The Nike logo can be seen at the Nike Store on February 22, 2021 in New York City.
John Smith | Corbis News | Getty Images
Nike has set a five-year roadmap to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, the company announced Thursday, as the corporate United States becomes increasingly responsible for its values and the actions it entails.
For the first time, Nike said, it will also link its executive pay to the company that progresses in deepening diversity and inclusion across its workforce, protecting the planet and advancing ethical manufacturing. He did not provide further details, but said the compensation would be related to the achievement of the 2025 targets by the company.
“We are proud of the achievements we have seen, but we know the work is still in its infancy,” said President and CEO John Donahoe in a letter on the five-year goals. “We are also redefining the look of responsible leadership.”
Outlining the progress made by Nike in 2020, the sneaker maker claimed that it has increased the representation of women worldwide in its business to 49.5%, from 48% in 2015. Meanwhile, the representation of women ethnic and racial minorities at the vice president level in the United States States rose to 29% last year from 15.9% in 2015. Nike also highlighted the fact that its 2020 internal class was the most diverse of history, with 55% of the 310 interns in women and 49% representing racial and ethnic minorities.
By 2025, Nike said, it aims to achieve a representation of 50% of women in its global corporate workforce (which does not include retail and warehouse workers) and 45% of women in leadership positions. (vice president level or higher). It also targets 35% of the representation of ethnic and racial minorities in its U.S. workforce.
Nike also said it will invest $ 125 million over the next five years to support companies working to “balance the playing field” and address racial inequalities.
Last year, following the assassination of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Nike was one of the companies that spearheaded a social justice movement and pledged to serve communities with a larger workforce. diverse. In June, he announced a $ 140 million commitment on behalf of brands Nike and Jordan, and former NBA star Michael Jordan, to support companies that would help educate and promote black Americans.
“Our brand would not be what it is today without the powerful contributions of black athletes and black culture,” Donahoe said in the letter.
Nike has faced its share of criticism in recent years, however, for how it treats women and employees of color.
In late July 2018, it announced wage bonuses for more than 7,000 workers and pledged to change and how it awarded annual bonuses to its global staff, in an attempt to address concerns about wage equity and corporate culture.
A year later, she began reviewing the terms of new contracts to support athletes during pregnancy, after being criticized for reducing the salary of some female stars with children.
Nike said its 2020 pay equity data revealed that for every $ 1 earned by men worldwide, women earned $ 1. And for every $ 1 earned by white employees in the United States, employees of racial and ethnic minorities also earned $ 1, he said.
By 2025, Nike is committed to maintaining 100% pay equity at all levels of employees, on an annual basis.
Read the full Nike impact report here.