of companies offer their workers a four-day workweek, a slight increase from 2022, according to Payscale’s 2023 Compensation Best Practices report. Orazem stresses that a four-day workweek isn’t the right solution for every company or industry.  

“If you have workers working shifts, like in hospitals, or police or fire, it’s much more common to have a four-day workweek with a longer stint because it works well for those types of jobs,” says Orazem. “It’s not common in education. If you want your kids in school, you’re not as keen that they are only in school four days a week.” 

Northwell Health (a DiversityInc Powered by Fair360 Hall of Fame company) has tested four-day workweeks with its nurse practitioners and physician assistants in cancer services. In its employee engagement surveys, many workers said they would like a flexible work schedule. The healthcare provider has already implemented three-day workweeks with nurses in inpatient settings.  

“We’re starting to look at and explore the possibility in our non-clinical areas and our clinical areas in the outpatient setting,” says Jonathan Sobel, VP of Strategic Workforce Planning at Northwell Health. “How can we potentially improve that flexibility for folks to give them more work-life integration?”  

Kosofsky says organizations must anticipate how a four-day workweek will impact their business. Nonprofits should evaluate how stakeholders and donors may respond to the changes. Companies with generous paid time off may also need to revamp their policies.  

“By the end of the year, people had not used their paid time off and that’s not something we want to encourage,” he says. “There was a lot of end-loading of the paid time off at the end of the year. People were really off in December. We hadn’t anticipated with all the additional time to pull back on the PTO.” 

While most companies participating in the 4 Day Week Global trials said they wanted to continue, some abandoned the experiment. Orazem says only time will tell if the trials will become permanent fixtures in the workplace.  

“One of the things you worry about is that most of the experiments are relatively short-lived,” he says. “It may be that it’s great for six months but not so great over six years.” 

“As a Haitian American, celebrating Haitian Heritage Month is significant because it allows us to recognize and honor Haitian Americans’ contributions to the fabric of American society,” says Hans Patrick Domercant, President of the Haitian Chamber of Commerce. “Haitian Americans have significantly contributed to medicine, business, education, politics and culture. Celebrating these accomplishments helps to highlight our rich history, cultural heritage and the ongoing impact that we have on American society.” 

The first Haitian Heritage Month was celebrated in May 1998 in the United States. The Haitian diaspora celebrates the observance worldwide. It coincides with Haitian Flag Day, the month Haiti gained independence from France in 1804.   

Events in Haitian American History  

Haitian American history is rich and complex, with many key moments helping shape the experiences of Haitians in the United States.  

1791-1804: The Haitian Revolution led to the establishment of Haiti as an independent nation, recognized by the United States in 1862. 

1915-1934: Following the assassination of Haitian president Jean Vilbrun Guillaume, the United States occupied Haiti under the guise of “restoring order” and “promoting economic stability.”   

The 1960s-1980s: A wave of immigrants came to the United States to escape the oppressive regime of François “Papa Doc” Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier.   

1991-1994: In the early 1990s, thousands of Haitians attempted to flee their country by boat, seeking refuge in the United States. The U.S. government responded with a controversial policy of intercepting and repatriating Haitian migrants, which was criticized for violating international human rights law. 

1998: The Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA), enacted by Congress in 1998, granted legal permanent residency to certain Haitian nationals residing in the United States.  

2010: A devastating earthquake struck Haiti, killing over 200,000 people and leaving millions homeless. Following the quake, the U.S. granted Temporary Protection Status (TPS) to approximately 55,000 immigrants. TPS allows migrants from countries with unsafe conditions to reside and work legally in the U.S.   

2022: The United States extended the protected status program that prevents Haitian migrants from being deported to mid-2024.  

Haiti Facts and Firsts 

Once the wealthiest colony in the Caribbean, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Political instability, civil unrest and recurrent natural disasters have contributed to its fragility.   

Haiti was the first independent Black republic in the world. The country declared independence from France on Jan. 1, 1804, after the first and only successful slave rebellion in modern history.  

Haiti is one of the most densely populated and least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere. 

Haiti is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean and one of the most biodiverse countries in the West Indies.  

Haiti is home to one of the world’s largest solar-powered hospitals, the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais. 

The Citadel, located in northern Haiti, is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere. 

Notable Haitian Americans 

From politics to entertainment, here are some people of Haitian descent who have made significant contributions to American society: 

W.E.B. Du Bois, civil rights activist, scholar and writer, was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1895.  

Karine Jean-Pierre made history in 2022 as the first Black and openly gay White House Press Secretary. 

Jeremiah Hamilton was Wall Street’s first Black millionaire. When he died in 1875, his estate was worth about $2 million, or about $250 million in 2015. 

Mia Love was the first Haitian-American and first Black Republican woman in Congress for Utah’s 4th Congressional district. 

Wyclef Jean is a Grammy-award-winning artist and former member of the Fugees, one of the best-selling rap groups of all time. 

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is the first Haitian American Democrat elected to Congress, representing Florida’s 20th Congressional District. 

Claudine Gay will become the 30th and first Black President of Harvard University on July 1, 2023.  

The Haitian American Experience in the U.S. 

As of 2020, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) says an estimated 705,000 Haitians lived in the United States, the world’s largest Haitian immigrant population. Once they arrive in the U.S., their experience is often varied.   

The Cato Institute says within four years of residency in the U.S., Haitian immigrants have an employment rate of nearly 80%, which is higher than the population on average. In 2018, the percentage of Haitians 25 and older in the U.S. with a high school degree or higher was greater than the total foreign-born population. But compared to all immigrant groups, Haitians were more likely to have lower household incomes, participate in the labor force and work in service occupations, according to the MPI. Haitian immigrants were also less likely to be in management and related jobs than foreign- and native-born groups.  

“One of the biggest challenges is discrimination and prejudice based on race, ethnicity and immigration status,” says Domercant. “As a result, many Haitian Americans have experienced barriers in accessing education, employment opportunities and healthcare services.” 

The Haitian American Policy Institute’s workplace policy recommendations include expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, strengthening worker protections by defending the right of public and private sector workers to collectively bargain and improving access to workforce development training for individuals with low education and English language attainment.  

Language is an integral part of Haitian culture. Haitian Creole, a French-based Creole language, is spoken by most people in Haiti and over 10 million worldwide. The language emerged as a form of African resistance against slavery during the 17th and 18th centuries and can be heard in many Haitian American homes. Domercant says Haitian Americans face challenges in maintaining their cultural identity while assimilating to American culture.  

“Despite these challenges, Haitian Americans persevere and make valuable contributions to American society,” he says. “By celebrating Haitian Heritage Month, we can raise awareness of these contributions and work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive community for all.” 

“In some households, including mine, that’s grown folks’ business. That’s grown folks’ conversation. Nobody talked about money at all.”  

Grant’s grandparents raised her until she was 12 and then she moved in with her mom. She remembers the five-inch high stack of credit cards her mother used when shopping. 

“I knew as a child if we went to the store, I could get whatever I wanted. She would use a credit card, we would walk out of the store and we’d be fine.”  

Grant also learned that actions have consequences.  

“My mom had to file bankruptcy,” she says. “My grandparents had to file bankruptcy. Then my mom went through a foreclosure. Seeing all that as a child, I put two and two together and thought it must result from all these credit cards and things like debt accumulation.” 

According to Pew Research, most Black Americans experience economic insecurity, with roughly seven in 10 saying their finances were in fair or poor shape.   

Grant was determined not to be one of those people. 

The Financial Literacy Gap 

The data doesn’t lie. The United States has a financial literacy problem.  

Only 57% of U.S. adults are financially literate, meaning they have basic knowledge of financial concepts like interest, inflation, risk diversification and compound interest. According to a 2022 report from TIAA (No. 8 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list), it’s even worse for Black and Hispanic Americans when compared to other groups.  

“If you look at whites and Asian Americans, at least 20% of them have very high levels of financial literacy. But for Black and Hispanic Americans, the number is less than 6%,” says Paul Yakoboski, Senior Economist at the TIAA Institute. “Those racial gaps in financial literacy levels are significant threats to many in those communities. To be sure, the gaps have nothing to do with capability. They’re more likely because of systemic factors and demographic differences, such as age, education and income.” 

TIAA also found that people with a low level of financial literacy are twice as likely to have decreased their retirement savings and more than four times as likely to have stopped saving for retirement compared to their peers with very high levels of financial literacy. 

“Cutting back on retirement savings may appear to be a painless way to cope, but it involves costs that those with greater financial literacy may be more aware of, such as lost employer-matching contributions and lost compounding over time of the money that is not saved,” says Yakoboski.  

READ: The Retirement Race Gap: An Uncertain Future for People of Color  

With low financial literacy rates comes stress and anxiety about money and finances, primarily among Black and Hispanic adults.  

Aya Egbuho remembers questioning why her primary caretaker struggled to pay the rent when the amount was the same monthly.  

“I internalized a lot of emotional baggage around financial literacy, fear, anxiety, avoidance and that’s not the way to go,” she says.  

The anxiety about money continued when Egbuho was older.   

“I would have more than enough money,” she says. “I was paying all my bills on time, but still feeling so anxious. For me, a lot of it was a feeling thing. I just dreaded it. One day it hit me. I was reading a book, not even about financial literacy. I was reading a book about something else. Maybe you have these feelings because you don’t know too much. So it’s time for you to learn about it.” 

READ: The Inheritance No One Wants: Breaking Generational Poverty 

Educating the Next Generation of Workers  

Most Americans think schools should teach financial literacy. Yet, only 23 states require students to take a course in personal finance to graduate, according to an annual survey from the Council for Economic Education.  

“A lot of them are leaving it up to the school district and to the educators to figure out how to integrate some key concepts into their coursework,” says Bonnie Wallace, Head of Financial Health Philanthropy at Wells Fargo (No. 32 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 companies for Diversity list). “There’s not a lot of standardization in terms of content or curriculum, and there’s very little measurement going on.” 

Wallace says that’s why digging beyond the state mandates is essential.  

“One, are the teachers trained? Two, do they have a curriculum, resources and tools? And three, are those curriculum resources and tools deployed equally across that state? We know that there’s a lot of inequity with schools to begin with,” she says. “We start with a situation where there’s inequity in the community and then you layer on top of that inequity in the efforts to provide financial education.” 

READ: Unbanked and Unstable: The Financial Dilemma for Low-Income and Communities of Color  

Financial Literacy for All is a 10-year national initiative to educate millions of youth and young adults. Member organizations include U.S. Bank (No. 11 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) and Mastercard (No. 1 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list). 

Companies like TIAA and Wells Fargo are targeting the next generation’s workforce by teaching financial literacy to students as young as kindergarten and as advanced as college. Since 2015, EVERFI has powered TIAA’s community impact and education initiatives, serving more than 25,000 K-12 learners. Wells Fargo’s Money Matters program collaborates with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to improve financial wellness for college students of color. 

“We believe at HBCUs that these students can be catalysts for closing the racial wealth gap,” says Wallace. “Not only do they have the ability to change their financial situation, but many of the HBCUs — and I would probably dare say all — focus on giving back to the community.”  

READ: The Cost of Getting Sick: Black Americans and Medical Debt 

Financial Wellness at Work  

A little more than half of employers offer financial wellness programs, including investment and planning education or webinars that provide broad-based financial knowledge, according to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). The EBRI notes that increased adoption of the programs could be challenging as companies weigh increased costs and the impact on productivity, worker satisfaction, attraction and retention.  

“More employers should consider taking steps toward empowering employees,” says Yakoboski. 

“Help them learn more about their financial wellness before they reach the age of retirement. Just like companies offer medical benefits, financial wellness benefits should also be a given. The end objective is not financial literacy for the sake of financial literacy. The end objective is financial well-being and financial security.” 

Capital One (No. 28 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) focuses on giving its employees the same support as its customers. The company recently launched a financial literacy program to help workers understand their financial situations.   

“Through 30-minute self-paced modules with articles and webinars, our associates can learn practical strategies for building savings, sticking to a budget, and getting rid of debt — the topics we heard are most important to them,” says Ralph Haro, Managing Vice President of New to Credit at Capital One. “These programs are helping build healthy habits to improve financial well-being, lower financial stress, and feel healthier all around.”   

READ: What is Health Equity? 

Financial literacy and financial wellness are interconnected. People with higher financial literacy tend to have more retirement and non-retirement savings and manage their debt better. The National Urban League says that’s especially true for Black Americans. 

Grant’s childhood experiences inspired her to start a financial counseling and education website. She wishes financial wellness programs had been available when she entered the workforce. 

“Employees spend eight or nine hours of their day at the job, so they’re there the majority of their waking hours,” says Grant. “People that may not have access to financial wellness outside of the employer still have to show up at work every day. As an employer, you could be the catalyst that helps your employees develop better spending habits and budgeting skills.” 

Egbuho believes that financial wellness programs will only be effective if they are mandatory. She stresses that companies need to be sensitive in their approach in a way that fosters equity.   

“You have to account for things, such as people’s backgrounds. People have different starting points,” says Egbuho. “If you don’t have X, Y, and Z and you tell me it’s the basics, I’m already feeling excluded. You’re not accounting for those people.” 

Elena Richards, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at KPMG (No. 6 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) emphasized the importance of building trust at Fair360’s (formerly DiversityInc) 2023 Top 50 event, “The Link Between Leadership Accountability and Data Standardization.” During her Top 50 Talk, “Enhancing Support for People Through Self-Identification,” she stressed the importance of continuous listening.  

“When you think about the surveys that we are all participating in, you want to hear the sentiment of your employees,” said Richards. “You want to hear and provide access for them to give you information. My team will hear me say this all the time; feedback is a gift.” 

KPMG’s employee resource groups play a significant role in getting that feedback.  

“We have a third of our professionals that are a part of our business resource groups,” she said. “They are a mighty community, swelling things up from the top to the bottom, sharing with us what we should focus on. That’s helping us to evolve our strategy because you’re hearing from your employees.” 

Richards admits the process can be challenging. KPMG has executed the campaign slowly, with the help of its colleagues. But the results are evident. In 2022, the KPMG saw an average increase of 21.4% in self-ID rates among its veterans, LGBTQ Employees and People with Disabilities. KPMG is using its findings to examine the benefits they offer to their workers.  

“I know we’re going to celebrate the wins because that’s the thing that’s going to keep us going,” she said. “We all know that there’s more work to be done. And that’s going to keep us accountable.” 

Click here for more articles, videos and photos from the 2023 Top 50 event.  

 Marshall, along with Carolynn Johnson, CEO of Fair360 (formerly DiversityInc), Karen S. Carter, President of Packaging & Specialty Plastics at Dow (No. 7 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) and Dr. Alveda Williams, Chief Inclusion Officer at Dow, shared the importance of support systems for women of color at the 2023 Top 50 event, where the theme was “The Link Between Leadership Accountability and Data Standardization.” 

After a 36-year career with AT&T, Marshall was approached to help Dow reignite its equity and inclusion efforts. Marshall sponsored Carter as Dow’s first Chief Inclusion Officer. Mark Cuban also chose Marshall to lead the Dallas Mavericks during that time. Both women were determining if they should take the roles.   

“When I got the call, I was very hesitant,” said Carter. “The first call I made was to Cynt. What she said to me back then is what I said to her at that moment, which was: ‘This is not about you sister. This is about the moment. This is about the movement. This is also about all those people, some of which look like us, will believe they can because we did.’”  

Carter says one of the most significant lessons she learned from Marshall was the importance of “sending the elevator back down.” Carter paid it forward when she selected Dr. Alveda Williams as Dow’s Corporate Director of Inclusion. 

“They put the brand of Karen S. Carter and Cynt Marshall behind me. They were vested and invested in me,” said Williams.  

One of the first connections Marshall suggested Carter and Williams make was Johnson. 

“Folks are constantly looking for examples of how we show up for one another and what the outcomes, the people and their stories are,” she said. “After tonight, you do not have to look any further. When we support each other, when we show up, when we are fair in our selection process, this is what happens.” 

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The CEOs of Eli Lilly & Company, Centene Corporation and Northwell Health spoke about what the companies are doing to expand health equity at the Fair360 (formerly DiversityInc) 2023 Top 50 event: “The Link Between Leadership Accountability and Data Standardization.” 

Sarah London, CEO at Centene Corporation (No. 37 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list), is working to transform the communities it serves by addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). SDOH are the conditions in which people live, work and worship that impact their health outcomes.  

“We can start to do the math differently and say, what is the right investment and the right resources to drive health outcomes in an open aperture and think about access to healthy foods, transportation, jobs, security, things like that,” she said.  

Eli Lilly & Company (No. 5 on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) has been making products for people with diabetes for 100 years. Dave Ricks, Chair and CEO, said the COVID-19 pandemic forced the company to look deeper into the disparities it witnessed.  

“We thought about this problem,” he said. “But to be honest, I think the urgency of the pandemic forced new thinking and new ways of working, starting with how we develop our own products to make sure that the data we present about their effectiveness is inclusive of all communities.” 

Michael Dowling, President and CEO Northwell Health (a DiversityInc Hall of Fame Company) urged organizations to work together to solve health inequities rather than operating in silos.   

“You can act as a catalyst to get other people to work together. If we work together more, we can have an enormous effect,” he said. “There’s a collective responsibility here we all have to take responsibility for. To me, that’s the responsibility of leadership in every organization.” 

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Fair360, formerly DiversityInc, tackled the topic in the panel “The State of the Chief Diversity Officer” at the 2023 Top 50 event “The Link Between Leadership Accountability and Data Standardization.” 

While budgets and DEI positions are being cut, companies that are focused on workplace fairness will remain steadfast in their commitment, said Adrienne Trimble, Vice President and Chief Diversity and Culture Officer for Sysco Corporation (No. 17 on the Fair360 2023 Top Companies for Talent Acquisition for Women of Color). 

“When you make it a strategic part of the business strategy, you can’t just pull it out because it’s so embedded into how you show up in the things you actually do,” she said.  

Wanda Hope, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Johnson & Johnson (a Hall of Fame Company), said aligned thinking and strategy at all levels of an organization is essential to advancing DEI.  

“When we do that, we can lift the entire organization and drive greater progress,” she said.  

When asked how she navigates DEI’s challenges, including increased political rhetoric and staff reductions, Alicia Petross, Chief Diversity Officer for The Hershey Company (No. 3 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) said it all comes back to commitment.  

“Certainly there are challenges out there,” she said. “We know that our business is stronger and healthier. We know that our colleagues grow the more diverse and inclusive we are. It’s great for our bottom line. It’s great for employees and also helps fuel the communities where we operate.” 

Click here for more articles, videos and photos from the 2023 Top 50 event.