After the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery in early 2020 and the resulting protests against systemic racism and demands for police and political reform, many corporations pledged to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). According to research from Bloomberg, 87 companies made statements on racial justice after Floyd’s murder. Of these, nearly two-thirds pledged to change their hiring practices and half committed to improving diversity among managers and executives. Now corporate America must deliver on those promises.
Inside Denny’s Decades-Long DEI Journey
In 1994, the company settled a discrimination lawsuit. Here’s how it has worked to change in the ensuing 27 years.
September 13, 2021
Summary.
Denny’s committed to improving its diversity, equity and inclusion practices in 1994 after settling a discrimination lawsuit. Since then the organization has worked to improve in three areas: talent (by tackling bias in hiring, broadening its recruitment efforts, and building the promotion pipeline); supply chain (by seeking out minority-owned providers of goods and services); and continuous improvement (learning from outside partners’ expertise). In the wake of a racial reckoning in the United States, other companies will need to get equally serious about their DEI efforts.
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New!
HBR Learning
Attracting and Cultivating Talent Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Attracting and Cultivating Talent. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Discover how to attract, hire, develop, and keep talented people who will grow and thrive throughout their employee journey.