Kelly Meyers, AVP, people and inclusion at Macerich, participated in a video interview in conjunction with Nareit’s REITworks: 2022 Conference in La Quinta, California, on Sept. 12-13.
Meyers said that for companies that are just beginning a DEI journey, it’s important to figure out what’s most important to the leadership before getting started, since DEI is such a large space.
“It’s understanding what your landscape is, what’s important to your organization, what’s authentic to your organization—and then building a roadmap based on that,” she said.
Meyers said that onboarding new employees in a hybrid environment can be a challenge, but that it’s important for REITs to offer onboarding resources directly to employees so they can understand how the company works and navigate the process on their own. She also said instituting a buddy system throughout the company can be an effective tool.
Turning to developing company culture, Meyers said REITs should be focused on helping their employees make connections virtually, as hybrid work environments are likely to remain the norm.
“It starts with identifying who you are as an organization, and who you want to be, and being able to communicate that,” she added.