Diversity & Inclusion

The lack of diversity in the outdoors in the activities we support – hiking, climbing, paddling, snow sports and more - is a challenge for REI and the entire outdoor industry. We recognized the need to focus on diversity and inclusion and formally incorporated these as long-term priorities in the 2006 REI strategic plan. We place a high value on these efforts so that we can become more reflective of our country's increasing diversity, increase outdoor participation and establish stronger, local ties in the communities where we are located.

REI defines diversity as the wide range of differences that make each employee, co-op member, customer and community member unique. Primary differences include age, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, physical abilities and sexual orientation. Secondary differences include marital status, parental status, education level, work experiences, personal values, belief systems, and individual goals and ambitions.

To us, inclusion means creating a welcoming environment for all people – at work, in REI stores and in the outdoors. Inclusion goes hand-in-hand with diversity, enabling an open environment, promoting healthy dialogue and creating a sense of united purpose among all people, while allowing for individual differences.

Highlights

In 2008, the co-op's three top priorities for diversity and inclusion were:

• Employee Diversity — Attract, develop, promote and retain a workforce in balance with the cultural and personal dimensions that make up the communities we serve.
• Inclusion – Create a workplace environment and customer experience that is welcoming and respectful of all people.
• Diversity in the Outdoors — Inspire and increase outdoor participation across diverse communities of color.

We formed three steering committees to put these priorities into action. Led by members of the company's leadership team, each of these steering committees is responsible for delivering short- and long-term strategies for implementing these priorities across the company.

REI's 2008 employee engagement survey delivered positive responses (83 percent or higher) to all questions regarding the co-op's efforts to promote and support diversity and inclusion. For example, 83 percent of employees said REI's senior leadership supports equal opportunity for all employees. (Women account for one-third of our 15-member leadership team; four of our board members are people of color; and five of our board members are women, including our president and CEO, Sally Jewell.) Ninety-two percent stated that employees at REI are treated fairly regardless of gender, race, age, disability, religion or sexual orientation.

In 2008, we implemented several new actions within REI to increase cultural awareness and inclusive behaviors, and reinforce REI's values and code of conduct. These actions included leadership training of REI's management to develop relationships with more diverse groups in communities through the co-op's outreach programs, training in our distribution centers, and tools provided through new employee orientation and internal communication channels.

We also updated REI's recruiting strategy to actively seek prospective employees who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. A new strategy was piloted in six of the nine stores we opened in 2008. This strategy included engagement with community leaders and partnering with career centers at local colleges and universities.

The grants awarded via the REI Foundation in 2008 also supported the co-op's focus on serving and partnering with diverse groups. To share the joys of recreating in nature with more diverse audiences, we need to help remove the perceived barriers for getting outdoors.

In 2008, REI employees worked with store teams to engage African-American and Latino communities in fun and easy ways to get outdoors and enjoy nature. In Atlanta, for example, REI teams joined up with State Parks of Georgia, Earthwise Productions and Keeping it Wild to host a weekend campout for several African-American community leaders and their families at Red Top Mountain, the first state park set aside for African-American use when segregation laws were strictly enforced. The event objectives were to demonstrate to participants the enjoyment that comes from outdoor recreation and to learn from participants how the co-op can better connect communities of color with the outdoors.

Since Red Top, the Atlanta market has continued to build on these relationships.

In 2009, the team will participate in several more diversity-focused outreach events, including:

• The Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) Dream Team, supporting a group of middle school-aged youth participating in the ride.
• Supporting family participation in the Great American Backyard Campout, with gear and education through Gear Bank, PEAK and Passport.

Since the introduction of the Atlanta market's Gear Bank, community members have eagerly used it. Gear has been utilized by nonprofit organizations and by youth leaders from Spelman and Morehouse — local historically black colleges and universities — and was even part of a trip to see the inauguration of President Obama.

Challenges

Even with the positive employee survey results surrounding our efforts to promote and support diversity and inclusion, we have a long journey in front of us for the co-op to be truly reflective of our communities. A serious, sincere commitment to bringing greater diversity to our stores, business locations and to the outdoors in general is challenging to implement at a swift pace in the current economic climate. In addition, REI is still learning from our community partners about the best, most effective ways to engage. Done correctly, this is a time-consuming, important phase of our outreach efforts.

Looking Ahead

Our diversity and inclusion efforts will continue to receive a significant investment of resources in coming years. In 2008, we began a training program to support the efforts of REI employees to build a diverse and inclusive work environment. This program will continue in 2009 and beyond.

In early 2009, REI held its first Diversity Summit. During this event, the three steering committees tasked with addressing REI's diversity and inclusion priorities came together to reinforce the co-op's commitment to diversity and inclusion, share learnings and develop cross-functional goals and objectives. Sally Jewell, REI's president and CEO, spoke to attendees and emphasized that even in tough economic times REI's commitment to diversity and inclusion remains a priority.