Latino Traffic Report has learned that as part of Honda’s efforts to promote equality in its workforce and society, the company today released its inaugural Inclusion & Diversity Report: “Living Our Values.” The report outlines Honda’s commitments to advancing inclusion and diversity and shares recent actions the company has taken, including key initiatives within its workforce and the communities where its associates live and work. The report, which will be released annually, marks the first time the company has publicly shared comprehensive data on the diversity of its operations in the United States, including its workforce, dealers, suppliers, and corporate giving, demonstrating Honda’s focus on transparency and accountability.
“We initiated this report to emphasize our commitment and share our progress in the areas of inclusion and diversity. The report is an important tool in holding ourselves accountable for continuous improvement,” said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion and Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda was founded on a strong respect for people, and we are committed to living our values through actions that strengthen equality in our own workplace and in communities across America.”
The company claims that while it has always prioritized aligning its actions with its belief that inclusion and diversity make us stronger, the social awakening of 2020 led Honda to reexamine and renew its efforts in championing fairness, justice and equality. The company committed to several new actions to better reflect the demographic makeup of America within its operations and deepen its support of social justice. One of these actions was to be more transparent in sharing its commitments and beliefs, and the diversity of key stakeholder groups.
The report also outlines new actions Honda has taken over the past two years, including:
- Improved processes for hiring and promotion by implementing diverse slates of candidates and diverse interview panels, and a more transparent job posting process
- Revised the company’s social media policy to enable Honda to take action when anyone affiliated with the company posts racist or discriminatory content
- Prepared Honda leaders throughout the company to hold meaningful discussions with associates about race, with organizational tools that included a leadership check-in conversation guide and manager resource guide to help facilitate candid conversations
- Provided tools for associates to educate themselves on the topic of social justice
- Introduced anti-racism and allyship training to leaders and associates to promote social justice and inclusion across Honda’s U.S. operations.
Honda has established specific partnerships with national Latino organizations like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU) Education Foundation (TEF), and since 2003, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to help undergraduate Latino students achieve their dream of a college education. In 2021 42 percent of the participants in Honda’s Professional Automotive Career Training program were Latino but the report also reveals that Latinos made up only five percent of Honda’s workforce in 2021.
“We have more work to do, but this report shows that Honda is making progress and is deeply committed to creating the inclusion, diversity and equity that is rooted in our values and will make us stronger as a company,” said Hunsicker.