Global talent solutions firm Robert Half and wholly owned subsidiary Protiviti are committed to the ever-evolving journey of creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
At the core of our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) approach, we are invested in making long-term, sustained progress to help drive positive change across our global enterprise and the many communities where we live and work. Influenced and guided by our core values—integrity, inclusion, innovation and commitment to success – along with our DEI philosophy, we aim to enhance the attraction, engagement, retention, development and leadership paths of a diverse workforce.
Additionally, we strive to be an employer of choice with an increasingly diversified and committed workforce reflective of the clients and communities in which we work and live. Integrity leads the way, inclusion moves us forward together, innovation creates new destinations, and we are passionately committed to success.
One way we demonstrate this commitment is through our supplier inclusion program. Entering its 20th year in 2024, this program is designed to promote the promotion, growth and development of small and diverse-, women-, veteran-, service-disable veteran- and LGBTQIA+-owned businesses, as well as business owners with apparent and non-apparent disabilities. Robert Half director of supplier inclusion Lou Rosas noted that:
“Key benefits of our program include: Promoting innovation of new products, services, and solutions. Providing multiple channels from which to procure goods and services. Driving competition, on price and service levels, between the company’s existing and potential vendors.”
Embarking on a mission to increase spend with diverse vendors and prioritize representation across services is no small feat and cannot be done alone. Working closely with Disability:IN through a formal partnership has empowered our enterprise to achieve greater disability inclusion and equality. Our program has made significant strides to better equip our teams to take action that is in alignment with our mission, as we engage with suppliers who respect ethics, human rights, diversity and inclusion, and the environment.
There are numerous ways that Disability:IN has benefitted our program and enterprise, including:
- Procure Access: As a signatory of Procure Access, a business-to-business initiative facilitated by Disability:IN, we demonstrate our commitment to purchasing and selling technology that is accessible to people with apparent and non-apparent disabilities.
- CEO Letter on Disability Inclusion: Signing this initiative provides us with a community of leaders to learn with and from, as we recognize that diversity impacts culture, management and financial performance. This letter is designed for CEOs to take action to build inclusive, accessible and equitable workplaces and encourages accountability through participating in the Disability Equality Index.
- Disability Equality Index: By leveraging this comprehensive benchmarking tool, we’re able to develop our roadmap of measurable, tangible actions to achieve disability inclusion and equality. As a result of participating, we’ve been recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.”
- Supplier Diversity Matchmaking: By participating in this business-to-business matchmaking event, corporate partners and certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (SDV-DOBEs are paired to develop business connections and build relationships through networking. As we’ve participated in this initiative, we’ve added new businesses owned by individuals with apparent and non-apparent disabilities to our database and assessed current and future bid opportunities on an ongoing basis.
- Disability Etiquette & Inclusion in the Workplace: Robert Half and Protiviti previously co-sponsored an event around disability etiquette and inclusion in support of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, recognized in the United States during October.
In addition to the various ways Disability:IN bolsters our efforts, our supplier inclusion team consistently conducts outreach activities and participates in conferences and trade shows in support of the many diverse supplier organizations we partner with. We are inspired to offer resources to companies we are connected to by delivering content that is tailored for diverse-owned business leaders regarding effective communication and strategies for advancing within their respective industries.
As we focus on increasing the diversity certification of our existing diverse suppliers and expanding our bidding opportunities with DOBEs and SDV-DOBEs, our goal is to maintain, at a minimum, 35% of our total U.S. supplier spend with small and diverse businesses. In 2022, it was 37%. “Supplier inclusion targets assist us in measuring our purchases from small and diverse businesses by securing the various products and services we need from respected suppliers at highly competitive prices,” said Robert Half supplier inclusion program manager Brenda Arnold. “As a result, our program provides small- and diverse-owned businesses with equal footing to effectively work with us while growing their own business at the same time,” she continued.
To learn more about supplier inclusion at Robert Half and Protiviti, visit our website or email our team at [email protected].
