The workforce is evolving, and with it, expectations of companies to be more inclusive in their hiring and retention practices. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are entering the workforce with a strong sense of self-confidence and a clear idea of what they want in a work experience. They are willing to pass on a job, even if it pays well, if it does not align with their values or create a supportive work environment.

So how do companies compete for talent? Post-pandemic, many attempted to attract younger demographics by dismantling their cubicles and building open workspaces with pool tables. Then the pandemic shifted how we work. Offices were shuttered, and employees worked from home, creating the “work from anywhere” culture many companies now find contentious. Gen Z, on the other hand, has fully embraced it and seeks to align with companies that value work/life balance and offer opportunities for growth and development.

But job candidates don’t just want employers to dismantle their cubicles. They expect companies to aid in the dismantling of systemic racism and other pressing issues plaguing society, like climate change. Developing an employer brand that appeals to Gen Z requires a visible and vocal commitment in these areas. With seasoned workers aging out of the workforce, taking their institutional knowledge with them, the balance of power has shifted to young job candidates, making those commitments essential.

Gen Z is the first multicultural majority generation in U.S. history. They are tomorrow’s leaders, and the onus is on employers today to create an early career talent pipeline to replace outgoing talent.

That won’t be easy, especially for companies unwilling to evolve with culture. In the past, the employer sat in the seat of power, and now it’s the candidate, and they aren’t asking about pool tables. They want to hear about the companies’ DEI goals and progress, employee resource groups (ERGs) and the annual DEI report. Failing to make this information accessible could jeopardize the employer brand.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Henal Majethia, Diversity Recruiting Manager, University Relations at Eastman, discusses the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in building healthy early career talent pipelines and strengthening the employer brand.

Meet Menal Majethia

Menal (“hen-null”) Majethia began her career after graduating from the University of Tennessee at Amazon Fulfillment, supporting Operations, Supply Chain, and Distribution, and later launching the Operations University Recruiting initiatives for the East Coast. In this role, Henal supported US and CA hiring goals and was able to spearhead the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institutions) recruiting presence. She was exposed to DEI during this tenure. Upon completing graduate school at Northeastern University, Henal joined Eastman, where she continues leveraging her skills in early career talent and DEI in her current role.

The past two years have been difficult for the LGBTQ+ community. Despite years of progress, a disturbing resurgence of intolerance threatens to undermine the hard-earned gains toward social acceptance. As part of our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, ThinkNow surveyed a nationally representative sample of LGBTQ+ Americans on their views of the current social climate, corporate support for LGBTQ+ causes, personal pronouns, and mental health care. Below are a few noteworthy findings from the study.

Download the full results of the quantitative survey here.

Discrimination Is On The Rise

We asked our sample of 500 LGBTQ+ Americans if they felt that discrimination or prejudice towards the LGBTQ+ community had increased over the past year, and 67% said "yes." This perception appears to be rooted in reality. A recent Gallup Poll found that support for same-sex relations in the U.S. dropped from 71% in 2022 to 64% in 2023. That drop is likely driven by a loss of support among Republicans, dropping from 56% last year to 41% currently. A possible explanation for this drop is the rhetoric surrounding the 2022 "Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida that portrayed education about sexual identity as “grooming” children to adopt gay lifestyles. While politicians appear to be driving the current wave of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, only 29% of our respondents said they “only vote for candidates who support LBGTQ+ rights.” For most (58%), a candidate’s position on LGBTQ+ rights is just one of many key factors when voting.

Corporate Support For LGBTQ+ Community Matters

Although recent controversies have surrounded Bud Light and Target's support for the LGBTQ+ community and their subsequent pullback of that support, LGBTQ+ consumers still believe companies should advocate for their causes. In fact, Target and Bud Light were two brands that respondents felt were doing a good job supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

However, using advertising to show support is not the only way respondents want brands to engage. Sixty-five percent want companies to train their employees in diversity, equity and inclusion, while 59% want companies to include sexual orientation in corporate nondiscrimination policies.

Personal Pronouns Are Age Sensitive

Thirteen percent of our sample used a pronoun other than “he/she.” The most common non-binary pronoun (18%) was “they/them.” Age was the primary factor that determined how important it was for respondents that people use their correct pronouns. Seventy-three percent of respondents between the ages of 18-22 stated that it was at least moderately important to them that people use their correct pronouns vs. 25% of those aged 55+.

Less Than Half Support Boycotts

While conservatives are boycotting Bud Light, Target, Kohl’s and even Chik-fil-A for supporting diversity, equity and inclusion ideals, the LGBTQ+ community is split on boycotts, with 43% saying they’ve boycotted a company because of their stance on LGBTQ+ issues. Interestingly, 59% of respondents in the 55+ age bracket say they’ve boycotted a company for their stance on LBGTQ+ issues, while only 34% of 18–22-year-olds have boycotted for that reason. Income also seems to be a factor, with 52% of those earning $80K or more supporting boycotts vs. 34% of those earning less than $35K a year.

Mental Health Support Needed Young LGBTQ+

“Forty-two percent of LGBTQ+ youth—and 52 percent of trans youth—said they seriously considered suicide in 2021.” One thing that a vast majority of our LGBTQ+ survey respondents (76%) agreed on was the need to “create safe, accepting, and supportive environments for LGBTQ+ youth on school campuses” to support mental health among young people. Most respondents also supported DEI initiatives, connecting youth with supportive peers and providing gender-affirming mental health care.

Moving Forward

The past two years have presented significant challenges for the LGBTQ+ community, with a noticeable increase in discrimination and prejudice. Despite this setback, our survey highlights the unwavering belief among LGBTQ+ Americans that corporate support for their cause is crucial. The controversies surrounding brands like Bud Light and Target have not diminished the community's expectation that companies should actively advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

However, it is important to note that supportive advertising alone falls short. Respondents want companies to go beyond that by providing employee training in diversity, equity, and inclusion and including sexual orientation in corporate nondiscrimination policies. Lastly, the survey underscores the urgent need for mental health support for young LGBTQ+ individuals.

Overall, the findings highlight the persistent challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and emphasize the role that acceptance, advocacy and allyship play in fostering their well-being and advancement.

June presents organizations with opportunities like Pride and Juneteenth to actively engage with and support diverse communities. But demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion requires a consistent and continuous effort at all levels of an organization if it’s to foster an inclusive environment in which people feel valued, seen and heard 365 days a year.

At the heart of that commitment are the individuals within the organization who greatly benefit from a sustained effort to foster inclusivity – employees. Typically, within inclusive cultures, employees are more engaged, which impacts retention and productivity, ultimately benefiting the bottom line. When employees carry the values of diversity and inclusion outside the workplace into the community through volunteerism, for example, they amplify the organization’s commitment, generating positive brand sentiment.

Organizations can also partner with external groups such as nonprofits and civic organizations to develop relationships and implement programming that brings long-term benefits to marginalized groups, not the occasional performative headlines.

Post-2020, there was a rush to quickly onboard DEI programs in fear of public backlash. But many organizations have since learned that doing it right is far better than doing it quickly.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Sue Schmidlkofer, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UPS shares DEI best practices for actively engaging employees in driving sustainable change.

Meet Our Guest:

Sue Schmidlkofer, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, UPS

In this role, she oversees the company’s global strategy centered around its mission statement, ‘You Belong At UPS.’ Monitoring workforce diversity aspirational goals, supporting more than 200 Business Resource Groups, and developing top talent are her key areas of focus in 2023.

Throughout her 28-year career at UPS, Sue has held a variety of roles primarily within Human Resources in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and currently at the global headquarters in Atlanta. Sue serves on the board of the Georgia Diversity Council, the Atlanta Diversity Management Advocacy Group, and The Drake House, a non-profit organization that supports women and their children experiencing homelessness. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Spanish and a master’s in Business Management and HR. Outside of spending time with her family, her interests include reading, writing, baking, and tennis.

During the Fall League Meeting in 2022, the National Football League announced enhancements to its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across its 32 clubs and the league office. Essential to the success of these initiatives is culture, and people are at the center of culture. Peter Drucker is often credited with saying that "culture eats strategy for lunch" due to the influential role of organizational culture in driving employee engagement, retention, and performance, which ultimately has a profound impact on the bottom line.

Organizations approach culture differently, but those that do it well are open and willing to cultivate psychologically safe spaces that foster trust and transparency and honor vulnerability. Since organizational culture and business operations are interconnected, removing barriers presents opportunities for employees to participate in driving that culture. It empowers them by making them feel part of something bigger than their current job role.

Employee resource groups, led by employee volunteers, are incredible development opportunities to cross-collaborate, create unique business synergies, and foster a sense of belonging. Those synergies, however, cannot exist in a silo and must be diffused throughout the organization. Communication is vital to culture building, particularly when an organization is undergoing change management.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Alissa Lieppman, Vice President, Head of Culture & Business Operations for NFL Media at the National Football League (NFL), shares insights on how the league effectively navigated the challenges of an office relocation while also emphasizing the importance of culture on change management.

The racial reckoning of 2020 brought diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront, although the concept itself is not new. Unfortunately, many brands have taken advantage of this movement for their benefit, resulting in broken promises and hollow commitments that have undermined their reputation. However, for brands like LVMH, there is an urgent need to approach DEI with genuine commitment and intentionality, actively embracing cultural differences to enhance the employee experience and drive business results.

For Benefit Cosmetics, an LVMH brand, DEI expands beyond human resources to developing inclusive products and other elements that impact all facets of the organization. This culture shift is important as the U.S. consumer market becomes increasingly diverse, blurring the lines between DEI and multicultural marketing.

Implementing DEI is not only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint but is also a savvy business move. Brands that fail to tap into the purchasing power of diverse communities, particularly Black and Hispanic consumers, are missing out on a significant opportunity.

Yet, the beauty industry still lacks a broad spectrum of cosmetics that cater to the diversity within these groups. It's essential to look beyond race and gender and start meaningful conversations around other dimensions of diversity, such as ability and sexual orientation. Brands have a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the barriers that underrepresented groups face and use their privilege to empower them.

Mia Talavera, Director of Global Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Benefit Cosmetics (LVMH), stops by The New Mainstream podcast to share her insights on the urgent need for genuine commitment and intentionality concerning DEI at the organizational and product levels.

Meet Our Guest:

Mia Talavera is a high-performing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader passionate about inspiring positive culture change by designing and driving global DE&I strategies to promote and advance inclusion in the workplace. Mia has advised and consulted organizational leaders across various industries on leveraging innovative DEI initiatives, most recently driving real change within the beauty sector with Benefit Cosmetics.

Mia is the Director of Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Benefit Cosmetics (LVMH). She is also a certified Unconscious Bias Facilitator and earned a Bachelor's Business Degree and D&I certification from Yale Business School of Management.

The global economy runs on transportation, and if that transportation moves people or things and needs service and maintenance, technicians are doing the work. Yet less than 3% of employed technicians are women and a major contributor to that statistic is the stereotypes around who "can" or "should" be a technician.

Gendered roles and responsibilities, from the workplace to the home front, slam the doors of progress and perpetuate a narrative of exclusivity. Breaking the cycle requires featuring people from various backgrounds in different circumstances. This is especially crucial for marketers to connect with contemporary consumers, notably Gen Z, who reject conventional societal norms. That's why brands such as Ulta Beauty showcase both male and female models in their advertisements, and it's no longer newsworthy for men to wear skirts on the red carpet.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Dana Rapoport, Chief of DE&I at TechForce Foundation, discusses gender-neutral roles and the importance of a diverse workforce.

Meet: Dana Rapoport, Chief of Diversity and Inclusion, TechForce Foundation

As a lifelong car enthusiast, Dana Rapoport combines a 30-year career in management consulting along with her passion for all things transportation as Chief of Diversity and Inclusion for TechForce Foundation. Working towards the TechForce mission - to champion all students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional technicians – Dana is connecting to diverse populations to create awareness, demonstrate what’s possible and educate the industry on how to welcome and unite all populations.

Through initiatives such as Women Techs Rock, the TechForce DEI Advisory Council, research papers and other outreach, Dana is impacting the workforce shortage and increasing the number of women and other diverse populations into the technician career.

Regardless of size, many organizations struggle to implement effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This challenge can be incredibly daunting for smaller organizations that may not have a dedicated HR department or the necessary expertise in this area. Working with DEI consultants can help these organizations overcome these obstacles.

DEI consultants have specialized knowledge and experience in a wide range of areas, particularly in talent acquisition, training and development, policy creation, and culture change. By leveraging their expertise, organizations get guidance in creating and implementing DEI initiatives that will help them reach their goals.

However, organizations need not be DEI experts to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Rather than trying to navigate this complex and ever-evolving field independently, organizations can serve as a conduit for DEI expertise to enter their workplace by utilizing consultants.

On this episode of The New Mainstreet podcast, Ali Sheehan Mignone, Head of People, Diversity, and Inclusion at Theatre Projects, discuss how outsourcing DEI can help small teams improve their workplace culture and diversity initiatives.