From Awareness to Action: A Path to Understanding Diversity in Hospitality

As someone born into societal advantages because of my gender and race (I’m a cisgender white male), my viewpoints on diversity, equity, and inclusion are always going to be inherently incomplete. Even so, my 25+ years in hospitality, where I learned everything from how to make the perfect taco to how to lead successful brand growth, has underscored an essential truth: DEI is vital at every level of our industry.

The hospitality sector has a regrettable history of lacking diversity, something we must acknowledge before progress can occur. Leadership positions and other higher wage roles have traditionally been dominated by people who look a lot like me, and that dominance has influenced both corporate culture and business practices. Though some gradual improvements have been made, women and minorities are still underrepresented, especially in upper management.

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I admit that early in my career, starting as a fry cook, I was na?ve to the realities that these groups face in this industry. I wrongly assumed the playing field was even for all people regardless of gender, race, or background, but listening to the experiences of my marginalized co-workers over the years exposed me to the unconscious biases and structural hurdles that make it harder for them to advance professionally. I repeatedly heard stories from individuals who were interrupted, ignored, and stifled by those clinging to outdated perceptions of “what a leader must look like,” and these incidents opened my eyes to pervasive inequities which need to change. This kind of discrimination based on identity goes against ethical principles of equal opportunity and human rights, and exclusion prevents industries like ours from realizing our full potential.

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And that’s not just my opinion – the business case for diversity is clear and compelling as well. Research shows that diverse teams foster more innovation, creativity, and collective intelligence than homogenous groups, and companies with racial, ethnic, cultural and gender diversity consistently achieve better financial results as well. Examples include:

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• McKinsey's "Diversity Matters Even More" report?in 2023 found a 39 percent increased likelihood of outperformance for those companies in the top quartile of ethnic representation versus the bottom quartile, and companies with female representation exceeding 30% are much more likely to financially outperform those with lower than 30% representation.
• A Boston Consulting Group study?of more than 1,700 companies across 8 countries showed that increasing diversity of leadership teams resulted in more revenue from new products and services.
• A recent GLAAD study, conducted in conjunction with the Edelman Trust Institute, highlighted the potential for significant economic savings and increased customer loyalty in businesses that implement effective LGBTQ+ inclusion policies

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Embracing diversity requires introspection and a proactive approach, starting on a personal level. As a leader, I know that I must grow more aware of my own conscious and unconscious biases. I need to educate myself continuously on creating an inclusive culture where all team members feel welcomed, valued, and treated with dignity. I need to mentor more minority colleagues, amplify diverse voices, and reassess talent practices around hiring, retention, and advancement to remove systemic barriers.

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I am but one individual, of course, but branching out getting involved with associations, such as The GLEAM Network?and CHART, we can learn ways to champion this cause across the hospitality landscape. By sharing best practices around employee resource groups, anti-bias training, minority leadership pipelines, and supplier diversity programs, we can drive progress. And it doesn’t have to stop there – we can also start initiating these dialogues within our local hospitality associations, chambers of commerce, and community business events to expand the reach of this critical discussion.

While I am still learning and unlearning, my commitment to being part of the solution is unwavering. Our shared success depends on creating workplaces where people of all races, ethnicities, origins, genders, sexual orientations, and perspectives are empowered to excel. Though change takes time, by championing diversity today, we can build a more equitable and prosperous future in our professional arena.