In these difficult times, Marissa Andrada, Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and People Officer at Chipotle, is making a conscious effort to build on the advantages of a value-based corporate culture. In this interview with The HR Digest, she makes a case for the value of DE&I, and discusses the company’s culture, and how it has won several great place to work accolades.
The HR Digest: What major changes under Diversity and Equity stood out well for Chipotle since you took reigns as the Chief Diversity, Inclusion and People Officer in 2018?
Marissa Andrada: The transformation that we began in 2018 was also a people transformation. To best position Chipotle for growth, it was vital to reset our culture by codifying our values to support our purpose of Cultivating a Better World. Our values engendered an inclusive, collaborative and creative environment in which our employees were encouraged to bring their full selves to work. During our transformation, it was important that we also hired team members who lived our values; when we moved our support centers to Newport Beach and Columbus, we established a network of minority and women owned boutique search firms to help us curate diverse talent. Ensuring we have diversity of thought represented throughout the organization has been an ongoing journey. In 2019, we established four (4) Employee Resource Groups (ERG) fueled by the energy of our employees. Each ERG sought to provide resources and support for our all employees, as well as provide valuable feedback that shaped policies and practices. The cultural shifts and injustices of 2020 encouraged a more open dialogue about sharing our internal and external inclusion efforts. Our employees value seeing concrete examples of how the company is evolving and actively have a voice impacting those changes.
How important is it for companies to build a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of their consumers, clients, and communities?
Building awareness of our diversity is the first step toward achieving equity and inclusion, and at Chipotle, we’re committed to cultivating an environment where ALL are welcome and enabling a learning culture that values, respects and champions diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). Our mission has always been to cultivate a better world and not just through serving real food, but also through real, meaningful action. Chipotle is committed to transparently reporting on our internal metrics to ensure that we’re successfully meeting goals of increasing diversity while creating an inclusive environment. As of December 31, 2021, 53% of Chipotle’s U.S.-based employee population is female and approximately 70% of our U.S. based employee population is comprised of racial and ethnic minorities.
To close the gap, employers need to be intentional in their efforts to identify and foster diverse talent. At Chipotle, more than 90% of our restaurant management roles are internal promotes. We are providing a clear path for how Crew members can advance to a Restaurateur in 3.5 years, making an average salary of $100,000 and leading a multi-million-dollar business. We have also continued to evolve our Board of Directors and senior leaders to ensure there’s diversity of thought throughout the entire organization. The goal is for our team members to see leaders at all levels of the organization who look like them, in essence envisioning themselves at every level of Chipotle, and we are laser-focused on our efforts to achieve this.
“Everyone wants to be seen and heard so start by practicing stellar listening skills. Look to your employees to provide guidance on what support they need and build initiatives around the best means for serving them.”
What experiences, people, or philosophies have most influenced the way you view and practice diversity, and why?
I am a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from the Philippines so the importance of diverse representation is a personal passion. If you think about cultivating a better world, and cultivating an environment where employees can thrive, I believe that success is better when you’ve got a network around that is helping you, so we offer benefits like English as a second language for employees and their families. As was the case when my family arrived, a lot of folks don’t speak English as their first language. We hire these individuals and see that when they’re going through it with a family member, the chance of success at improving increases 100-fold.
What strategies do you plan to implement to ensure all voices are heard in the global workforce?
At Chipotle, the voices of our people matter and will always be heard. We host ongoing listening sessions with our executive officers, including “Ask Me Anything” meetings where restaurant employees’ opinions can be shared directly with our Chairman and CEO. Our Restaurant Support Center and field-based leaders can participate in ChipChats with leaders as well as attend my Real Scoop sessions, which are one-hour discussions with diverse influencers about their personal journeys.
Various Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have also been formed as a way for employees to create community and live Chipotle values, including PRIDE – People Respecting Inclusivity, Diversity and Education, HUSTLE – Humans Uniting to Support the Ladies’ Experience, and a Multicultural ERG was formed called UNIFIED – United Network of Influencers Furthering Inclusion and Ethnic Diversity all of which have been established to foster diversity and inclusion across the organization. Additionally last year, we also began participating in MLT’s Black Equity at Work Certification program that requires and supports employers to apply comprehensive, sustained rigor to meaningfully increase Black equity.
To ensure that our leaders are held accountable for making decisions that cultivate a better world, Chipotle tied Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals to executive compensation, which includes maintaining both racial and gender pay equity as well as implementing a program to accelerate the development of Chipotle’s diverse field organization and support center employees for promotion to above restaurant and next level roles.
What’s the key lesson you want aspiring CHROs to take away from your work?
Everyone wants to be seen and heard so start by practicing stellar listening skills. Look to your employees to provide guidance on what support they need and build initiatives around the best means for serving them. Food with integrity is the outcome of people with integrity; never lose sight of the fact that people are your greatest asset. Investing in them will not only foster engagement, but will enable equity.
We want to attract and retain individuals that believe in Chipotle’s mission to cultivate a better world, and in turn we will invest in their overall wellness by offering leading wages alongside robust benefits that address physical, mental and financial health. By providing access to education and financial planning, I believe we’ll see a greater representation of diversity in more senior roles over time as these individuals grow with the organization. Authenticity lives here is a key value so no matter what your story is or where you come from, if you are passionate about Chipotle’s purpose, there’s growth and opportunity for you.