Presenting workplace fairness to boards as a business imperative was one of the key takeaways from a fireside chat between Luke Visconti, founder and Chairman of Fair360, and Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton (a Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Hall of Fame company), at the 2023 Top 50 event in New York City on May 2.
The pair discussed the importance of workplace fairness in business, with Nassetta speaking about how he has been explaining to shareholders the need for it. He also shared the progress that Hilton has made in diversifying its board of directors to send a message throughout the organization that fairness is a priority.
Nassetta also acknowledged the challenges of promoting fairness within the hospitality industry, particularly at the highest levels, and how Hilton has been working to develop a systematic approach to doing just that.
“It’s easy for our senior people who we’re asking a lot of to say, ‘I’m going to take the easy way out,’” Nassetta said. “That doesn’t mean they’re bad people, it’s just easier. So you have to make them work harder. But when they start to see that there’s a benefit that it’s working, that in the end, the company is functioning better, the culture of the company is exhibited, and most importantly with the output of serving customers, then it becomes embedded in the data. Then it gets a lot easier even though it’s still hard work. People believe they see cause and effect.”
Click here for more articles, videos and photos from the 2023 Top 50 event.
