Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Truist

Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is integral to what Truist stands for—inspiring and building better lives and communities. We believe that to successfully anticipate and meet clients’ needs, as well as to democratize access to opportunities, companies today must ensure among their workforces diversity of race and ethnicity, gender, varying ability, veteran status, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as diversity of culture, thought, and perspectives. We also believe our teammates must authentically reflect our communities, and we are taking actions to further ensure this. DEI is one of our Top 10 Enterprise Strategic Priorities, and for the first time, we are disclosing our EEO-1 data in the index of this report. We strive to create an inclusive workplace in which every person, voice, and moment matters. At Truist, we’re committed to helping advance equality and positively influencing the economic mobility and societal impact for our stakeholders. That starts with our teammates.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace

As we strive to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces and communities, we start with this deep conviction: There is no place for hatred and racism or unequal opportunity at Truist.

We work every day to be better and do better— to connect with people and communities in a way that supports unity and progress. Ultimately, we will judge our success on our performance in contributing to equity, respect, safety, and justice for all, especially ethnically and racially diverse individuals from historically marginalized communities.

Our fervor for positive change comes with humility. We recognize there is more to be done to lift those inside Truist and within our reach. We must do better in every way—intention, action, and outcome—to reduce inequity and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion for our teammates, communities, and other stakeholders.

As part of our zero tolerance policy at Truist, we:

• Honor our commitment to our Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
• Offer anonymous complaint mechanisms
• Ensure that retaliation for reporting misconduct is prohibited
• Provide, and for some topics require, DEI training that includes: Unconscious Bias, Code of Ethics, Preventing Workplace Harassment for Employees, Workplace Violence Prevention for Truist Teammates, and the Americans with Disabilities Act

Our teammates: embracing diversity at work

Truist is hard at work to create an inclusive and energizing environment that empowers all teammates to learn, grow, and build meaningful careers. We believe that listening to their voices, making socially responsible decisions every day, and being reflective, responsive, and empathetic will help foster a more diverse and inclusive culture.

For example, following the social justice events in the summer of 2020, Truist implemented Days of Understanding sessions to provide candid, open venues for teammates to discuss uncomfortable topics with executive leadership, such as the impacts of racism and bias in and outside of work. We conducted more than 300 Days of Understanding sessions in 2020, joined by over 28,000 teammates, to listen without judgment, understand different views, and uncover opportunities to be better together. 

Furthermore, Truist leaders are listening—and speaking out. In 2020, we publicly denounced social injustices and acknowledged our heritage organizations’ histories with slavery. We applauded the accountability and hope for healing following the verdict in the murder of George Floyd, while acknowledging the work ahead to achieve equal justice and social equity in our country. In the wake of the murders in Atlanta in March 2021 and increased acts of hate against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, we sent a companywide Statement of Solidarity with links to social justice resources to aid teammates and a reminder to report any teammate concerns.

Raising awareness of DEI

In addition to our commitment to increase diversity in senior leadership roles from approximately 12% to at least 15% in three years and conduct ongoing pay equity reviews, Truist is devoting extensive training and resources toward DEI objectives. This includes: 

• Requiring unconscious bias training of all leaders; in 2020, an additional 824 teammates attended the 4-hour training session.
• Providing social justice resources, including books, articles, and a guest speaker series, to shed light on these issues and educate teammates on the realities of racism.
• Celebrating and educating teammates through activities for cultural heritage months.
• Hosting a total of 200 events in 2020, celebrating:
  • Black History Month
  • Women’s History Month
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
  • LGBTQ+ Pride Month
  • Generations Awareness Month
  • Hispanic Heritage Month
  • Disability Employment Awareness Month
  • Veterans & Military Appreciation Month
  • And several others

Supporting teammate identity and orientation

We also made a point to celebrate International Pronoun Day on Oct. 21, 2020, with an enterprisewide email to teammates notifying them that they could now update their email signatures with their personal pronouns. We provided talking points for anyone wanting to share with their teams or promote the use of pronouns in their team meetings, and we held six workshops to provide education on the use of pronouns and the importance of allyship.

In addition to encouraging teammates to add personal pronouns to their email signatures, we also created the opportunity for teammates to identify their gender identity and sexual orientation in our internal human capital management system of record.

Truist published gender identity guidelines and definitions and a statement of support that all teammates who transition or change gender expression while on the job can expect the support of Truist management and human resources.

We are committed to continuing to build a culture where our teammates feel a sense of belonging and where they can bring their best selves to work. We champion diversity at Truist, and we are dedicated to increasing access to opportunities for all.

Read the full report here. 

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Truist on 3blmedia.com