Webinar Date: September 18, 2024 – 01:00 PM ET
Communications Specialist at Fair360
Vice President, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at Cox Enterprises
Fair360’s September 18 webinar was titled “Best Practices: Structuring Your Workplace Fairness Department.” It featured Erin Mitchell-Richeson, Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (ID&E) at Cox Enterprises. She gave an in-depth look at the company’s Center for Inclusion and its centralized ID&E approach. (Cox Communications, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, earned the No. 10 on Fair360’s 2024 Top 50 Companies list.)
Purpose and Vision
Mitchell-Richeson leads Cox Enterprises’ Center for Inclusion, aiming to improve the future by empowering the workforce.
“Our purpose is to build a better tomorrow,” she said, adding that the Cox Center for Inclusion empowers employees and fosters an authentic experience centered on inclusion and opportunity.
She emphasized the company’s vision to achieve equity for all employees. “This is how we fuel organizational performance and ensure every Cox employee feels seen and heard,” Mitchell-Richeson said.
Centralized vs. Decentralized Approach
Peers often ask Mitchell-Richeson whether ID&E should be centralized or decentralized. She said it depends on a few factors:
- The overall organizational structure
- The culture of the organization
- The needs of the business
- How the business is organized
“Regardless of the approach, the number one thing that is important is alignment,” she said. “What we don’t want, especially during this day and age, is to have different messages around what inclusion and diversity is for the organization, what it’s solving for and how we’re going to get there.”
In ID&E work, connection, visibility and a common language are crucial to avoid confusion. Therefore, Mitchell-Richeson emphasized that unified messaging is necessary for clarity and effectiveness, regardless of whether the ID&E structure is centralized or decentralized.
Cox Enterprises recently transitioned from a decentralized to a centralized ID&E model to ensure consistent communication and alignment across the organization. Moreover, this shift was made to ensure that ID&E is rooted in the company’s values.
Mitchell-Richeson said that unifying all teams from an ID&E perspective increased Cox’s bandwidth. This change allowed Cox to connect and engage with employees more quickly and effectively.
Watch the full webinar recording for more insights from Cox Enterprises. Also, don’t forget to register for our next webinar. It is titled “National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Building an Inclusive Talent Acquisition Strategy” and will take place on October 2 at 1 p.m. ET!
