The North Face and Customer DEI Training
In today's dynamic and interconnected world, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't just a moral imperative; it's a strategic necessity. Recognizing this, The North Face, a trailblazer in outdoor apparel and gear, has embarked on a transformative journey to weave DEI principles into the fabric of its customer experience. The company understands that creating a truly inclusive environment requires active participation and engagement from all stakeholders, including its customers. In a pioneering move, The North Face introduced a groundbreaking DEI training program tailored specifically for its customers, seeking to empower individuals to become champions of diversity and inclusion within their communities and beyond.
One of the initial thought-provoking questions presented was “how many people of color do you see on the slopes, on the hills, or on the trails”? While a simple question, it makes you think! This winter I was a part time ski instructor at Keystone. Out of approximately 50 students, only 3 were BIPOC. When I hike or mountain bike, there’s also quite a low ratio of BIPOC individuals compared to white individuals. Sometimes I’ll see a BIPOC individual and am surprised at their presence- and others may think the same about seeing me in outdoor spaces. The outdoors is for everyone, and it’s wild that we’re alarmed to see…people…outside.
Another aspect that I don’t think many people think about in terms of access to the outdoors is privilege. One may think it's easy to get outside. Just throw on a pair of shoes and go walk on a trail, right? But the reality is, it isn’t [always] that simple.
Access to the outdoors: Does the individual have a way to reach the outdoor activity? Oftentimes outdoor areas of recreation require a car to reach.
We can even talk city parks rather than a mountain hours outside of the city. Does the individual live in a neighborhood where they can safely navigate through said neighborhood to a park?
Health: BIPOC individuals can be less healthy than white individuals due to more BIPOC heavy communities being located near pollution sources versus white communities (NY Times). It may be harder for a BIPOC individual with health issues to recreate outdoors.
“Just get medical treatment”. With what money? With what access?
Gear and safety: Does the individual have access to the appropriate gear to help them recreate safely in the outdoors? Does the individual have access to knowledge on how to recreate safely in the outdoors for their chosen activity?
Community: Does the individual feel comfortable recreating outdoors, or will they be harassed if others (white people) say they don’t belong? Do they have people in their life who identify similar to them, who could help introduce them to i.e rock climbing?
What we liked about the training:
You had to watch the videos to move on to the next step. No skipping through the training!
The training is more in depth than some company mandated trainings currently available
There are quiz questions that challenge the reader to think from “equality” to “equity”
Vocabulary training! Vocabulary words were clearly and succinctly defined
Something we thought could be better:
This training is longer and more challenging which can deter some “allies” from disingenuously completing the training for the sake of a coupon
General Observation:
This training is made for allyship- this can help white-presenting folks become better.
This course therefore is less for BIPOC, however BIPOC customers are more likely to need the 20% off coupon since there is a wage gap between Black, Native American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander men compare o white men in the workplace (SHRM.org).
Did you take The North Face’s DEI training? We’d love to know your thoughts if you did! Drop them below 👇🏼
