Dive Brief:
- Tim Ryan, PwC's CEO, assembled a group of fortune 1000 company heads to sign onto his diversity pledge in June, reports Fortune. At the time, 150 CEOs had taken the pledge as part of the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion program; today, there are 330 pledgees. But Ryan is calling for many more to sign on, Fortune said.
- Education is a particular focus for Ryan. He wants 100 universities to join the Initiative, starting with a president's roundtable comprised of nine leaders from higher education. Fortune said the purpose is to create a pipeline of young, diverse talent and provide anti-bias training and inclusiveness concepts in college curriculums.
- At the November meeting, several CEOs said they're concerned about backlash from employees who aren't targeted in the push for more diversity, Fortune reported.
Dive Insight:
Similar initiatives have been attempted in the past. But if Ryan's initiative resonates with more Fortune 1000 companies, it could certainly help make inclusion efforts a priority at a time when tech firms, in particular, continue to struggle with diversifying their ranks.
But while CEO support for diversity initiatives is critical, supervisors need to be on board, too. Front-line managers can communicate the CEO's mission to their direct reports so that all employees understand the purpose of diversity and inclusion initiatives.
HR is frequently tasked with leading these efforts, which are often coupled with a culture shift toward one of inclusion and accountability.
