Diversity is a force multiplier. Bringing together different perspectives, experiences and identities and celebrating those differences unlocks greater problem-solving and innovation, and positively impacts the bottom line.
Conversely, a lack of diversity is a national security risk, and a huge business opportunity to drive growth and innovation.
In 2020, businesses across America came to a collective realization of the urgent need to address systemic racism and create more equitable, diverse and inclusive workplaces. Hundreds of billions of dollars were committed, countless initiatives launched, and Juneteenth — the day commemorating when the last enslaved Africans were told they were free — became a federal holiday.
But a federal holiday doesn’t change reality overnight. So, what has changed since 2020? It depends on who you ask.
The data shows that there continues to be a disconnect between senior leaders and their teams when it comes to racial equity in the workplace. When 60% of executives believe their organization is making meaningful progress on addressing racism and inequities at work, but just 18% of their associates feel the same, there is a problem.
Leaders cannot take the necessary steps to continue advancing equity if they cannot face the truth about the current situation. In the defense industry, failure to take those steps leaves our armed forces vulnerable in an increasingly complex threat environment.
Our military is facing significant recruiting challenges. Generation Z wants to work for employers that share their values — diversity is a priority for it more than any other generation — and 40% of workers would consider leaving their employers if they couldn’t trust their employer to follow-through on equity, diversity, and inclusion commitments.
Those figures present a clear mandate for leaders to get their strategy and execution right if they intend to maintain their competitive advantage. Further, companies that extend equity, diversity and inclusion strategies to their supply chains stand to unlock access to new markets, enable greater innovation and have, overall, more agile and resilient operations.
Boeing has made progress on creating a more diverse and equitable workplace, but like many organizations, there is much more work to do. The first step to ensuring we continue to treat equity, diversity and inclusion with the urgency it requires is through regular, transparent reporting.
In our 2023 Global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Report, Boeing reported that the Black representation rate in the company’s U.S. workforce has increased to 7.1% in 2022 from 6.4% in 2020, in alignment with our 2025 goal of increasing the Black representation rate in the U.S. by 20%. I am proud of the work we have done and our progress so far. I also know the work is never actually done.
Today’s threat environment is rapidly changing and requires speed, agility and innovation to maintain competitive advantage — and diversity has been shown to drive all three. As business leaders, let’s recommit to grounding our perspectives in how employees actually feel — not how we think they feel — and addressing workplace equity with urgency and intentionality. The success of our U.S. armed forces depends on it.
Ted Colbert is president and chief executive of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. In 2022, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards named him Black Engineer of the Year, the organization’s top honor.
