A CULTURE OF INCLUSION
As items on a menu come in all shapes, sizes and flavors, no two Team Members are the same, and that’s the way we like it. We’re united despite our differences, welcoming all to the table. Our Team Members and Guests are diverse in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, cultural background and life experiences. We celebrate these differences and cultivate an environment where individual strengths and stories are respected and valued.
OUR COMMITMENT TO RACIAL JUSTICE
At Brinker, we stand against racism in all forms and condemn all racism and violence. As part of our ongoing commitment to racial justice, we continue to listen to diverse perspectives, educate our teams, identify areas where we need to be stronger and act on them. While our current commitment was made during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, it is inclusive of all races and cultures. It extends beyond a single moment in time and is a fundamental part of our culture.
We condemn the ongoing acts of violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community. We know the fight against racism starts from within. As a company, and as the people who live and breathe inside it, we champion racial equality throughout our organization.
To our AAPI Team Members, Guests, and all those who have been impacted by recent events, we see you and we stand with you. To learn more and support the AAPI community, go to stopaapihate.org.
ENVIRONMENT OF EQUITY
Equality and equity are two separate issues, and as a company, we are committed to fighting for both. We support diverse Team Members by providing opportunities and resources to help them reach their professional and personal goals. To support the advancement of underrepresented groups, we’ve created safe spaces and systems that break down barriers and push progress forward in terms of racial and gender representation. As we look to the future, we’re committed to auditing our systems and pivoting as needed to support the evolving needs of our workforce.
Women Taking the Lead (WTL) is an inclusive career development program designed to support and empower female leadership. We achieve this by providing customized training, mentorships and access to outside leadership resources, such as the Women’s Foodservice Forum. Established in 2015, WTL has trained more than 500 leaders across Brinker and its brands, opened the lines of communication between women and men about the impact of female leadership, and created opportunities for women to succeed professionally and personally at Brinker.
Launching in 2021, Shades of Operations is a restaurant-level development program designed to support the advancement of underrepresented groups and increase diversity representation in leadership positions. This program creates opportunity for diverse leaders to have mentoring, executive sponsorship and specialized training resources to help them reach their professional goals.
Education leads to opportunity. And every Team Member deserves the opportunity to access education. At no out-of-pocket cost to participants, our Best You EDU™ program provides education opportunities for Team Members at all levels of our organization. The program was designed to meet Team Members where they are on their educational journey through customized learning pathways for foundational education, English as a second language, GED and associate degrees. In addition, Best You EDU™ offers tutoring services to family of eligible Team Members.
The Certified Shift Leader (CSL) program is a first-of-its-kind development program that helps Team Members turn their restaurant job into a career by cultivating the leadership skills needed to move into a management role. The CSL program is a registered apprenticeship through the Department of Labor, and participants receive a certified restaurant manager credential from the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation at the completion of the program.
IMPACT OF INCLUSION
We’re committed to making sure every Team Member and Guest is comfortable and feels valued for bringing their whole, authentic self to every interaction, every setting and every space within Brinker. As a company, we actively and intentionally choose inclusion at every level, in every decision, every single day. For us, inclusion not only means having a seat at the table but also having a voice.
We’re fostering inclusion through the following programs and initiatives:
Communities of Interest are Brinker resource groups designed to positively influence the workplace, promote inclusion and create a welcoming environment for underrepresented groups and Team Members with similar interests. These groups develop connections, share ideas and encourage diversity of thought throughout the organization.
Throughout the year, we host events featuring guest speakers, panel discussions, development opportunities and more to help educate Team Members about different cultural topics as part of our Culture of Inclusion Series. These educational experiences and events give us tools to make inclusion in the workplace personal and real to us. Events have featured the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, Women’s Foodservice Forum and guest speakers from across the restaurant industry.
Our Leadership Inclusion Council is dedicated to encouraging growth for all Team Members at Brinker. This diverse group of leaders supports Team Member engagement by strengthening and guiding inclusion programs and initiatives, addressing gaps in representation and helping business leaders incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion into day-to-day management practices.
We’re focused on recruiting and retaining diverse talent. To do this, we target outreach to attract underrepresented groups, leaning into inclusive development programs and providing leaders with ongoing training that brings awareness to unconscious bias throughout the employment life cycle.
We’ve established and maintained practices to provide opportunities for people who hold the same jobs to have the same experiences regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or other qualities. Through ongoing Team Member and leader training in topics such as conscious and unconscious bias, we’re committed to providing inclusive experiences for Team Members and Guests alike.
COMMUNITY OF CONNECTION
Community is at the heart of our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and speaks to both the authentic connections inside our restaurants and the meaningful relationships we have with the communities we serve. By cultivating a culture focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and nurturing our communities inside the restaurant and out, we enhance the Team Member experience — which leads to a better Guest experience as well.
We’re cultivating community through the following partnerships and initiatives:
We are establishing a new partnership with Bonton Farms, an urban farm in South Dallas, to support their mission of restoring lives, creating jobs and igniting hope in a once-forgotten neighborhood with some of the most marginalized people. More information coming soon.
Throughout the year and across the country, our restaurants host Give Back Nights contributing more than $450,000 a year to deserving organizations and local fundraising efforts. Many of these events support underrepresented groups and organizations on a mission to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in their community.
We believe that our restaurant teams should reflect the communities we serve. We have established recruitment and retention systems to ensure diverse representation from the hourly to management levels to make sure our teams represent the local community.
Funded by Team Members for Team Members, the Brinker Family Fund (BFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that financially supports Team Members in their time of need. Since its establishment in 1997, the BFF has contributed more than $15 million to help over 10,000 Team Members going through unexpected challenges, including serious illness and injury, loss of a loved one and natural disasters. The Brinker Family Fund has had the biggest impact on communities near the poverty line, which disproportionately includes communities of color and single-parent families.
RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF
THE TOP COMPANIES
IN TEXAS FOR DIVERSITY
IN TEXAS BY THE
TEXAS DIVERSITY COUNCIL
