Southwest Airlines has announced plans to increase diversity in its leadership ranks to “reinforce” its continued commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I). The company’s Board of Directors are aiming to double the percentage of racial diversity and increase gender diversity in the Senior Management Committee by 2025.
The airline said it will “continue to put people first and champion an inclusive workplace for all employees”. In a video message to staff, Southwest’s Chairman of the Board & CEO Gary Kelly stated: “Our diversity and inclusion journey began long before this summer’s increased focus on racial injustice and has always been rooted in our Southwest Way Values. Specifically, how we show up individually, how we treat each other, how we work as a team, and how we will succeed as a company.”
LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY
Southwest’s commitment to D&I dates back decades. It’s guided by the Golden Rule “to treat others as you would like to be treated”, pointed out Kelly. “While our diversity imperatives across the years laid a good foundation, we know we must commit to closely focusing in areas like diversity in Senior Leadership and supplier diversity,” he added. “We continue to look for opportunities to better reflect in our organisation the diverse demographics of the communities we serve.”
The airline outlined the following goals to achieve its D&I goals:
- Evolving hiring and development practices to support diversity goals. This includes posting all open leadership positions – from Supervisor to Vice President – and requiring diverse candidate slates for each role.
- Measuring progress in increasing diversity in senior leadership.
- Doubling the percentage of racial diversity and increasing gender diversity in the Senior Management Committee by 2025.
- Engaging breadth of community partners to ensure the company is leveraging those relationships as it sources diverse talent.
PURSUING RACIAL EQUALITY
To continue its commitment to inclusion, the airline’s D&I team has completed workshops with most of the workforce, including flight attendants, mechanics/engineers, finance employees and pilots. These workshops are part of an effort to encourage productive conversations on racial equity, with more planned, said the airline.
Employee-led solutions are key to achieving its diversity goals. The airline’s Diversity Council – comprising diverse employees from differing roles and varying levels of experiences across the country – is key. Southwest Airlines is “committed to promoting a work environment that appreciates different backgrounds, experiences and traditions”. It also values “fostering inclusion and leveraging diversity to enhance performance and shape company strategy”. Finally, the company’s Community Outreach Team will continue to visit community partners to understand how to better support workforce development through talent pipelines.
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