Skip to Main Content

Our Global Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

 
​

Our key differentiator is our people, and the diversity of perspectives and experiences we bring is one of our greatest assets. United by our purpose — to develop and discover leadership for a better future — and our core values, we are committed to creating a culture globally that celebrates our diversity, encourages everyone to bring their authentic selves to work and ensures that all colleagues feel heard and respected. When we are at our best, we can better help our clients advance their talent and leadership agendas, so that individuals become their best selves as leaders; teams and organizations deliver sustainable growth and innovation that benefit all stakeholders; and communities they serve thrive.

​

Spencer Stuart Voices

Even amidst the COVID pandemic, we purposefully focused on engaging our employees in creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, and we continue to make investments to strengthen diverse and underrepresented communities. It is truly empowering and encouraging."
HR Director, Singapore
For me, the Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander affinity group has given me a space to reflect on my experience as a person of color in corporate America and brainstorm with peers around how to make the firm and the industries we work in better.”
Senior Analyst, Chicago
An inclusive culture is everything. Everything will stem from that — from allowing our people to be themselves, to performing to the best of their ability, to serving our clients with the best that the firm has to offer and, ultimately, an inclusive culture will mean that we can attract and retain the best and most diverse talent possible."
Consultant, London

A Message from Dr. Tony Byers, Our Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer

At Spencer Stuart, DE&I is important to us because it's a part of our purpose. We are an organization that gathers voices from multiple perspectives from all over the world, and we bring that to bear when we serve our clients. We create an environment where people are valued, respected and engaged. The world is getting smaller, and we need to connect with people from everywhere.”

Bringing Our Commitment to Life

To ensure that we continue to make progress, we have a comprehensive, global strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion focused on three key areas: our team, our clients and our voice and presence in the market.

Our team

We focus on fostering an inclusive culture that attracts and retains a diverse group of smart, curious, innovative, and results-driven people who are energized by the work we do and care deeply about one another and our communities. Our activities include:

  • Hiring Dr. Tony Byers as our chief inclusion and diversity officer and building out a DE&I function globally
  • Increasing our hiring, advancement and retention of women and other people from historically underrepresented groups
  • Launching affinity groups and other DE&I-focused communities to support and empower the unique needs of team members from underrepresented groups
  • Expanding our collective knowledge and skills through unconscious bias and inclusive leadership training and an ongoing DE&I speaker series
  • Measuring our progress using a framework with clearly defined representation and engagement baselines and objectives
  • Providing benefits and safeguards that address a broad range of needs for all of our people

Our clients

We help clients advance their diversity and inclusion objectives and focus on equity and equality when presenting candidates, with the goal of increasing the representation of historically underrepresented groups in senior leadership roles. To support our work, we partner with organizations around the globe focused on improving DE&I.

How we support clients

Our voice in the market

Spencer Stuart is a force for change by serving as a strong voice for progress on DE&I, especially as it relates to leadership. We do this by communicating our own commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and the importance of DE&I to our clients and other organizations, regularly publishing thought leadership on DE&I issues and being transparent about our own progress.

Ben Williams
People are truly at the heart of everything we do at Spencer Stuart. The reason our firm exists and the role we play in the world is captured in our purpose to discover and develop leadership for a better future. DE&I is an integral part of that better future, within our own firm, with our clients and in society at large. We are in the fortunate position to be able to impact organizations all over the world, advising and supporting them as they drive their own DE&I agendas. Our firm is stronger when all of our people feel included and empowered to do and be their best, and when we celebrate our commonalities and our differences. In doing so, we believe we are not only more effective advisers to our clients, but we are serving a greater purpose in the world as well.
Ben Williams Chief Executive Officer

Our Affinity Groups Around the World

As part of our DE&I journey, we launched affinity groups to support and empower team members from underrepresented groups. The affinity groups share a common goal of enhancing the representation and professional development of diverse talent within the firm. The groups also seek to increase connection and create opportunities for community-building through social, volunteer and celebration activities. They are deeply engaged in education and outreach, producing and hosting dialogue circles, expert speaker panels and workshops, and creating intellectual capital that spotlights issues impacting their communities and shared experience. These groups are critical in helping us achieve our DE&I objectives.

Today, there are over 300 members of affinity groups at Spencer Stuart. The groups are continuing to expand across the globe. The firm is deeply committed to supporting these groups, and their growth and contributions are essential to our values and mission.

ASAPI: The Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander Affinity Group This group stands to create a safe space for colleagues who identify as Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander.
B-IDEAL: The Black and African American Affinity Group The B-IDEAL name represents the group’s mission: to elevate belonging, inclusion and impact, diversity, equity, access and agency and leadership for colleagues who identify as Black, African, African American and members of the African diaspora at Spencer Stuart and beyond.
EMBRACE Affinity Group The group aims to provide support to those from ethnic minority/underrepresented backgrounds.
LGBTQ+ Affinity Group The affinity group supports LGBTQ+ colleagues by providing a safe space for open discussion.
Neurodiversity Affinity Group The group exists to provide connection and support to those with neurodiverse dependents, as well as our colleagues who are neurodiverse.
Unidad: The Latin American & Hispanic Affinity Group The name “Unidad,” “Unity” in English, embraces the shared heritage, life experiences and languages that bring the members of this group together, despite our varied countries and backgrounds.
Veterans Affinity Group This group’s mission is to create a safe space for colleagues who have served their country honorably.

ASAPI: The Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander Affinity Group

Members leverage learnings and elevate awareness of issues that ASAPI colleagues face and provide feedback to firm leaders to increase understanding of their opportunities and challenges. They strive to promote and support key diversity and inclusion initiatives that recognize, respect, and leverage the individuality of all Spencer Stuart employees as a competitive advantage.

B-IDEAL: The Black and African American Affinity Group

Our members hold space to enrich the Black, African, African American and African diasporic employee experience at our firm. We provide guidance to our firm leaders on engaging with our community and deliver programs, events and workshops to enhance our firm’s fluency in DE&I matters. We also leverage internal and external partnerships and communications to extend our sphere of influence.

View related insights

EMBRACE Affinity Group

We encourage conversations about race and underrepresentation, to promote understanding and to collaborate with the wider organization to create a healthy and inclusive working environment. Our aim is to champion ethnic minority representation and progression within Spencer Stuart. We want to raise awareness of and celebrate different cultures, backgrounds and heritages.

LGBTQ+ Affinity Group

The group’s work includes promoting a vibrant community of LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies and creating programming to engage LGBTQ+ colleagues and the broader community on our issues and topics. The group exists to support those who are out and those who are not out. Members aim to enhance Spencer Stuart’s inclusion efforts more broadly both internally and externally, as well as the firm’s go-to-market and hiring approach with respect to LGBTQ+ people & inclusion.

View related insights

Neurodiversity Affinity Group

We promote understanding and recognition with the wider organisation, bringing awareness to the demands of neurodiversity, whilst also celebrating the incredible benefits it can bring. We want to champion the importance of difference so that we each have the opportunity to thrive.

Unidad: The Latin American & Hispanic Affinity Group

This is a supportive network where members can show up as their full, authentic selves, celebrate shared heritages, and engage in discussion of issues and developments that impact this community. Through Unidad, they find empowerment. Unidad stands in solidarity with all underrepresented employees at Spencer Stuart and is in support of equity, intersectional justice and all those who seek it.

Veterans Affinity Group

The members’ key mission is to increase representation of veterans within the firm, and mentor those who have recently left service and use their strong leadership skills to thrive in this corporate environment. The participants also leverage learnings and elevate awareness of issues faced by veterans and provide feedback to firm leaders to increase understanding of our opportunities and challenges.

Our Partnerships

We partner with organizations around the globe focused on improving DE&I, including:

AADF
Ascend
CEO Action
Diligent
Latino Corporate Directors Association
WCD

LEARN MORE

Explore Our DE&I Insights

China Needs More Women in Executive Leadership

In this report, co-authored by Spencer Stuart and Bain & Company, we examine the workplace challenges facing women in China and recommend actions to help women reach their full potential.
Read more

Accelerating Women’s Progress: Breaking Bias and Building Inclusive Workplaces

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also is a time to assess women’s progress and renew commitments to accelerating gender parity.
Read more

Opening doors in tech

Despite an abundance of campaigns, conferences and media blitzes the tech industry remains far from gender balanced. We explore what can be done to turn good intentions into greater impact.
Read more
View more insights
© 2023 Spencer Stuart