“Building an inclusive company culture is a key component to growing a sustainable business,” said Mita Mallick, head of diversity and cross-cultural marketing. “We are at our very best when we are creative and innovative, and we can only get there by making sure every person feels that their voice is represented and valued in all parts of the business. We are honored to be recognized for our efforts so far, and know there is more progress to be made.”
This index helps organizations understand gaps in demographic representation and creates a road map to drive internal change and solutions through proven best practices. Nearly 150 organizations provided data and were measured in three key areas:
- Best practices in the recruitment, retention and advancement of people from underrepresented groups (women, racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ people)
- Company culture including leadership accountability
- Transparency and improvement in year-to-year demographic diversity
An index, unlike a list, does not have a set number of organizations to recognize. Instead, a threshold percentage is set, at which point any participant with that percentage or better qualifies for the index.
"The Inclusion Index continues to grow as more and more organizations are willing to be transparent about their progress and workforce demographics," said Deborah Munster, vice president, Diversity Best Practices. "We applaud their D&I efforts and will continue to set a high bar in order to drive change and accountability."
Unilever’s commitment to diversity and inclusion supports the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which includes three goals: 1) improve health and well-being for more than 1 billion people, 2) reduce the company’s environmental impact by half, and 3) enhance livelihoods for millions of people.
About Unilever U.S.
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington’s, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.
Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) underpins the company’s strategy and commits to:
- Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
- Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
- Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.
The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. In 2018, the company’s Sustainable Living Brands grew 69% faster than the rest of the business, compared to 46% in 2017.
Since 2010 we have been taking action through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being, halve our environmental footprint and enhance the livelihoods of millions of people as we grow our business. We have already made significant progress and continue to expand our ambition – most recently committing to ensure 100% of our plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognized in 2018 as sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders survey, for the eighth-consecutive year.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/
About Diversity Best Practices
Diversity Best Practices, a division of Working Mother Media, is the preeminent organization for diversity thought leaders to share best practices and develop innovative solutions for culture change. Through research, benchmarking, publications and events, DBP offers members information and strategies on how to implement, grow, measure and create first-in-class diversity programs.