Equity in The Balance: Catalyst Winners On DEI Tools To Change Work Culture

At the recent Catalyst 2023 conference, ( L to R) Rikia Birindelli-Fayne, interim Executive director, corporate engagement EMEA, Catalyst; Jennifer Kingston, principal head of DEI, Edward Jones; Dr. Kulleni Gebreyes, principal HC Consulting, and Health & Equity Institute leader at Deloitte.

This is not checking the box for diversity for the sake of claiming diversity. This is about leaders and their global organizations that are making a difference to create equity in the workplace, communities and the world.  

At their recent Catalyst Awards 2023, the global nonprofit founded in 1962 to “accelerate and advance women into leadership” applauded an exceptional roster of those at the helms of “forward-thinking organizations that are developing new and innovative ways to advance gender equity and strengthen their organizations.”

 A new Catalyst report of 24,000 employees in 20 countries shows that accountability to DEI initiatives is key. The honorees accomplish those missions.

“ A new @CatalystInc report of 24,000 employees in 20 countries shows that accountability to #DEI initiatives is key. The #CatalystAwards 2023 honorees accomplish those missions. #womeninleadership”

 At UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), the U.S. healthcare workforce was “about 75% women, the company’s C-suite was about 62% men in 2016.”  

Since then, the executive staff is 50% women with the board comprised of 50% women, says Diane Holder, executive vice president of UPMC Insurance Services Division and CEO of UPMC Health.

 UPMC is a $24 billion health care provider and insurer, with 92,000 employees, 40 hospitals, 800 doctors’ offices and outpatient sites, contributing $1.7 billion in benefits to its communities.

 “We have a big community mission,” Holder says. “We want to reflect the patients we serve and the communities we serve.” She adds, “I wanted diversity of thought; that is a business imperative to people in the workplace with different life experiences. Culture eats strategy for lunch.”

 The recruitment strategy, Holder says, includes “internal intentionality and, increased accountability” to reflect the mission, vision and value.

 “Diversity and inclusion are key to our business, not optional, they are core to our values,” says James E. Taylor, chief diversity, inclusion and talent management officer at UPMC.

“When you look at healthcare, the pandemic taught us that health equity does not exist in our country,” Holder says. “If you don’t have healthy, resilient communities, you will not have healthy workforces in the future.”  

Lorraine Hariton, president and CEO of Catalyst, says that empathy is critical in leadership. “Empathetic leadership is crucial in the pandemic and for the future of work.”

“@Lhariton, president and CEO of @CatalystInc, says that empathy is critical in #leadership. “Empathetic leadership is crucial in the pandemic and for the future of work.””

She introduced Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, who came into that role in January 2019, just before the onslaught of COVID changed the world.

“It is extremely important to trust the company whose products people put in their body,” says Bourla. “An empathetic environment creates a safe environment where people feel others around them are good human beings. Culture needs to be tailor made in every company with institutional memories, talents and environment, you design the mindset.”

What is important too is to have a culture where innovation is key and the values are “courage, vision, equity and joy,” Bourla says.

“What is important is to have a culture where #innovation is key and the values are “courage, vision, equity and joy,” says Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of @Pfizer. #leadership ”

All of those were in play when Pfizer gave 1 billion vaccine doses to the U.S. government at cost, which the federal government gave for free. The first year of COVID, Pfizer manufactured 3 billion doses of the vaccine, and manufactures 200 million each year since.

At Pfizer, the leadership profiles of those in vice presidential roles and above are 43% women, up from 33% in 2019. The goal, Bourla says, is 47%. The goal for increasing diversity is to have 33% of leadership teams persons of color. In 2022, that number was 24%, up from 18% in 2019.

“You have to measure that every month. Statistics tell you the reality. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” Bourla says.

Quoting Aristotle in a passage from 2,300 years ago, Bourla says, “Our problem in life is not that we are aiming too high and missing, our problem is we are aiming too low and hitting.”

At Nationwide, Vinita Clements, chief human resources officer says representation is a key factor in DEI. “I am big on authenticity and bringing my whole self to work, “ Clements says.

Authenticity is the first factor in ASK, which also includes Servitude and Knowledge as goals.

Due to the pandemic, Clements says, “The status quo is changing. We are no longer just interested in the work experience, it is the life experience.”

“Due to the pandemic, Clements says, “The status quo is changing. We are no longer just interested in the work experience, it is the life experience.” #workplace #equity”

Incorporating DEI goals into talent acquisition, Clements says, “The first priority is to increase the inclusive culture, and we now have the highest level of engagement in company history.”

At Nationwide, half of the workforce is women, and 33% of the board is women, with 44% of executives who are women, she says.

Catalyst has been providing crucial research concerning workplace equity and culture and Joy Ohm, vice president and a science writer at Catalyst, shares the emotional tax of micro-aggressions and bias in the workplace.

“We are looking at the experiences of marginalized racial and ethnic groups,” Ohm says.

Emily Shaffer, senior director of the research department at Catalyst reports that in the survey of people in five countries, 61% of the respondents said they felt an emotional tax in the workplace, with 74% of LGBTQ+ POC employees reporting a tax, and 85% of trans employees saying they experience an emotional tax as well.

Ohm said that an AAPI employee said that a senior vice president used the phrase “open the kimono” in a meeting. “The root of this is racism and sexism,” she says.

“Emily Shaffer, senior director of the research department at @CatalystInc reports that in the survey of people in five countries, 61% of the respondents said they felt an emotional tax in the #workplace. #DEI”

In the Catalyst study of women’s workplace experiences, 51% reported they had experienced racism at work. “The darker the skintone, the more likely they experience racism,” Ohm says.

Shaffer adds that to counter these experiences, it is essential to cultivate a sense of safety “without fear of penalty.”

Shea Bible, director of engagement for Catalyst in the Texas region, says, “Allyship and curiosity build trust in psychological safety.”

The bottom line is organizations need to do more to be accountable for the workplace cultures they sustain.

“Why are we still talking about emotional tax?” asks Bible. “We put a lot of energy on it, but what we do we have to do for specific work on this? It’s uncomfortable. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s doable.” She adds, “We have resources, research and tools to get through this.”

Dr. Kulleni Gebreyes, principal at HC Consulting, and Health Equity Institute Leader at Deloitte, says in discussions of equity, it is time to close the gap of health disparities in this country, a gap that is widening.

“Dr. Kulleni Gebreyes, principal at HC Consulting, and Health Equity Institute Leader at @Deloitte, says in discussions of #equity, it is time to close the gap of #health disparities in this country, a gap that is widening.”

A major problem is that when discussing gender and health data, it is mostly about white women, Gebreyes says. “The number one assumption is that women’s health is sexual and reproductive health only. The second myth is that income is the primary determinant of health outcomes, when race matters. The third is that when you think about gender equity in the workplace, we act as if it is not related to health equity.”

Jennifer Kingston, principal head of DEI at Edward Jones, says that ensuring equity in workplaces involves distinct steps. The first is to make sure new hires are supported. Secondly, there needs to be “pay equity with equal pay for equal work.”  

Launch a career program that matches people on their strengths, and adding in learning experiences.

Importantly, says Gebreyes, “Use the data to guide the path. Don’t use it as a crutch.” It is essential not to make inequity the individual’s issue to fight for fairness and achieve their career goals.

“We need to dismantle the structural polices that create an unfair playing field. It was not fair, it still is not fair and we need to create justice.”

Take The Lead Leadership Takeaway of The Week:

“Allyship and curiosity build trust in psychological safety.” —Shea Bible, director of engagement for Catalyst, Texas region