Crafting a DEI strategy for a growing company with a well-known corporate social mission is quite the endeavor. But earlier this year, Harry’s Global Head of DEI Renée Tirado was hired to do just that.
“The goal is to infuse DEI in every part of our enterprise so it’s simply a part of who we are, how we do business and how we show up in the world,” she said.
For Tirado and the team, they’ll start by rolling out DEI-based learning and development training for leadership and employees at the grooming and shaving supplies company. From there, they’ll look to build a forward-thinking plan.
“We will design a multi-year strategy that will reflect talent recruitment and development initiatives, improving our existing policies and practices,” Tirado said.
Below, she shared how analyzing existing data plays a role in that pipeline and why empowering the team to think critically is at the center of the roadmap.
Tell me a little bit about your background. What brought you to Harry’s?
I am an attorney by trade. I’ve had the opportunity to work in professional sports, which introduced me to the DEI space. I was lucky to have incredible mentors and sponsors who invested in my development and taught me how to leverage my past professional experiences and educational background to serve as an advocate for change and progress in the workplace and to help grow a business and brand through inclusive practices.
That investment allowed me to work in industries where I was able to continue to stretch myself by gaining global experience, participate as both an individual contributor and on a team, and, ultimately, become a DEI lead. Historically, I have been in larger, older organizations that were highly matrixed. Harry’s was exciting for me because it is a young company that is growing very quickly and designing itself from within. The youthfulness of the company, in addition to the youthfulness of Harry’s employees and leadership team, gives me the opportunity to help build Harry’s DNA where DEI is tangible and sustainable.
What does Harry’s general approach to DEI look like? How has it evolved since you started?
The goal is to infuse DEI in every part of our enterprise so it’s simply a part of who we are, how we do business and how we show up in the world. We want to be what “good” looks like in this space while continuously pushing ourselves to be great. We also understand that the work is ongoing and will shift as the company does. I’ve only been here a short time but the appetite for this work is more pronounced than any place I’ve worked to date.
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How does the brand see itself within the context of the greater social and racial justice movement happening in our culture this year?
One of Harry’s values is to always improve. Harry’s recognizes and embraces its responsibility as a corporate citizen and thought leader to create a society that is equitable and inclusive of all people. It was important for the company to be introspective and invest in improving itself first. With that in mind, we rolled out ongoing DEI learning and training for leadership and employees.
Our CEOs have continued to share new information about DEI topics regularly, including their personal aha moments. All of our leaders have been deliberate in not letting this conversation die on the vine just because it’s not in the headlines. Our internal DEI efforts not only serve to make Harry’s a better place to work — they also empower our people to think critically and feel confident enough to share what they are learning with friends and family.
Externally, Harry’s social mission is to promote better mental health care for men. This year’s events prompted the company to invest in more organizations that support the well-being of men of color. In light of the disproportionate impact systemic inequities have had especially on Black men, we are laser-focused on making sure our investments are sustainable, substantive and drive measurable impact in underserved communities.
Harry’s recognizes its responsibility as a corporate citizen and thought leader to create a society that is equitable and inclusive of all people.’’
Where do you see DEI efforts headed in the next year or so? Are there specific initiatives you would like to develop that don’t already exist?
Over the next year, we will focus on our people, our culture and our business. Foundationally, we will look inward to diagnose our challenges and opportunities. That means analyzing our existing data, collecting new data and asking our people hard questions. From there, we will design a multi-year strategy that will reflect talent recruitment and development initiatives, improving our existing policies and practices. We will also partner with our brands to embed DEI in all of our commercial practices.
What advice would you give to people trying to help diversify their teams and their organizations?
Go beyond a verbal commitment. Tie key deliverables and metrics to your recruitment and development practices. For example, develop relationships with key organizations and schools (historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, etc.) to build out your pipeline, mentor and sponsor employees that underrepresented in your organization, commit to diversifying your hiring slate by 50 percent at all levels, and create apprenticeship or rotational programs for your underrepresented employees to gain exposure and develop skill sets. Articulate your commitment to your company out loud, define the metrics and hold everyone accountable.
