Introduction and Background

The Hispanic/Latin Organisation for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA) is an employee resource group dedicated to advancing Johnson Matthey’s (JM) global diversity strategy by providing a platform for Hispanic/Latino employees and allies to connect, share cultural experiences, and foster career development within the community.

HOLA was created in 2022 because we recognised the gap in efforts focused on the inclusion of Hispanic and Latino colleagues. HOLA strives to amplify the voices and celebrate the achievements of the Hispanic/Latino community across JM, with a particular focus on JM’s South American sites and regions where Hispanic/Latino individuals are considered an ethnic minority, like the UK.

Challenges and Strategies

One of the biggest challenges HOLA initially faced was expanding our membership. With these grassroots efforts within such a large company, it can be difficult to effectively spread the word. It is our priority to create a large and active community across JM, particularly within our Latin American sites and among Spanish-speaking employees.

In addition to relying on word-of-mouth, pushing out the ERG sign-up form wherever possible, and utilising existing communication channels like onboarding, Viva Engage, newsletters, and JM’s intranet, HOLA has also been actively collaborating with Human Resources in South America to understand the specific needs and language barriers faced by these groups.

Key Initiatives and Outcomes

HOLA has implemented several DEI initiatives across JM, which have made a positive impact on members of our community and towards fostering a more inclusive workplace culture:

Hosting online webinars to celebrate and raise awareness for key cultural dates, like Cinco de Mayo, Carnival, and Hispanic Heritage Month. We host all events in English, Spanish, and Portuguese to ensure our events are accessible to everyone.

Offering personal and professional development opportunities, like local Spanish Exchange sessions to support colleagues to learn another language, and the McKinsey & Co. Connected Leaders Academy to improve talent pipelines and unlock the full potential of ethnic minority employees.

Highlighting the achievements and sharing the lived experiences of Hispanic/Latino employees via panel sessions, external speakers, and internal communications, like the Hispanic/Latino employee of the day series.
Prioritising community outreach and expanding STEM opportunities for Hispanic/Latino students. In 2024, HOLA established a partnership between JM and University of Basque Country where JM will offer a summer experience at one of their UK labs for a Hispanic student. They have also collaborated with the Talent Acquisition team to increase JM presence at university career fairs in the US.
Participating in JM’s reverse mentoring scheme, where ethnic minority employees are paired with a senior leader to enhance understanding of the challenges faced by marginalised communities and amplify the voices of ethnic minority employees.

Organisational Growth and Learning

The efforts of HOLA, and all employee resource groups at JM, significantly contribute to the overall success of Johnson Matthey (JM).

As a global company, with sites in over 30 countries around the world, cultural competency and understanding is hugely important. All HOLA events and initiatives are open to all employees, aligning with the mission to engage both Hispanic/Latino colleagues and allies. HOLA is committed to sharing the richness of Hispanic/Latino culture with all participants. Notably, both of HOLA’s executive sponsors are senior leaders from non-minority ethnic backgrounds. Moreover, highlighting the achievements of Hispanic/Latino employees fosters broader networking across JM, especially for those working in countries where they are considered an ethnic minority.

HOLA’s various events, initiatives, and development efforts contribute greatly to the overall engagement of JM’s employees, helping people to feel a sense of belonging when they come to work. Prioritising outreach and charity efforts in the communities that we operate in also greatly contributes to the overall brand and perception of JM as an organisation.

Future Plans and Goals
What are your organisation’s future plans and goals for DEI? How do you plan to sustain and expand the impact of your DEI initiatives? HOLA has many goals and ambitions for the future. First, we would like to further expand our community outreach efforts, and have initiated a partnership with Casa Latina in London, a non-profit organisation that supports Latin American and North African immigrants newly arrived in the UK. As part of this, we are developing a series of Spanish-language workshops, such as CV writing and interview preparation, tailored for immigrants who are not yet proficient in English, and have donated £5,000 to support their efforts.

We also aim to place greater emphasis on the development and networking of our members and are collaborating with HR teams across South America to introduce leadership training programmes for Spanish-speaking JM employees. We are also collaborating with other employee resource groups to develop a series of workshops aimed at fostering networking opportunities and amplifying the voices of ethnic minorities within the organisation.

Advice for Other Organisations

Diversity and inclusion must be embedded into every element of the business. The work of employee resource groups like HOLA is essential, but without the support of line managers, senior leaders, all departments, and inclusive policies and procedures it is challenging to drive real change.

It is essential to promote awareness and amplify the voices of all individuals. Every person, regardless of their background, plays a vital role in the success of the business and it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we all feel valued and supported.

Learn More: https://www.ethnicityawards.com/top-10-network-groups-erg-2024/