Celebrations in the stores, as with Kwanzaa or women's history month, offer an opportunity to connect employees and customers and to communicate respect for diversity. Greater awareness and understanding builds better working relations among employees as well as better relations with customers. We try not to call diversity a program, according to Liz, because programs come and go. Instead, we look at it as a way of life, a part of everything we do. We know if we get a group of employees together who have different backgrounds, we get better solutions, more creative ideas.
Diversity is a priority now.
We're working to make it part of our culture. The formalized diversity initiative at Wegmans is relatively new. The Buffalo division utilizes a crossfunctional diversity team which includes the division manager, store manager, pharmacy manager, night manager, a meat manager, and representatives from human resources and consumer affairs to plan and review diversity acthities. Clearly and loudly to employees and customers alike. The diversity commitment statement is posted in departments and break rooms as well as on the sales floor.