How the Role of a Diversity Leader Has Changed Since 2020

New challenges often require new leadership approaches.

The pandemic, calls for racial justice, and remote work led business leaders to take a fresh look at the issues impacting their employees and the communities they serve.

At CES 2022, CTA Senior Vice President, Political and Industry Affairs, Tiffany Moore, sat down with Lyft’s former Head of Inclusion and Diversity, Sherida McMullan, for a fireside chat: How 2020’s Impacts Changed the Role of a Diversity and Inclusion Leader. McMullan has a unique view of the industry, holding multiple leadership positions at CTA, including chair of CTA’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, a member on CTA’s Board of Industry Leaders and a newly named trustee on the CTA Foundation. Key points include:

Representation Matters

The session’s key takeaway was representation and accountability matter in every part of the diversity and inclusion strategy. The five-step process “listen, learn, execute, iterate, repeat” was shared as a key function to building a successful strategy.

Intentionality in Recruitment and Employee Development

Incorporating intentionality into the hiring and talent development strategy is critical to success. Companies are using apprenticeships, internships, and on-the-job training to recruit and develop talent, and creating development opportunities for internal talent around mobility, progression, mentorship and sponsorship. For example, one barrier to success, shared with the audience, was a lack of resources. Opening talent pools by reaching out to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and organizations that work with these institutions, and utilizing your current talent by understanding employee’s individual skill sets and growth potential are intentional ways to increase access and representation.

Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) played an increasingly important role during the pandemic and in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing by opening dialogues on racial justice, empowering vulnerability, and taking steps toward creating meaningful change in the workplace. As lines blurred between the home and work, and in-person collaboration was put on hold, employees turned to ERGs for support. For example, Lyft’s inclusion and diversity team developed “inclusion circles” to facilitate safe spaces for employees to hold structured and guided conversations.