Source: Inclusion & Diversity
On July 8th, I wrote a harsh report on Timberland’s lack of diversity and what I thought was a continuation of brands benefiting from the Black and Brown dollar, while failing to work with and hire BIPOC into their workplace. That post allowed for a door to be opened into the work Timberland has done over the last 30 years. I walked through and found that while they had been contributing to the community, like all companies, more could be done:
The Stark Contrast of Timberland’s Quiet Support and Public Perception
Instead of remaining in a negative space in regard to Timberland, I dug a little deeper and the post above showed that this was a company who, like many corporations, was trying to carefully navigate the minefield of race and improving employment opportunities for BIPOC. Timberland hadn’t been taking advantage of their long standing position as the unofficial footwear for Hip-Hop. They were trying to support via programs that allowed the company to quietly make changes. The unfortunate situation for Timberland is that this year required brands to open up and become more vocal about the work they were, and are, doing.
I reached out to the brand, and this is important because I reached out to a number of brands, to ask them what they were going to do outside of announcing money donated and tweeting about eventual programs that would promote diversity.
Timberland is the only company that responded to me with a detailed plan of action with actionable data and info for the public to read. I haven’t seen any other truly detailed plans from all of the brands who announced they were going to be better.
Above is the platform of Timberland’s Commitment to the Work:
PEOPLE:
From our retail stores to our corporate offices, we will work to foster a culture of belonging and ensure all of our teams, including leadership, represent all the communities we serve. Our work includes:
- Achieving a more diverse team, at all levels. While Timberland employees across the U.S. are 49% BIPOC and 51% white/unknown, the numbers at our corporate office are far less balanced: 7% BIPOC and 93% white/unknown. Our retail teammates are 69% BIPOC and 31% white/unknown
- Deploying company-wide unconscious bias and inclusion training
- Partnering with BRAG (Black Retail Action Group) to inspire and recruit promising talent to pursue careers in the retail industry
- Becoming a member of the Diversity Workforce Coalition
- Exploring remote work opportunities for corporate positions, giving us more geographic flexibility for hiring
- Creating a retail-to-office employee development program
COMMUNITY:
We will continue to give back to the communities that have supported our brand journey, to ensure that future generations experience a greener, more equitable world. Our work includes:
- Focusing our U.S. greening efforts to support communities of color, who are disproportionately affected by environmental inequities. By 2023, we will have created or restored 500k square feet of green space in U.S. cities
- Supporting communities of color through employee service events, from renovating local schools and parks to immersive educational opportunities
- Dedicating an annual day of hands-on community service for employees to advance racial and social justice
DESIGN EDUCATION:
Design innovation is a hallmark of our brand, and we realize that Black talent may not always have access to the opportunities to learn, hone and showcase their skills. Our work includes:
- Partnering with the acclaimed PENSOLE Design Academy to launch footwear design education programs for promising creators from diverse backgrounds
- Piloting a program, in collaboration with a New York City school, to inspire and encourage diverse students to consider a career in product design and development
ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
It takes hard work and hustle to start your own business and be an entrepreneur in this ever-changing environment. It also takes access to opportunity. That’s why we intend to partner with Black-owned businesses to provide support, resources and guidance to forge a path to the future, with a particular focus on sustainability and design innovation.
We are currently assessing partnership opportunities and future investments on this front. More to come, stay tuned.
VF Corp (Timberland’s parent company) also released their report on Inclusion & Diversity for those of you interested in reading and learning more. In that report they list the improvements they’ve made:
- Representation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color at the Director-level and above is currently at 15%
- Representation has significantly increased by 7% since we started tracking metrics in 2015
- Black, Indigenous and People of Color representation in new hires has
remained consistent at about 57% over the past year.
A few months ago feels like a year, but Diversity & Inclusion was all over the place. Companies launched social media marketing campaigns and talked about how much money they were going to give, but less than three months later, the chatter has died. I have to shout out Timberland and VF Corp for following up with this small media outlet to share this information. If you’d like to visit the site to read more you can use this link to see more on Inclusion & Diversity for VF Corp overall.