FCA earns top spot on magazine list for diversity initiatives

For the second consecutive year, automaker FCA has earned a top spot in two categories related to diversity in a program produced by DiversityInc. magazine.

The automaker earned a spot on the magazine’s 2018 list of “Top Companies for Veterans” and “Noteworthy Companies for Diversity.”

More than 1,000 companies are said to have participated in the 2018 DiversityInc evaluation

This is the 10th year FCA has earned a place among the magazine’s top 50 or most noteworthy companies for diversity since the benchmarks were established in 2001. It is the second consecutive year that FCA US earned a position on the magazine’s top companies for veterans list, which was established in 2017.

These annual benchmarks recognize the best diversity-management leaders in the U.S. Selected companies excel in such areas as hiring, retaining and promoting women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ employees and veterans, as well as programs that support supplier diversity, DiversityInc notes.

Barb Pilaski, head of human resources for FCA US, said the company has worked hard to achieve the kind of results recognized by DiversityInc. magazine.

“Our pledge to our employees, our dealers, our suppliers and our customers is to ensure that diversity and inclusion is an everyday practice in our workplace. We value the recognition and feedback we receive from influential organizations like DiversityInc.,” said Pilaski.

Among FCA US accomplishments related to diversity are:

—Silver Status as a Michigan Friendly Employer by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency in recognition of recruitment strategies aimed at Veterans

—a top (100 percent) rating on Human Rights Campaign’s 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which rates employers on their LGBTQ workplace policies and benefits. The Company has attained a 100 percent CEI rating 11 times since the benchmark was established in 2002

FCA US also supports various organizations that advance women’s involvement in STEM professions, including Michigan Council of Women in Technology and Society of Women Engineers

Officials say FCA US supports seven business resource groups representing a range of affinity communities, including African-American, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ, Veterans, Native Americans and Women.

These employee-directed groups are each assigned an executive sponsor, and individually and collectively pursue initiatives that enhance the FCA US work culture by focusing on career development of members, celebrating multicultural differences and bringing value to the Company and external communities through volunteer, charitable and strategic activities.

Continued leadership in promoting and providing opportunities for minority-owned suppliers is also cited.

Since 1983, FCA US has purchased nearly $62 billion from minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned suppliers and in 2017 spent $8.2 billion with diverse suppliers, representing 18 percent of its total annual purchasing.

FCA US supplier diversity goals require that up to 8.5 percent of a tier-one supplier’s buy be sourced to certified minority-owned businesses and 3 percent sourced with women-owned businesses. The company began tracking veteran-owned business spend in 2018.

In recent years, FCA US was honored with key leadership awards for its supplier diversity programs, including:

—National Minority Supplier Development Council – Corporation of the Year, Top Tier II Diversity Program Award, Innovation, Impact Award

—Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council – Corporation of the Year Award

—Women’s Business Enterprise National Council – Top Corporation for six consecutive years

—Great Lakes Women’s Business Council – Corporation of the Year

—Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – Top Corporation

—Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce – Corporation of the Year

—WBE – Great Lakes Excellence in Supplier Diversity Award

“FCA US has been a leader in supplier diversity for the past 35 years, and was the first automaker to have suppliers follow in our footsteps to promote diverse spend in their own supply bases,” said Scott Thiele, chief purchasing officer, FCA. “We will continue to prioritize access and development opportunities for minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses to strengthen our partnership with leaders in our community and industry.”