Diversity

Diversity and inclusion are ingrained in our culture
At Bates White, we are deeply committed to fostering and maintaining a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. This commitment can be traced back to the guiding principles established at our inception in 1999. Our founders sought to establish a collaborative work environment where diverse skill sets are valued and individuals have the mentoring and professional development opportunities they need to learn and contribute to the firm’s success. For example, when employees join Bates White, they are immediately teamed with a peer coach who serves as a sounding board and helps them learn about the firm. They also are assigned a sponsor who mentors and helps manage their professional development throughout their career at Bates White.

Bates White recognizes that each individual contributes unique ideas, perspectives, and interests that enable us to maintain a dynamic environment, encourage creativity, and deliver higher quality results for our clients. We define diversity as the full range of ways in which people differ from one another including race, gender, ethnicity, geographic origin, lifestyle, sexual orientation, religion, age, physical/personal traits, functional/educational backgrounds, position, and tenure at Bates White.

A formal commitment
As the firm grew, we realized the need to formalize our commitment. In 2004, we established a diversity and inclusion steering committee led by the firm’s Managing Partner. The committee developed a strategic plan outlining goals and strategies. We worked with an outside consulting firm, which conducted an assessment that analyzed our environment, established a baseline, and provided direction for our programs. Since then, we have continued to assess our progress through biennial surveys of our employees. In 2007, the steering committee transitioned to a Diversity/Inclusion Council, which is comprised of employees representing a diverse cross-section of the firm.

Diversity/Inclusion Council
The Diversity/Inclusion Council implements initiatives and ensures diversity and inclusion are supported in all aspects of the firm. It does this in a number of ways:

• Annually reviews and updates our diversity and inclusion goals

• Reviews firm policies and recommends changes to the firm’s leadership

• Reviews the results of the biennial survey, disseminates and gathers feedback on the results, and proposes initiatives to address concerns

• Sponsors events and initiatives designed to celebrate the firm’s diversity and raise awareness. These have included:

• A speaker series on topics such as work-life balance and diversity and inclusion issues affecting client service firms

• Sponsoring BWorld, an event showcasing our cultural diversity through an international potluck and online map highlighting our employees’ geographic origins

• Listens to concerns from employees and brings them to the attention of management

• Provides input for recruiting, new employee orientation, and employee integration initiatives

• Implements diversity and inclusion training

• Supports external diversity organizations and community involvement

• Recommends ways to ensure accountability for diversity and inclusion goals

Recognition

Bates White was listed in the top 20 firms for diversity and quality of life rankings in the 2010 edition of the Vault Guide to the Top 50 Management and Strategy Consulting Firms. Below is a summary of Bates White’s rankings. You can also view an excerpt of the Guide’s Bates White profile.