As Nashville’s population continues to grow and more major businesses move to the middle Tennessee area, a number of employers are working to become more competitive in their recruitment and retention efforts by being as inclusive as possible. When it comes to courting the LGBT community, many companies may offer an appealing benefits package that includes domestic partner benefits, but the team at Nissan has found that the most effective way to hang on to talented employees is through a more comprehensive approach that fosters a more inclusive environment in the workplace. “Nissan proudly has one of the most diverse customer bases in the automotive industry, and we want to ensure that our workforce reflects that,” said Robert Wilson, director of diversity and inclusion at Nissan, a company that recently received a perfect score of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI). That’s up 70 points from two years ago, marking one of the fastest rises in the history of the index. “What is truly impressive about the leadership team at Nissan is that they already
Nissan booth at Nashville’s 2013 Gay Pride
understand the need to be more strategic in how they approach diversity, and there is buy-in from the very top,” said Corbette Doyle, lecturer in organizational leadership at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and a member of Nissan’s executive diversity council. “Because they share a sense of urgency to move forward, Nissan has been able to execute a number of successful initiatives in the last year, such as the implementation of a companywide diversity training program and the launch of Nissan’s LGBT affinity group, the GayStraight Alliance at Nissan (GSAN).” GSAN began forming in late 2012 with about a dozen Nissan employees who expressed interest in a group that could support LGBT employees and allies. GSAN officially launched in July 2013, and since then, the group has expanded to nearly 100 members, making it one of the fastest-growing and most engaging of Nissan’s employee resource groups. The team, more than half of which are allies, has taken an integrated approach in its efforts with significant collaboration with other Nissan affinity groups, and its outreach programs are making a difference in terms of sales, recruiting, retention, and satisfaction.
The group has worked closely with sales operations teams to develop a way to track purchases driven by Nissan’s involvement in the community. Since June the company already has seen a measurable return on investment in events such as Pride festivals, HRC’s Equality Dinner, and Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce activities. “We want GSAN to serve as a catalyst that drives a culture of equality providing a safe, respectful, inclusive, and supportive environment for our employees, vendor partners, and customers,” said Cathy Lively, ally supporter and co-chair of GSAN. “Looking at the successes we’ve had just in the last year makes us really eager to carry that momentum forward as we amp up our presence at LGBT events and get more involved with civic and philanthropic organizations that serve the LGBT community,” said Dave Damron, co-chair of GSAN. The team at Nissan realizes that it’s about more than the bottom line—it’s about making the human connection. Wilson explained that, looking ahead, the team plans to take their successes within their headquarters and the Nashville community and expand them to become more relevant on a national basis.
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