Following George Floyd’s death and the onslaught of Black Lives Matter protests that followed, many companies pledged their commitments to diversity and inclusion efforts. Donations were made and Instagram posts were shared, but many of those exercises did not reflect on internal companies’ cultures. That changed in the beauty industry when Sharon Chuter’s Pull Up For Change lit a fire under brands across the board.

However, since last summer, not much has been publicly shared by brands about their diversity and inclusion efforts. That includes the progress being driven by the various boards that were created, like Shiseido’s Diversity and Inclusion Group or L’Oréal’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board. Ulta Beauty, meanwhile, is a different story.

Last week, Ulta Beauty held its first-ever “Diversity Week” for all of its 8,800-plus corporate, store and distribution center employees. The five days of programming included group training “chat-ins” and distributed resources. The various sessions were held live, but they were also recorded for those who were not able to attend. I was allowed to attend multiple sessions and review resource materials throughout the week.

Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta Beauty, kicked off the programming with a fireside chat on risk-taking and leadership with Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, and Dina Powell McCormick, Goldman Sach’s global head of sustainability and inclusive growth. President and incoming CEO Dave Kimbell offered his sympathies and condolences to Daunte Wright’s family, Black employees and those in Minneapolis before introducing LaSaia Wade, founder of TNTJ Tennessee Trans Journey Project and director of the Black- and trans-led LGBTQ+ center Brave Space Alliance. Later in the week, during a discussion on generational differences in the workplace, something that has not been explored much at Ulta Beauty, according to Crystal Banks, Ulta Beauty director of diversity and inclusion, Kimbell joked about having a landline and a beeper.

“This idea of interconnection is critical to understanding data, understanding the depth of the human experience, and ultimately [understanding] how that influences each individual’s life and what they experience in the world around us. What’s interesting is that none of us, of course, are defined by any singular dimension of who we are. It’s a combination of elements that create the unique, special individuals that each of us are. Unfortunately, this intersectionality can often lead to added levels of pain and discrimination for many,” said Kimbell in his talk with Wade.

While the Zoom sessions were held, store associates were encouraged to host “chat-ins” around topics like bias and emotional intelligence to fuel conversations. On average, 200 individual and store accounts attended the Zoom sessions. According to internal company data, Ulta Beauty’s associates are 92% female and 8% male. Forty-six percent of current employees are people of color, up from 40% last summer. Six percent of corporate associates are Black. Within its board of directors, …read more

Source:: Digiday

Author: Aaron