Pizza Today June 2021 - 60

The value of workplace DEI
A growing amount of research literature ties workplace diversity to improved
business performance, while there also
exists growing support for businesses
that pursue heightened diversity and
representation with thoughtful initiatives.
In an oft-cited 2019 study published
in the Journal of the National Medical
Association, researchers found " positive
associations between diversity, quality
and financial performance, " including
" improvements to innovation [and]
team communications. " Other research,
meanwhile, has noted the impact of
workforce diversity on analytical thinking and innovation.
" When work environments are
homogeneous, you don't have the best
of everyone, " says Kathleen WilsonThompson, the former head of human
resources for Walgreens Boots Alliance
and Kellogg who now helps companies
unlock human potential and drive more
diverse and equitable workplaces as a
consultant.
A more diverse workforce can also
help a business attract and retain
employees, a particularly important
reality given the industry's notoriously
high turnover rates and training costs. A
2020 survey from Manifest found that
70 percent of job seekers want to work
for a company that demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion. This
rings especially true for younger generations, who, having grown up in a more
diverse world than Boomers and Gen X,
largely see DEI as a business imperative.
Millennials and Gen Z not only want
to work for companies committed to
DEI, but are also choosing to spend
their money with those who share their
values. A recent study from Accenture
focused on the retail sector - a worthy
restaurant industry parallel - found
that 54 percent of younger Millennials
believe retailers have a responsibility to
address wider social and political issues
with regards to diversity, while more
than half reported that they were more
likely to shop at a retailer that demonstrated awareness of such issues. Nearly

one-third, meanwhile, said that staffing diversity influenced their shopping
decisions.
The takeaway? If a business is not
genuinely committed to DEI, then it
could fail to reach its potential, struggle
to attract and retain talent and see consumers take their dollars elsewhere.

Cultivating a more diverse, equitable work environment
Given the tumult COVID-19 delivered, wherein 6 million foodservice jobs
vanished at the onset of the pandemic,
Wilson-Thompson reminds that restaurant employees enter a " new world
order for labor. " As economies continue
to reopen and dining rooms reacquaint
themselves with guests, it is important
restaurant workers feel appropriately
trained and supported to deal with new
regulations, rules and policies. While
staff training might not be universally
equated with DEI, Wilson-Thompson
contends it stands just as critical a part
of creating a stronger, safer work environment.
" How we bring these people back
into the workplace matters, " WilsonThompson says. " To throw people out
there without the necessary training
invites issues. Restaurants need to help
their people feel equipped for this and to
think about the well-being and safety of
themselves and others. "
Thereafter, Wilson-Thompson urges
DEI-minded employers to consider how
they advertise, interview and onboard
employees, including asking - and
listening to - feedback from current
employees about their experience. She
suggests leadership remove any barriers to entry, resist pigeonholing certain
types of people into specific roles and
provide management appropriate training to deal with workplace conflicts.
" If you don't reflect on the entire
lifecycle of your employees and the
mechanics of this, then you open
yourself up to complaints, " says WilsonThompson, adding that even a massive
corporation like Walgreens conducted
listening tours to better understand
frontline worker issues. " The top doesn't

have all the answers, which is why it's so
important to survey your workforce and
listen to what they have to say. "
Listening to employees, valuing their
feedback and making tangible change to
create a more responsive work environment stands an important step toward
inclusion, which Wilson-Thompson
defines as " respecting and valuing
employees. "
DEI also extends to respecting
each individual's unique qualities and
identifiers and treating everyone equally.
(While DEI is most associated with
race, Wilson-Thompson reminds that
diversity encompasses all different facets
of one's identity from religion and age to
family dynamic and work experience.)
Wilson-Thompson urges restaurant
leadership to provide the same opportunities to everyone. Consider who gains
access to certain training opportunities
or positions within the company and
seek to broaden participation rather than
limiting it.
" You don't want to be doing things
differently for different people, " WilsonThompson says. " If you really want to
change the paradigm, then you need to
remove any barriers to entry. "
So many businesses, Wilson-Thompson acknowledges, have their heart in
the right place regarding DEI. They
draft wonderful plans and put them on
the wall, but then forget about them.
She encourages restaurants to create an
action plan rooted in their corporate
culture and values set. This enables a
business to move away from " checking
boxes " to a more holistic and tangible
DEI program with measurable results
and real impact.
" You want to create a safe, accessible
workplace where employees can thrive, "
she says. " That's when you create more
diverse, equitable and inclusive work
environments where everyone - the
business, the employees and the customers - wins. " n
DANIEL P. SMITH Chicago-based
writer has covered business issues and best
practices for a variety of trade publications,
newspapers, and magazines.

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