Companies at all different stages of the journey are focused on creating a more inclusive corporate culture. But what elements within the workplace make an employer welcoming to a diverse labor pool?

Representatives of five Midwest companies, each committed to increasing diversity and equity in the workplace, tackled that question during a panel discussion at From Day One’s conference in Chicago.

The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police became a wake-up call for companies across the country to re-examine their corporate values, and this was no truer than at Best Buy, based in the city, said Andrea Wood, VP of social impact for the consumer electronics retailer. “George Floyd happened right in front of us,” Wood said.

Like other business leaders, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry publicly pledged to do better, committing the company to a path of systemic, permanent change toward the common cause of equality and justice. Best Buy has followed that statement with commitments to recruit, retain and promote diverse employees, and initiatives involving procurement and business investment, said Wood. The company reports progress on its commitments on a quarterly basis.

The retailer has launched dozens of Best Buy Teen Tech Centers in marginalized communities across the country, which offer after-school programming in areas such as 3-D design, music production, and coding. Best Buy thinks about the program as a potential talent pipeline, Wood said.

To foster community engagement through programs such as the teen centers, Wood said it was vital to ensure that Best Buy’s team reflected the communities it was trying to serve. “Being intentional about who you’re talking to, and who’s building those relationships, is really important,” she said.

At Conagra Brands, improving communication within the organization is a current focus, using the tools of genuine listening and healthy debate, said Melina Barona, who helps lead diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the packaged food giant. The company mined data from employee surveys to be able to identify those inclusive behaviors as priorities. “Something that seems so ethereal like belonging–there are ways to really measure this in a way that makes it meaningful and tangible,” Barona said.

DL Morriss, a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson, said one way that his law firm is tracking the success of its culture initiatives as they are integrated across the organization is through the Mansfield Rule certification process offered through the Diversity Lab. The certification measures whether law firms have reached at least 30% underrepresented lawyer representation in a number of its leadership roles. Underrepresented groups include women, ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities.

Hinshaw & Culbertson has exceeded the minimum standard, with its two highest governing bodies growing to 50% diversity in talent over the last five years, Morriss said.

“I say it starts from the top down and bottom up,” he said. “It’s not just relying on your senior management to really move that initiative. But it is getting a collective sense of collaboration of grassroots efforts from so many of your staff, employees, attorneys at every level who care about these sorts of initiatives.”

Panel moderator Zoraida Sambolin, a veteran Chicago TV journalist, noted that the umbrella of diversity is expanding to include neurodiverse populations and people with disabilities, and efforts to help these employees feel that they belong. Sambolin asked if companies are finding ways to “celebrate the differences and honor them.”

Morriss said education initiatives at Hinshaw & Culbertson have addressed neurodiverse populations in the workforce. Destigmatizing neurodiversity and raising the level of conversation on the topic in a positive and affirming way can create more opportunities for diverse learners in the workplace, he said.

Panelists agreed that statements from corporate leadership in support of diversity and inclusion must be followed by deeds, or an organization’s credibility is at risk. Without buy-in from a company’s leadership and core employees, all that is left is talking points, said Morriss.

“If you don't have a real action plan, or you don't already have an action in place, it’s viewed as a platitude by your own employees or by the very community that you’re trying to stand with,” said Natasha Miller Williams, head of diversity, equity and inclusion for Ferrara Candy Co.

Visible diversity during the recruitment process is key to attracting talent, yet often gets overlooked by companies, said Pamela Pujo, a diversity advocate with Affirmity, which makes software for measuring and building inclusivity in organizations. This can be a problem at hiring events. “I know, just from personal experience, if I’ve gone to those type of events, and I don’t see anyone who looks like me, who I can relate to, then I’m not interested in that company,” Pujo said.

Likewise, diversity at the highest levels of an organization is critical to employee retention. “If someone doesn't see someone like them in those roles, that they can aspire to, who they can reach out to, then more than likely, they’re not going to stay,” she said.

For those leading the charge, working to develop an inclusive corporate culture can sometimes feel like going against the grain and has the potential to become discouraging, but there is a collective momentum of progress underway, Morriss said. “Be proud of that, and continue the mission,” he said.

Susan Kelly is a Chicago-based business journalist.