The year 2020 coupled with recent events at the U.S. Capitol building have continued to shed light on the serious and deeply rooted realities of inequity, systemic racism and bias in this country. As citizens react to and demand immediate solutions, it’s clear that businesses are expected to be a force for good and confront these issues. Porter Novelli is announcing the launch of its Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Advisory Services. The full-spectrum offering aims to help leaders and businesses integrate JEDI into every aspect of an organization.
As a wide range of stakeholders demand businesses carefully examine all aspects of their operations and behaviors, companies and brands are increasingly being called upon to share their commitments, including how they will actively address inequities and ensure inclusion both in greater society as well as within their organization. Porter Novelli research indicates 76 percent of Americans believe business must recognize its role in systemic racism and nearly half (48%) of employees are reconsidering their current job because they feel their company hasn’t done enough to address JEDI internally. The time to act is now.
“2020 clearly exposed many historic wrongs and systemic faults within our society, and it was also a reality check for many organizations,” says Conroy Boxhill, Managing Director of Porter Novelli’s Atlanta Office and co-chair of Porter Novelli’s JEDI Advisory Services. “If a company is not embedding justice, equity, diversity and inclusion into the core of its business, it’s behind the game – and consumers, employees and other stakeholders stand ready to hold them to account.”
Porter Novelli’s Advisory Services consultants help clients across all industries address JEDI with authenticity and intention. From leading assessments, benchmarking, training sessions, and strategy development, to developing social justice programs and providing reputation management consulting – a seasoned group of experts work closely with clients to pull JEDI throughout their business.
“We have systems of inequity that are built into our society and our organizations that stereotype and marginalize many groups of people, so it is important to look at issues comprehensively and from an intersectional perspective,” says Sandy Skees, Executive Vice President and co-chair of Porter Novelli’s JEDI Advisory Services.
For years, Porter Novelli has been and continues to execute JEDI-related work for Fortune 500 companies like major retailers, large CPGs and global healthcare providers, among others. The Advisory Services extend across four core competencies:
- Governance for an environment that is equitable for all, including areas such as policies, recruitment, supplier diversity, leadership and more.
- Supporting a diverse workforce by evaluating onboarding, professional development programs, pay parity, career progression and employee resource groups.
- Prioritizing equity and inclusion in products, marketing and communications.
- Championing diversity of ideas, people and partners.
“As brands look to address unconscious bias and inequality in their cultures, it’s important to pay close attention to the invisible systems within companies that are also inadvertently reinforcing inequities,” says Skees.
The offering aligns with Porter Novelli’s own corporate commitment to JEDI as moral and business imperatives. People of every race, color, faith, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, cognitive style, physical ability and military or veteran status are welcome at the agency.