Toyota Achieves Top 10 Ranking for Diversity

DiversityInc named Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) one of its 2020 Top 50 Companies for Diversity®, ranking 10th—up from 18th last year. Toyota is the only automotive manufacturer ranked in the Top 10 and has moved up an impressive 38 spots on the list since 2013.

“When it comes to diversity and inclusion (D&I), each year we try to set new challenges and new goals with a plan for attaining them.  This recognition gives us encouragement that we’re on the right path because we know it’s a journey, not a destination,” said Sandra Phillips Rogers, chief diversity officer and chief legal officer, TMNA.

Toyota attributes its growing reputation as a leader in diversity to its practice of inspiring, encouraging, and modeling D&I throughout the organization. This practice applies to the company’s relationships both internally and externally.

Phillips Rogers added, “Across North America, we are building and strengthening partnerships with allies who embrace a common goal — to create a more inclusive society that celebrates and is enriched by our differences, which we view as an especially important attribute during these challenging times.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Toyota teamed up with non-profit and private sector allies to provide funding, expertise and in-kind donations for at-risk and disproportionately impacted communities. For example, community service announcements were created to bring awareness and credible information to the African American and Hispanic communities as part of Toyota’s overall response efforts.

Hallmarks of Toyota’s diversity and inclusion mindset include:

• D&I is Essential to Toyota’s Foundational Values and Vision of Mobility for All: Toyota’s foundational pillars of Continuous Improvement and Respect for People advocate the act of influencing innovation through inclusion — to acknowledge, respect, value and consider diverse ideas, perspectives and contributions. Mobility at its core is about giving people the freedom to move.

• D&I is Leader-Led: TMNA’s Diversity Advisory Board (DAB) works in partnership with the company’s Executive Diversity and Inclusion Council (EDIC) to offer insight and perspective. Their guidance helps cultivate a D&I mindset across the enterprise and ensures that D&I is a priority for leaders. Thirty-three percent of Toyota’s senior executives serve on the boards of multicultural organizations, and leaders also serve as mentors and allies to the company’s employee resource groups, known as business partnering groups (BPGs).

• D&I is Team Member-Driven: There are over 95 BPG chapters representing 13 different affinities at Toyota, and more than 40 percent of employees at TMNA Headquarters are involved in one. Employees pride themselves on volunteerism and community service to assist disadvantaged youth, LGBTQ+, minorities, women, people with disabilities and veterans. More than 200 team members have become D&I Champions since 2018, completing a program that teaches participants how to infuse D&I within their own departments.

• D&I is Reflected in Business Partnerships: Toyota is committed to fostering D&I within its supply chain, spending more than $3 billion with certified minority and women owned businesses annually. The Toyota Mentorship Program (TMP)– of which 80 percent of participants are women business enterprises (WBE) – offers participants insight into Toyota’s culture and guidance towards improving their operations and their approach with potential corporate clients. Toyota Opportunity Exchange, a program designed to help diverse suppliers learn more about Toyota, is celebrating 30 years.

For more information on Toyota’s D&I efforts please visit https://toyotadiversityreport.com/.