It’s 2022, there is no shortage of open roles in Austin. If you’re looking to land somewhere with a serious commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the options start to narrow, at least regarding companies that will go on the record and talk about how their goals are measured and tracked. There are some companies that are happy to discuss their DEI goals, though, including BigCommerce, H-E-B and Dealerware.
All three spoke with Built In about their DEI goals for 2022 and how they’re planning to reach them. For BigCommerce and H-E-B, the focus is on providing increased support to established employee resource groups (ERGs). Dealerware plans to establish ERGs of its own and will also prioritize recruiting and retaining diverse talent and creating equitable growth plans for all employees.
Continue reading to learn more about the goals of each company, what they are designed to accomplish and how they are being tracked and measured.
Gabriela Vargas, a UX researcher at Dealerware, told Built In that the company is the most inclusive place she’s ever worked. To Vargas, this is because they “walk the walk” when it comes to its internal DEI commitments, which for 2022 center around recruiting and retaining diverse talent, creating a more safe and equitable workplace and developing equitable employee growth plans.
What’s one way you’re committing to improving diversity, equity and inclusion at Dealerware in 2022?
The mission of the Dealerware diversity, equity and inclusion council is to impact the employee experience by fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity, intersectionality and multicultural inclusion. Dealerware has made a lot of progress since forming our DEI council in 2020. In 2021, we completed an extensive review of employee policies through a DEI lens. We also arranged educational and celebratory events for Juneteenth, the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Black History Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Diwali and Veterans Day.
Our 2022 objectives are the following: Make Dealerware a leader in recruiting and retaining diverse talent; create the most safe and inclusive workplace; and establish an equitable growth path for every employee. Each objective has several measurable key results that will help us know if we are achieving our goals. For example, to create the most safe and inclusive workplace, we’ll build employee resource groups, each with executive sponsorship and their own budget.
In 2021, we completed an extensive review of employee policies through a DEI lens.”
What do you plan to do to fulfill this commitment? And how is leadership supporting these efforts?
As part of our developed objectives and key results framework, we will have owners for each key result who will report on their accomplishments in the previous week, their work for the current week, and any obstacles. We believe the success of our goals will take collaboration between DEI council members, company leaders and all employees.
The Dealerware leadership team is dedicated to the DEI council and our initiatives. Each of our 2022 objectives will have a sponsor from the leadership team and the DEI council to remove blockers and ensure overall progress. We also meet once per quarter with the leadership team to share updates, socialize ideas and assign action items.
Past partnership with company leaders has led to more intentional recruitment of diverse talent and improved transparency around the demographic data of our workforce. We’re shining new light on demographic data related to pay and career development, which helps ensure equity in employee benefits, company policies and continuing education or other external program offerings.
Why have you decided to make this commitment a priority this year? And how are you holding yourself accountable to it?
Dealerware’s core values and teamwork principles guide who we are and how we work. The first core value is: “We are attentive, inclusive and diverse.”
This applies to the needs of our customers, partners and coworkers, across all ages, races, genders and creeds, because the best solutions come from diverse points of view. DEI is not just a priority for us this year, but every year. We derived our 2022 objectives from qualitative comments regarding the company’s commitment to DEI efforts. We also wanted to make commitments that affect how we operate as a company, forever changing our core culture.
On a professional level, as a UX researcher, I know that we build the best experiences when we consider and involve diverse perspectives. On a personal level, as a queer, Latinx woman with a hidden disability, I feel strongly about fostering a workplace culture that has DEI as a core tenant so that anybody can show up authentically to work. Dealerware is the most inclusive place I have ever worked, and I had faith that because of that, we would do more than “talk the talk.” Two years in, we’re making a demonstrable difference, and we’re all very proud to be walking the walk.
A grocery store chain is not exactly where you’d expect to find an affinity group. That said, H-E-B is taking a different approach to DEI than others in its industry, with the company establishing eight different employee affinity groups during 2021. According to Mayerland Harris, group vice president of talent, the goal in 2022 is to ensure that the company’s 135,000 employees know about these groups and to continue supporting their growth.
What’s one way you’re committing to improving diversity, equity and inclusion at H-E-B in 2022?
H-E-B has a long history of inclusion and belonging as a cultural framework. In 2021, we established our company-wide partner resource groups, or PRGs, which are formally known as affinity groups. My talent team built a strategic plan to ensure that DEIB was woven into everything we do for our partners, or employees. We built a statewide program that elevated our existing affinity groups and added commitments and goals into every aspect of our talent organization, from diversity recruiting practices to pay equity and developmental resources for partners to grow their careers. We also put a greater emphasis on connection and belonging.
We leverage multiple technology resources to provide partners more opportunities for engagement, development, community and advocacy! Today, we have eight company-wide PRG networks: AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), BOLD (Black Owners Leading Diversity), disAbilities, Hispanic, My H-E-B Gen, PRIDE (LGBTQ+), Veterans, and WIN (Women’s Inclusion Network). One of our biggest goals is to continue growing the program and raising awareness about PRGs to our more than 135,000 partners across Texas.
We built a statewide program that elevated our existing affinity groups and added commitments into every aspect of our talent organization.”
What do you plan to do to fulfill this commitment? And how is leadership supporting these efforts?
In 2020, we saw even greater importance for our partners to not only be able to make meaningful connections but also for safe spaces where they could share their experiences, feelings and ask questions. Each of our PRGs is led by an executive sponsor and each group must be sponsored by our executive leadership. Our leadership has seen the impact of these groups and is extremely supportive. Whether it is through engagement with our diversity councils and community events, supporting recruiting efforts and community events, helping partners grow their careers or building spaces and places for connections, the PRGs are doing a lot and they have big plans for the future.
Why have you decided to make this commitment a priority this year? And how are you holding yourself accountable to it?
I firmly believe that these PRGs provide a solid platform for meaningful connections and growth. As one of the largest employers in Texas with a diverse workforce, it’s important our partners feel they belong and are supported, which creates lasting impact that reaches beyond our doors and into our communities. We’re committed to the ongoing success and growth of these groups, to ensure every partner knows that at H-E-B, here, everyone belongs.
An ERG is not something a company can “set and forget.” In order for these groups to be successful and make an impact, they need support from executive leadership, both in terms of guidance as well as financially. Tom Bourdon, VP of diversity, equity and inclusion at BigCommerce, outlined the specific steps his company is taking in 2022 to ensure that its ERGs have the support they need to drive real change.
What’s one way you’re committing to improving diversity, equity and inclusion at Big Commerce in 2022?
In 2022, BigCommerce will put more emphasis than ever on supporting, uplifting and advancing our ERGs. ERGs provide an incredible opportunity for our employees to connect, feel a sense of belonging and help advance our company — both internally and externally — in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion. ERGs also help us identify and advance current and future leaders in our organization. The sky’s the limit in terms of these groups and their impact, and we are so excited to see where BigCommerce ERGs are headed in the years to come!
That said, in 2022, the key goal for our ERGs is to create a strong and sustainable foundation for future growth and impact. We are in the final stages of solidifying a more formal set of practices and procedures that will help guide, unify and align these groups. To further support this goal, BigCommerce is hosting its first-ever “ERG Strategic Planning Summit” for group leaders in early 2022.
In 2022, BigCommerce will put more emphasis than ever on supporting, uplifting and advancing our employee resource groups.”
What do you plan to do to fulfill this commitment? And how is leadership supporting these efforts?
Starting at the top, we want to ensure our ERG leaders get the support they need and acknowledgement they deserve based on all of the incredible work they do. In order to set them up for a successful year, we are providing their members and leaders with ongoing guidance, unique professional and leadership development opportunities, allocated time to put toward ERG activities and various opportunities to engage with company-leadership.
BigCommerce is also taking additional steps to be sure to recognize and thank our ERG leaders for the amazing contributions they are making to our company. In 2022, each ERG’s executive sponsor will also receive more best practice-driven guidance regarding how they can support, elevate and advocate for their respective ERGs and ERG leaders.
We are thinking bigger, and more globally, then ever before. Each ERG will receive a budget along with clear strategic guidance, which will help open up great possibilities for these groups and help them “work smart” and have the greatest impact possible.
Why have you decided to make this commitment a priority this year? And how are you holding yourself accountable to it?
One of the key reasons BigCommerce has repeatedly been ranked one of the best places to work in Austin is our incredible culture. A key factor behind this success is our employees; if they have a great experience, then both our culture and company thrive. We can easily tie this back to our company’s mission of serving merchants at all stages of growth, from startups to multinational enterprises. We can’t serve our vast customer base well without the passion, talent and engagement of all our employees. We want to do all we can to attract, support and retain an employee base that is as diverse as the customers we serve. To do this, we are putting more focus than ever on utilizing our ERGs as a key mechanism to uphold and strengthen our culture.
Supporting and strengthening the ERGs is one of my top three priorities for 2022. It will also be a goal of mine to make sure that leadership throughout the organization is connected to these groups and supportive of their staff. To track impact, we will analyze results and metrics tied to ERG membership, participation, executive leader involvement, internal/external impact and various inclusionary measures.
