Post Webinar Q&A with Todd Corley

Following his webinar on Engagement: A How-To on Igniting Passion Around Inclusion, Abercrombie & Fitch’s Todd Corley answered participants’ questions on accountability, communication vehicles, and ERGs.  To download the webinar recording, click here>>

How does Abercrombie & Fitch hold their leaders accountable?
At Abercrombie & Fitch, we focus a lot of our attention on inclusive behaviors for what we call “diversity champions.” A diversity champion is a leader who sees that inclusion has clear benefits to the company, spends their time and energy promoting D&I efforts, has changed their own behavior and challenges other’s behaviors, and explains the importance of D&I to managers and associates. Through our diversity champion program, we audit measurable results including hiring data, terminations, and promotions. These metrics are used to determine our diversity champions.

What communication vehicles does Abercrombie & Fitch use to brand their D&I work?
In order to have a relevant conversation around inclusion, internally, we use a Facebook page dedicated to our associates. The page allows us to ask probing questions, reinforce expectations and set the tone on how to operate a store with an open and inclusive mindset.

Can you share more about the structure of your diversity council?
We have three diversity councils, all of which are connected to our office, while they are targeted to different business units. Our Executive Diversity Council is company wide and consists of VP and above executives across the business, including, Merchandising, Sourcing, Human Resources, Legal and Stores Operations. Our Stores Diversity Council is comprised of international and domestic district managers, recruiters, Human Resources and Loss Prevention. Our Distribution Center Diversity Council is focused on creating an inclusive environment for our hourly associates.

Did your ERGs develop from a grassroots effort or were they pushed from the D&I office?
While we technically don’t have ERG’s, we have placed a priority on providing support and a stronger sense of community and inclusion for working parents at A&F. This includes working with HR to provide family-friendly events.

About Todd:

Todd Corley joined Abercrombie & Fitch as their first-ever corporate officer in charge of diversity and inclusion. He will be speaking on a keynote panel on Talent Optimization at Linkage’s Institute for Leading Diversity & Inclusion on April 30-May 2 in Atlanta.