The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge aims to rally the business community from across industries and sectors to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
Listed below are the four steps needed to become a signatory:
- Sign a pledge agreement form (download the form here).
- Send the signed agreement along with a high-resolution version of your company’s logo and headquarter state to CEO Action’s director Idalia Hill at idalia.hill@pwc.com and schedule your onboarding call.
- In your message to Idalia, please indicate that you are a Nareit member in the subject line
- Complete an Actions submission form at any time once the pledge is submitted.
In July 2021, Nareit hosted an informational webinar about the pledge. You can access the recording and find the answers to frequently asked questions from Nareit members below.
Who should I contact with questions about the pledge?
If you have any questions about the pledge, please contact Idalia Hill, PwC, Director, CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ at idalia.hill@pwc.com and reference “Nareit” in the subject line.
Why is Nareit encouraging its members to sign the CEO Action Pledge?
Nareit formed its Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion CEO Council in November 2020 to address key issues and opportunities related to diversity, equity and inclusion in the REIT and publicly traded real estate industry. In the Council’s inaugural meeting, it determined that encouraging REIT industry CEOs to sign the CEO Action Pledge was a worthwhile initiative.
Once the REIT industry reaches 75 signatories, CEO Action will acknowledge the commitment by creating a new sector on its website dedicated to commercial real estate.
What am I committing to when I sign the pledge?
When you sign the pledge, you are committing to four key actions:
- Continuing to make your workplace a trusting place to have complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations about diversity and inclusion.
- Implementing or expanding unconscious bias education.
- Sharing best—and unsuccessful—practices with peers.
- Creating and sharing strategic inclusion and diversity plans with your board of directors.
The pledge is not overly prescriptive by design, giving each CEO the freedom to use their judgement to design and execute programs and policies that work best for their company.
Is there any cost associated with signing the CEO Action pledge?
There is no cost associated with taking the pledge, using the coalition’s resources, attending CEO Action events, or connecting with others within the coalition.
Are there any reporting requirements associated with the pledge?
CEO Action is not a compliance activity, therefore there is no required reporting.
An optional annual reaffirmation survey is conducted by the team at CEO Action to help determine what additional resources may be valuable to signatories.
What does the onboarding process entail?
A signed pledge agreement form, a high-res version of the company logo, the HQ location and company industry needs to be submitted to Idalia Hill at idalia.hill@pwc.com. Please include “Nareit” in the subject line.
From there, an onboarding call is scheduled—typically with an HR or DEI team member. During this 45-minute call, the mechanics of CEO Action are reviewed along with the resource portal, upcoming events, and communications opportunities. This is also an opportunity to discuss any strategies or challenges to facilitate relevant connections between coalition members.
What are learning opportunities or resources are available to CEOs and their team members or proxies?
While the CEO is the one who signs the pledge, there are team members from each company (“delegates”) who focus on strategy and implementation. There are multiple opportunities for CEOs and delegates to engage with their peers throughout the year. Each signatory and their delegates can choose which events and/or resources to engage with based on their needs and availability. At this time, the following opportunities are available:
Events
- Annual gatherings in November - There is a CEO Closed-Door Session—intentionally with no proxy—to encourage a dialogue of peers. There is also a CHRO & CDO Summit to bring together HR and diversity leaders.
- 5-Year Anniversary in June 2022 - CEOs and delegates will have the opportunity gather around the coalition’s anniversary. More details are forthcoming from CEO Action.
- CHRO and CDO Workshop Series - This forum addresses issues including data and transparency, responding to social issues, activism, and more. These are typically 90 minutes.
Networking and Information Sharing
- Coalition members can join a private LinkedIn group to ask questions, share resources, and connect with peers.
- Signatory-led community groups are created based on function, region, industry, etc. These groups provide another way to discuss challenges, ask questions, and engage with peers.
- The CEO Action team facilitates one-on-one connections based on coalition members’ needs.
- Monthly peer-led conversations are an informal way to bring together coalition members to discuss strategies, challenges, goal-setting, and more.
- The Actions database is publicly available, serving as an index of challenges organizations are facing, actions taken to address these challenges, and the outcomes of these solutions.
- An educational resource library—including employee education resources, recordings from workshops, and more—is available to signatories.
Does CEO Action offer guidance on putting together DEI plans or training?
A key element of the pledge is peer-to-peer sharing of what works and what doesn’t. Resources and lessons learned are often shared between coalition members, and the CEO Action Pledge team can advise based on trends and feedback within the coalition.
Do the CEO Action pledge commitments ever change?
There has only been one change to the pledge since its inception, and that was at the behest of participating CEOs.