Setting Up to Win with Black Employees

Challenge

Despite strong progress in recent years in diversifying the ranks of P&G employees, particularly among women, and employees of Asian and Hispanic descent, African American employees remain under represented vs. the US population; also attrition for black employees is higher than company average. We developed a more robust activity system to address this challenge as a business imperative.  We want to be a place where all employees reach their full potential. And importantly, we know we better serve consumers when we reflect the diversity of the people we serve.

Actions
  • External Perspective. We chartered an external advisory board to seek expert guidance to help us increase our success rate of hiring, retaining and developing AA talent to the executive level.
  • Openly Sharing Data, Good and Bad. Within P&G, we transparently shared our diversity results (including representation, promotion and attrition data) in a companywide webcast and our CEO and other senior leaders made personal commitments to drive improved results. 
  • Leadership accountability and engagement. While accountability for diversity has always been an expectation, we now track and review diversity results regularly like other critical business priorities. Each leader has goals to measure progress. Those goals are reviewed and leaders are held accountable for results.
  • Developing the capability of managers to better manage diverse talent. A managers’ primary role is to develop people–not just evaluate them–and to create a winning, diverse team. We’re building managers’ capabilities (through formal coursework and coaching) in empathy, how to be inclusive, and how to give constructive feedback and how to plan careers.
  • Create a more inclusive culture by driving awareness of unconscious bias, and making people aware of the action steps we can take to overcome any bias. The objective is to build inclusive leaders who bring out the best in themselves and others by fostering an environment where all employees are engaged, valued, and performing at their peak. Diversity is about making sure we have the right mix of talent. Inclusion is about making it work.
Outcomes

AA Managers score higher across all employee satisfaction survey categories in our most recent year.  AA Managers are calling for our continued commitment to diversity and we will continue to drive action to create an inclusive environment in which all P&G employees feel they can succeed. 

Contact

Damon Jones

Quote

We benefit from the best thinking, ideas and innovation when people of diverse backgrounds, experiences and ways of thinking work together in an inclusive culture where everyone can deliver to their full potential.

David Taylor
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, P&G
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