Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

18A | INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL | JUNE 11, 2021 Sponsored Content JENNY BEAN RICK FUSON Chief Human President & Chief Resources Officer Operating Officer DIVERSITY, EQUITY Duke Realty Pacers Sports & Entertainment & INCLUSION [email protected] [email protected] DEI efforts must be genuine, thorough and ongoing In IBJ’s Thought Leadership roundtable, leaders at Duke Realty, Externally, we partner with several Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Old National Bank discuss what organizations to introduce students their organizations have done to become more inclusive and and professionals to the real estate what it takes to build a DEI program that works. industry. Project REAP is a 10-week program that bridges the gap between talented minority professionals and RAFAEL SANCHEZ Executive Mentoring program strives commercial real estate companies President of Private Banking How does your company to increase and enhance female and & Community Executive Q: looking for talent. Duke Realty also define Diversity, Equity, and minority representation at top- and Old National Bank partners with Indiana University’s Real Inclusion and what initiatives have mid-level positions. We have a Women’s [email protected] Estate program to hire new graduates Network that supports the investment you created to support DEI? or interns. Another program we are in, development of, and growth of passionate about is our partnership with JENNY BEAN: Duke Realty’s DEI women at Duke Realty. And our DirectEmployers Institute, which allows program, which started over 20 years supplier diversity program is focused us to showcase our construction division ago, involves several initiatives, starting on increasing utilization of minority-, RAFAEL SANCHEZ: I think it starts and educate diverse students on careers with our DEI Council, whose mission women-, and veteran-owned businesses. with demonstrating a genuine in construction. is to educate, increase awareness Each of our markets are tasked with commitment to diversity and becoming and advocate for diversity, equity, researching, interviewing, and hiring RICK FUSON: Having people of an “employer of choice” in the diverse and inclusion within the company diverse businesses. different backgrounds, different lived communities that we serve. Companies and the communities we serve. The experiences, and different perspectives need to recognize the value diversity is extremely important to us. We brings and devote the appropriate believe it not only makes us a stronger resources and investments to support company but a better and more effective those communities and generate community partner. goodwill over time. It’s not just about circulating a job posting and hoping While racial diversity is critical, it’s a diverse candidate applies. Diverse not our sole focus. It is important candidates need to us that we are to be able to see supporting all PS&E and imagine staff, including the “The … commitment to DEI themselves being talented women who has to be embedded in the successful in your are running some of organization. our company’s most organization’s DNA.” The old adage critical initiatives. RAFAEL SANCHEZ “diversity attracts Last year, we diversity” is so created an internal true, which is why committee of people from all levels companies that lack diversity struggle to of our organization to identify how make any progress. When they finally we can become a stronger, more do land a diverse candidate, if they don’t diverse, and more inclusive company. focus on the inclusion aspect, they will One of the four priority areas for this be back to where they started in no group has been to change the way we time. This is why many companies today grow, with a particular emphasis on are having the same conversation about continually revisiting our outreach diversity that they had 15 years ago. and recruitment, hiring, and training RICK FUSON: It demands a very practices from the DEI lens. Our new intentional approach, including diversity training program, required revisiting everything from how job for all PS&E employees, has already descriptions are written to the ways proven invaluable to our leadership in which they are disseminated to in helping us assess and implement potential applicants. We have to strategies for inclusion. continually work to create talent Our DEI strategy also involves an pipelines that help us recruit from evolution of how we engage with diverse talent pools, and we have had to vendors, approach procurement, and keep the goal of diverse and inclusive direct our annual philanthropic spend, hiring and promotion front and center more than half of which is spent to to all we do. address issues of social injustice. It is far easier to simply do recruitment and hiring the way you always Q: How can companies do a have, and for many companies that better job of recruiting, hiring, and haven’t changed, the result is a lack promoting a diverse workforce? of diversity. Instead, companies JUNE 11, 2021 | INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL | 19A Sponsored Content must work to develop partnerships diversity of ideas that sparks innovation associates internally. I was personally JENNY BEAN: Build and establish key at the community level and then and creates solutions for problems or affected by a story one of our associates relationships to help you network, learn leverage those relationships to attract needs. That, in turn, makes us a better told about how her son continues to and better position yourself for success. talented applicants who might not company—not only in the eyes of our experience racial comments at baseball have otherwise seen traditional job employees but also our customers. By tournaments. As a mother, I was Q: What is the biggest mistake postings. Those talent pipelines are being more responsive to, and reflective heartbroken, and it reminded me that you believe organizations make critical, as they not only make it easier of, the communities that we serve, we we need to continue our work to end when focusing on DEI? to attract diverse talent at all levels of improve our financial performance and racial disparity. the company, but they make companies results. Everybody wins. JENNY BEAN: Companies have to more appealing destinations for a more Q: If you could give one piece understand that DEI is a long-term diverse pool of younger and executive- Q: Talk about some of the of advice to an up-and-coming focus that will take time to cultivate level leaders. company-wide conversations professional from a diverse within your organization. It is not a strategy that you can start and JENNY BEAN: Companies should you had following George background, what would it be? stop. Continued focus and attention recruit diverse candidates at all levels. Floyd’s murder. How did those RAFAEL SANCHEZ: Network. Network. on understanding the barriers and Implementing programs that require a conversations contribute to Network. As members of a minority implementing strategies for growth diverse candidate slate for all openings, your goal of maintaining an community, we often tend to naturally and improvement are key. Also, don’t along with diverse interview panels, open, communicative work socialize and engage more with people be afraid to discontinue or refresh a will assist in hiring diverse associates. environment? who share our program or The diverse interview panel helps show JENNY BEAN: culture and activity. DEI is diversity within your organization When racial disparity beliefs. Ironically, not a check-the- and allows internal associates from in our nation was brought to light, we knew it had to be addressed. Our CEO, this runs counter “A diverse interview panel box initiative. various disciplines and backgrounds to the concept Jim Connor, issued a public statement RAFAEL to participate in the hiring process. of diversity and helps show diversity within on our website to make it very clear SANCHEZ: The To promote diverse talent, look for is also self- your organization.” that intolerance, discrimination, and biggest mistake ways to cultivate rising stars within the limiting. Stepping inequality have no place at Duke Realty. JENNY BEAN organizations organization through mentoring and outside of your We also had two panel discussions to can make when sponsorship programs. Companies comfort zone encourage conversations about racial focusing on DEI should strive to create a culture and expanding inequality, social justice today, and is, frankly, adopting that check-the-box where diverse talent feels supported, your network will open doors for you what we can do within our company attitude. This isn’t merely about creating acknowledged, and seen. professionally as well as personally. I to affect change. The first discussion a new position and hiring a chief DEI think civic engagement is a great way to last summer included five of our Black officer or creating an internal diversity Q: How would you advocate for not only give back to your community, associates sharing their experiences of committee and “calling it a day.” It diversity, equity, and inclusion but also make connections that will growing up in communities across the takes much more than that. The effort with colleagues who don't be mutually beneficial as you are country, along with reflections on what has to be sincere and the commitment understand its importance? starting your career. In my view, Indy’s it means to be Black in America today. to DEI has to be embedded in the success is largely predicated on servant RICK FUSON: Fortunately, I think Our second discussion in the fall was organization’s DNA. Over the course of leadership, but you need to learn to most people’s view of this issue has moderated by our CEO and included my career, I have seen companies create become a servant leader. evolved greatly over the years. But for leaders in the commercial real estate See page 20 us, it’s very clear.

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