Equity Starts at The Root - A Conversation with Guillermo Chavarria

Guillermo Chavarria (he/him/el), a Costa Rica native, has dedicated his career to people; advocating for equity and inclusion for the teams he has served across operations, retail, and people functions in global companies like Starbucks and Blue Bottle Coffee.

When it comes to equity in the workplace what do you feel people aren’t thinking about? Is there an example you can share that illustrates this for you?

I believe that the impact of company policies and initiatives on employees psychological safety is not often talked about. Some examples include: companies choosing health insurance plans that ignore or reject people who may not identify as female or male and organizations who focus on paying above minimum wage versus livable wages. Intention to provide more than minimum wage or comprehensive health benefits is simply not enough. These are systemic micro-inequities that can be a part of fostering workplaces where interpersonal micro-aggressions can flourish. We have to stay connected to our teams and understand how what we do impacts those we are aiming to support.

What strategies, tactics, equity and culture solutions have you personally seen work, and why do you think they worked?

Equity starts at the roots of a company, that’s a firm belief I have. In my experience, the best strategies are ones that look internally first—policies, procedures, employee handbooks, accountability processes, recruiting standards, etc. Companies that prioritize looking internally to develop systems that empower diverse groups of folx are the ones who see the greatest amount of success. Companies can be diverse and inclusive all day long, but if there aren’t equitable policies in place, they will be unlikely to create a sense of belonging for their people. I have done the work myself, to dismantle and rebuild the programs and policies that dictate the entire employee lifecycle, and it is hard work… but that’s where the magic happens.

What do you think is changing in the workplace that companies need to start proactively thinking about?

The level of knowledge people have access to is transforming the current and future generations. Knowledge is power, and that is the “change” I see. More people are knowledgeable about dominant culture systems that disproportionately give power and access to certain folx and not others. More people embrace their worth as individuals and as workers, they know that they no longer have to accept less. For companies, this means that to be able to retain great talent and grow their business, they have to reassess how they operate completely since consumers are also spending with more awareness and intention. Years of power hoarding, patriarchy, and bureaucratic beliefs are now being challenged; people are smarter, braver, and understand the power they hold in deciding who they work for and who they support as patrons.

What do you think is important to measure when it comes to equity in the workplace? For example, if you could reimagine an organization’s KPI’s (key performance indicators - targets that help you measure progress against your most strategic objectives) to be centered around equity and culture, what would some of them be and why?

Every department across an organization should have measurable people-focused goals. However, it’s important to highlight that the company must first create policies that ensure accountability of those goals. Some areas that companies should measure are: 

• Equitable promotion and pay practices  

• Engagement  

• Turnover rates (a special focus on quantifying why people leave) 

• Employee Relations Concerns 

Additionally, if the company offers any bonus or incentives plans, people-focused goals should be embedded in the overall metrics. If we are serious about creating workplaces where anyone can belong, we must ensure that everyone in the company, from policy builders to people leaders, are equally responsible for the actions that will get us there. 

Do you think it’s possible to change an established workplace culture? Why or why not?

Yes. Now, is it easy? That’s a BIG no. Companies can change their culture if that is a priority. In my journey I have learned that boards and executive teams have the power to change almost anything they want. However, the work starts with those teams being well educated in people matters and are willing to put in the work—this can include financial investments, bringing in new and diverse leaders, building equitable career paths for their teams, and tuning in to what your teams want and feel they need. There is no doubt in my mind that if a group of leaders truly want to change a culture that they absolutely can.