CHICAGO — The U.S. hotel industry is behind in many ways in addressing diversity, equity and inclusion issues systemically, but as conversations happen more frequently and resources are devoted to solutions, subject-matter experts say the needle is poised to move.
“We’ve been talking about racial equality issues for 30 or 40 years, and they were problems long before that. If it were a priority, it would have been handled by now,” said Ashli Johnson, vice president of education for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
Johnson spoke as part of a panel on diversity issues in the U.S. hotel industry at the International Society of Hospitality Consultants meeting.
Robert Woolridge, principal consultant of RLW Consulting, who consults on talent and organizational development and who spent his prior career in property-level management positions with Marriott International, said a lot of the talk around diversity is just talk.
“We hear about this DE&I officer, and that VP of DE&I, so the perception is that we’re making a lot of gains and momentum, but the reality is that it’s a correction of decades of exclusion,” he said. “So you may get the impression that our industry is making huge strides, but that can be a misconception.”
Resources Count
Resources are what will move the needle from talk to results, said Tracy Prigmore, managing partner of TLTsolutions, a real estate investment firm that consults on alternative investments. For that to happen, commitments to raise the visibility of diversity initiatives need to sustain and grow over time.
“The world is talking about this, and initiatives are in place, but whether they sustain remains to be seen,” she said. “At least the conversation is going in a meaningful way.”
That progression does give her optimism, she said, considering that before 2020’s latest call to action around racial equity, the discussion often was relegated to volunteer committees who couldn’t give it much attention.
“We would see one person in an office, or maybe a few people who would get together once a year for a session, probably during Black History Month, but there was no progression, because it was up to one person with no resources or a budget,” she said. “Now we see different progression, so I’m optimistic."
The sustainability element is crucial though, Woolridge said.
“Are people discussing these topics because they don’t have a choice and nobody wants to be seen as socially irresponsible?” he asked. “We have to hope this isn’t the flavor of the month, and that we can gain real authenticity around DE&I.”
Woolridge agreed that resources are critical, and business success is what will spur companies to invest those resources.
“It’s a statistically known fact that the more diverse companies are the most profitable,” he said. “As a hotel owner, investor, brand VP, this must become a business imperative because until it’s a business imperative the resources necessary to bring about equity and inclusion won’t happen.”
What Companies Can Do Today
Speakers agreed that making diversity issues front and center as both business and social imperatives is key.
Johnson advised “there are no quick fixes,” but comprehensive review of a company’s practices — not just hiring — is important.
“Ask questions about why your company does things the way they do,” she said. “It’s not difficult to diversify your selection committees for hires. Review your vendor lists. Ask questions about who you spend money with and why.”
Prigmore advised starting with groups and teams, then going wider.
“Be intentional about looking at your team first,” she said. “Ask whether you have diversity in thoughts, mind and experience. Then when your team is in the room, make sure you’re listening. Don’t let just one group dominate. Seek to listen and understand, and recognize where inequities exist, and be the leader that makes those changes.”
Panelists agreed that for companies to effectively address diversity issues and bring about positive change, the message must begin earlier than the career stage.
“As a kid growing up, I saw Black teachers and healthcare workers, but I didn’t know about private equity or ownership,” Prigmore said. “We can’t be what we do not see, so we have to reach out and be an option. Go out and find ways to introduce people into your profession.”
Johnson said hospitality schools should be held to the same standards businesses are introducing.
“Think about how many large hospitality brands support these institutions, but don’t hold them to the high standards they might hold vendors to,” she said. “These are the feeder programs we use to get grads into our industry’s career paths, but we’re not supporting programs that support our diversity initiatives.”