Shannon Pope Of Sony Electronics On How To Create More Inclusive Workplaces

Creating inclusive workplaces is crucial for any organization that wants to get the most out of its talent. This means creating an environment where everyone feels like they belong, has equal opportunities, is empowered to do their best work, and feels comfortable making requests and contributing ideas. In this series, we asked prominent HR and business leaders about the steps they take to create more inclusive workplaces. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Shannon Pope, Head of Diversity & Sustainability at Sony Electronics.

Shannon Pope, Head of Diversity & Sustainability at Sony Electronics North America oversees the company’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) initiatives, which includes talent acquisition and the employee experience. ​ In this role, she is responsible for ensuring DEI&B is reflected at every stage in the employee journey. She also works closely with leaders of the company’s Accessibility and Environmental Impact pillars to support Sony’s global corporate social responsibility goals.​

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Before we drive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

If you had told me five years ago that I would be the Head of Diversity and Sustainability for Sony Electronics, I would not have believed you. Before I was in this role, I spent most of my career in engineering and in the automotive space. As a Black woman in this male-dominated field, I’ve always had this appreciation for diversity in the workplace and inclusive initiatives. After participating in various DEI&B initiatives throughout my career and within Sony, I was able to develop projects and build my network that poised me to be best suited for this position.

In my current role, I oversee diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging — which includes talent acquisition and employee experience. I ensure DEI&B is always infused and reflected in every stage of the employee journey. I also help support our global and social responsibility teams by working closely with our accessibility and environmental leaders. Essentially, I’m trying to find ways to improve our culture through activities and programs.

Thinking back on your own career, what would you tell your younger self?

One of the reasons I became an engineer — aside from geeking out over math and science — was because I wanted to work somewhere where it was just me behind the scenes. I started out very introverted, and I had envisioned myself working in a lab without having to interface with people. But of course, that’s not the real world. I would tell my younger self to step out of your comfort zone. Embrace all of those feelings of hesitation, fear of failing, and just the unknown. That’s how you grow and how I was able to do more than I dreamed of. I wouldn’t be in my current role or where I am today if I hadn’t pushed myself.

There was a book I read called Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway that changed my life. It taught me that if you’re comfortable, then you’re not growing. I learned that you must embrace it, accept it, and when you get on the other side of all those uncomfortable feelings, you’ll be better for it. It’s good for you.

Often, we are our own worst critic. Let it go and have faith in yourself. You’ve got this!

Let’s now move to the central part of our interview. What systems do you have to ensure your workplace is as inclusive as possible?

We established a diversity and sustainability office at Sony that focuses on our key pillars: DEIB, accessibility, and our environmental impact. These three areas help us to ensure that we’re a sustainable company — not only through a climate lens, but through sustaining our workforce.

We have several policies and guidelines that focus on the entire employee experience. We look at recruiting and how we conduct outreach. We have guidelines on diverse interviewing panels and a diverse interview strategy to ensure that we’re broadening our outreach to potential candidates.

For all our employees at Sony, we have learning and development opportunities — such as classes, mentorship programs, and workshops — that help to not only retain our diverse talent but empower people to feel comfortable about bringing their whole selves to work.

Others around you are interested in hearing what you bring to the table. That’s why our employee resource groups, which provide support and connection for employees who identify with underrepresented communities, are open to all to promote allyship. We want our employees to learn from each other’s unique perspectives. We even have a dedicated month for global diversity that enables us to promote, from all levels, the importance of belonging. All our work helps us to foster this culture throughout the company.

One of the biggest terms we use at Sony is PDCA: plan, do, check, act. It’s a process that helps with our continuous improvement cycle and reminds us that despite all the work we do, there is always room to do better.

Based on your experience and success, what are your top five tips for creating more inclusive workplaces?

Five tips for creating more inclusive workplaces:

• Create and support Employee Resource Groups: at Sony, we have 13 employee-led, company supported resource groups focused on development, culture, community and the environment that help provide spaces for employees to connect, share, contribute, and learn.
• Invest budget to recognize cultural events and observances: investing in these moments provides space to foster diversity and understanding amongst employees.
• Take a hybrid approach: ensure that your events can be available in-person, virtual, and hybrid so that everyone can participate.
• Provide flexible working arrangements: this will help to accommodate the diverse needs for all employees, such as those with caregiving responsibilities. For example, research shows remote work and advancements in technology have opened opportunities for people with disabilities. Further, at Sony, we have monthly Free Fridays and company closure weeks that allow everyone to take a break at the same time.
• Participate in community initiatives: engage with community organizations to promote DEIB beyond the workplace. Find local events, parades, and celebrations where employees can engage, such as veteran 5Ks or women-in-tech career fairs.

Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen businesses make while trying to become more inclusive? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?

• Not putting action behind intention: Employees and consumers are highly attuned to what companies are saying, and it’s important to put action behind the messages that are conveyed publicly. At Sony, 68% of our employees are members and allies of at least one employee network. Because of our deep employee commitment, our engagement and belonging scores in pulse surveys are consistently over benchmark — when compared to the industry average.
• Lack of leadership commitment: From what I’ve observed and experienced throughout my career, it’s important for leadership to be both visible and active, in an authentic way. They should show up at events, work directly with employee resource groups, and show that DEIB is a priority from the top down.
• Not getting employee input: True change goes beyond just offering a bunch of trainings around inclusive language and unconscious bias. It’s about looking inward and understanding internal processes to pinpoint the systematic changes that will truly move the needle forward. One way of doing this is to conduct ongoing engagement surveys to identify what’s working, what’s not, and where the blind spots are.

How do you measure the effectiveness of your DEI efforts?

Measuring our success keeps us honest and ensures that we don’t find ourselves in “cruise control.” We measure our success both internally and externally. We often use the feedback we receive from employee surveys as a form of metrics, as well as take stock of the external recognition we’ve received. The awards especially help us to validate what we’re doing well. We take in the feedback from our applications to inform our future action plans. We also look at areas in which we are trending well, trending okay, and areas that need more work. I’m about a year into this role, and we’re excited to keep doing better.

How can our readers further follow your work?

To learn more about Sony Electronics’ DEIB work, you can follow my LinkedIn!

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!