Pilot Co. serves more than 1.5 million customers each day with help from its nearly 30,000 team members. Over the past 15 months, Pilot has increased its focus on improving its team member experience across policies, procedures and the environment, which has included developing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.
CStore Decisions caught up with Angie Cody, director of inclusion, diversity & equity at Pilot Co., to learn more about how Pilot is approaching DEI across its network of more than 800 locations — 750 of which are part of its Pilot Flying J travel center network — in 44 states and six Canadian provinces.
CStore Decisions (CSD): Why is DEI an important initiative for Pilot?
Angie Cody (AC): Pilot’s team members serve as the heart and soul of our company. We’re proud to employ nearly 30,000 team members who come from incredibly diverse backgrounds and experiences. Pilot Co.’s success is driven by the strength of our team, which is why we strive to deliver a positive, inclusive and well-rounded experience for everyone. We know we are stronger and better when we have an inclusive and respectful culture of diverse and empowered team members.
CSD: How is Pilot approaching DEI today?
AC: Because our team members and guests are so diverse, Pilot Co. is prioritizing DEI across the organization and has spent the past year formalizing a dedicated program to ensure we’re providing a better experience for all. To help inform these efforts, we recently launched five new business resource groups: Emerging Leaders, Building Relationships in Diverse Group Environments (BRIDGE), Pride of Pilot, Women of Pilot and Veterans of Pilot. These groups consist of team members throughout the organization to ensure a more inclusive experience for our team members and guests.
CSD: Tell me about Pilot’s business resource groups and how they work. What benefits have you seen?
AC: Pilot Co.’s business resource groups are team member-led and -governed groups that formed to recognize and celebrate the individuality of our team members and give our team members space to engage, enjoy the camaraderie of others and be themselves. Our business resource groups also help identify where we have gaps or opportunities and provide feedback on how we can better serve our team members and guests. In addition, our business resource groups look for opportunities to serve their greater communities to facilitate positive changes outside of our organization — expanding the impact of our program.
CSD: From an employee retention and satisfaction perspective, how is DEI making a difference at Pilot? What has employee feedback been?
AC: While this program is still in its early stages, we’ve seen great results so far. Over the course of the past year, we’ve received extremely positive feedback from our team members and have high participation rates in our business resource groups — with that number growing rapidly. We’ve had long-term employees share that they are currently feeling more “heard” than they ever have before. We’ve also seen an increase in engagement across our social channels.
CSD: What are Pilot’s DEI goals going forward?
AC: Our primary goals are to advance a culture of inclusion through education and awareness, increase retention and engagement, and improve our guest experience. To that end, we’ll continue expanding upon our business groups, introducing them into new markets into 2024 to broaden the impact of Pilot Co.’s DEI program. We will continue to develop our cultural maturity and examine each element of the business through the DE&I lens.
CSD: What advice do you have for other chains that are interested in implementing DEI programs?
AC: The first piece of advice is to always ensure alignment with organizational and people goals. Your DEI program is established to support and enable your team members and your business. The second piece of advice is to start with talking about diversity, equity and inclusion. Education and communication are critical first steps to build the muscle needed to move the needle in the DEI space. Third, make sure that you set clear goals. Prioritization is so important. Find the few things you want to focus on and start there. While you may want to accelerate your program quickly, it’s important to sequence so you don’t get ahead of the business.
CSD: If chains aren’t ready to implement a whole program, are there any small steps you’d recommend they take?
AC: A great first step is to review your people policies, programs and processes and address any potential systemic barriers or bias. For example, organizations can review their dress codes and handbooks to remove gendered language. In addition, human resources can take a fresh look at their performance and talent review process to identify coded or biased language.
CSD: Is there anything else you want us to know that I didn’t ask?
AC: At Pilot Co., we value people above all else. When looking at any DEI program it’s so important to recognize that, while the program serves the business, your team is the most vital part of the equation. It’s easy to get lost in measuring your program against established metrics — but at the end of the day, it’s essential to never lose sight of the impact your program has at the individual level.
