Traton : Trilogy of Diversity

One of the ways in which workplace diversity is practiced is through the various interest groups that meet on a regular basis. Among those groups are, for example, the Professional Latino Association at Navistar, Military Veterans at Navistar, the Navistar Pride Alliance, Women in Navistar, Navistar Young Professionals, the Navistar Asian Professional Association, and the International Community of African Americans at Navistar. And that's not all: new groups are forming all the time - such the Parent and Caregiver Alliance and the Wellness Group. Each group is sponsored by a member of management.

Differences desired

"You can see from the groups that diversity here is not just about skin color and origin. It's also about different orientations and interests," says Wiggins. All the groups have specific goals as to what they want to achieve within the organization. The Navistar Young Professionals, for instance, want to promote the growth and advancement of junior staff, while the Professional Latino Association seeks to foster cultural diversity and a sense of community among the entire workforce. "The groups are a meeting place for likeminded people where they can represent their interests in a way that allows them to live out and give space to their diversity without alienating others," Wiggins adds.

At Navistar, the focus is thus not on diversity alone, but on a triad that is known under the acronym DEI, where D stands for diversity, E for equity, and I for inclusion. Today, DEI is as much a part of Navistar as the famous International Trucks with their diamond logo. "Equity also means meeting people where they are," Wiggins says. "For instance, someone who has difficulty with our corporate language, English, will get support." At the same time, everyone in the workforce gets an opportunity to share their own perspectives and issues with other people. One element of Navistar's inclusive coporate culture is its regular meetings at which an individual member of staff can give a presentation on a diversity issue that matters to them. "These are often controversial topics, such as what privilege means or what it is like to belong to a certain generation," Wiggins explains.