This profile is part of a series about some local businesses that have scored perfectly on HRC’S Corporate Equality Index.
The Boeing Company is one of a number of companies and firms with headquarters in and around Chicago (out of a total of 366 nationwide) to achieve a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and earn the distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” this past year. Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company with about 163,000 employees worldwide.
This is the seventh year, almost, in a row that the company has received a perfect score on HRC’s CEI. In 2012, Boeing’s score dipped a little because they were in the process of adding trans inclusive health benefits to their employee benefits package. HRC offered to give them the points, however, Boeing opted to take the hit on their score since they didn’t have the benefits fully in place.
One of the ways that Boeing achieves its 100 percent score is through its business-resource group (BRG): Boeing Association of Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgender Employees & Friends (BEAGLES). BEAGLES is one of eight employee-led BRGs—Employees Abilities Awareness Association, American Indian Society, Asian-American Professional Association, Black Employees Association, Hispanic Employees Network, Women in Leadership Association and Boeing Employees Veterans Association—formed to further personal and professional development, promote diversity within the company, drive business results and strengthen networking. There are more than 100 BRG chapters at a number of Boeing locations around the world and membership is open to all employees.
BEAGLES began as an outgrowth of an earlier group, the Bonsai Club, that LGBT employees formed at the Pacific Northwest Boeing offices in the 1980s. When the company decided to formally establish BRG’s in 2002, BEAGLES was one of the first BRG’s formed.
The largest BEAGLES chapter, of which there are 14 total, is located in the Puget Sound, Washington Boeing offices and the company is currently looking to expand the number of BEAGLES chapters throughout the globe. Each BEAGLES chapter has a self-governing leadership team consisting of a president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary as well as an executive board and an executive sponsor that is a part of that board. Michael C, Ford, vice-president of Global Diversity & Inclusion, oversees all of Boeing’s BRG’s. Boeing’s BRG’s hold general meetings every month for its members and throughout the year they host community based events as well as provide professional development opportunities for Boeing employees.
“Our internal data shows that employees who are involved with our BRG’s have some of the highest engagement scores so having a group like BEAGLES is important because it helps us truly include all of our employees as well as discover potential future leaders. BRG’s help us build on that promise of diversity which in turn helps us with innovation and creativity,” said Senior Global Workforce Inclusion Specialist Connie Summers (who works with the BRG’s and leadership teams to help create an inclusive workforce and perpetuate Boeing’s global diversity strategy). “BEAGLES helps our LGBTQ employees come together and develop future leaders as well as educate and create cultural awareness in our workforce. Without groups like BEAGLES and the rest of our BRG’s, it would be very difficult to have the very inclusive workforce that we desire.”
Chicago’s BEAGLES chapter president is Alex Schleider. Schleider grew up in France and has held a number of positions during his eight years with the company and currently serves as an Accounting Process Lead who is building Boeing’s Standard Global Processes.
“The previous company I worked for didn’t focus on diversity especially as it pertains to the LGBT community so when I started at Boeing and found out about BEAGLES I was excited,” said Schleider. “When I found out that there wasn’t a BEAGLES chapter in Chicago, I decided to start a chapter here at the headquarters and was subsequently elected the chapter’s president. I saw this as an opportunity to share my own experience as a gay person who grew up outside of the United States.”
As president, Schleider manages the group and its relationship with the group’s Executives Sponsor Greg Smith—Boeing’s CFO and executive vice-president of Business Development and Strategy. Schleider serves as the liaison to the Global Diversity & Inclusion Department and coordinates with other BEAGLES chapter presidents during their monthly call. He is also responsible for growing the number of BEAGLES Chicago members and bringing in training about inclusion.
Schleider noted that most of his colleagues appreciate the efforts that the Chicago BEAGLES BRG is doing to promote diversity and create events for employees to attend. “Each of our BRG’s are tasked with creating a major event and minor events for their heritage month which for the BEAGLES group would be every June,” said Summers.
“Our first focus is to promote LGBTQ values and principles inside the enterprise,” said Schleider. “Every year in June we hold a Lunch & Learn event with a specific topic and guest speakers. Topics from the past years include anti-bullying efforts with PFLAG as a guest and LGBTQ people in sports with representatives from the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Gay Hockey Association. This year our guest was Tracy Baim from Windy City Times. She discussed the long battle in Illinois for marriage equality and where we stand across the country on this matter.”
Along with each BEAGLES chapter’s events, Boeing has been involved with Out & Equal as a sponsor since they began as an organization. They also sponsor another entity, OUT for Work.
“We have employees that are involved with Out & Equal’s regional affiliates,” said Summers. “Not only do we sponsor their annual conference, we also send our employees to the conference and have a booth that is typically very popular. BEAGLES actually plans and executes our presences there. It’s a huge project that they do together every year.”
Boeing also partners with PFLAG, GLSEN, Puget Sound’s Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the National Organization of Gay & Lesbian Scientists & Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) on educational workshops. A number of Boeing’s engineers have been nominated for NOGLSTP awards over the years with one of the engineers emerging as a NOGLSTP award winner.
Last year, Boeing—for the first time ever—participated in Chicago’s Pride Parade. It is also scheduled to march in this year’s parade.
“It was great to see Boeing employees celebrating diversity at the Pride parade with other business partners like United Airlines, American Airlines and the Gay Pilot Association,” said Schleider.
“The success of our company is really dependent upon having the best and brightest talent,” said Summers. “Talent is found in all communities so when you consider that BEAGLES represents a cross section of other communities we are always going to have LGBTQ representation as a part of our workforce. Attracting that talent is one thing; but making sure that people have a voice, feel valued, are fully included in the workplace is critical to keeping that talent.”
Summers explained that having a perfect score from HRC helps Boeing attract individuals who have a strong sense of social responsibility and are very selective about where they want to work.
“This score has really impacted us in a positive way and quite honestly we’ve really enjoyed our relationship with HRC,” said Summers. “We’ve also partnered with HRC to help other companies be more LGBTQ inclusive with their corporate policies and benefits.”
See www.boeing.com/principles/diversity.page for more information.