Transwestern’s 3 keys to long-term success: diversity, equity, inclusion

Transwestern Commercial Services of Georgia embraces diversity, equity and inclusion as the right thing to do and as a reflection of the company.

The Atlanta-based commercial real estate business stood out among 28 companies that responded to questions about DEI in the workplace. Sixteen other companies also excelled in DEI practices.

AJC survey partner Energage sent a questionnaire to all 2023 AJC Top Workplaces winners, giving them an opportunity to share how they are implementing DEI practices.

This is the first year Energage went beyond employees’ opinions of their workplaces’ diversity and, rather, looked at what companies do in practice.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are increasingly understood as critical to organizations’ long-term success,” said Kinsey Smith, Energage senior data analyst. “Hiring, promoting and supporting employees from a variety of backgrounds provide the opportunity to hear more perspectives, which makes for more ideas and better products better suited for a broader audience.”

The questionnaire examined recruiting and hiring, compensation and benefits, professional development, employee involvement, visible commitment and other areas.

Energage gave each of the 28 companies that responded a score based on its responses. Seventeen organizations with standout DEI scores were selected as tops in this category.

Transwestern ranked No. 1, with high marks for professional development, visible commitment and employee involvement.

The company excelled in: assessing representation across various professional development opportunities and offering mentorships and scholarships; offering multiple DEI training programs to all employees; tracking and incorporating DEI metrics; and supporting affinity groups with resources and leader involvement.

Hiring a diverse set of employees is only a starting point, Smith said. Employees need to be heard, given opportunities to excel and advance, and see people like themselves represented at the highest levels of the organization, she added.

“Diversity is meaningless without inclusion, and many organizations continue to work on intentional steps to foster equity and inclusion as they go,” she said. “That requires taking a critical eye to every part of the employee life cycle, from recruiting to exit.”

Other companies with standout scores are, in alphabetical order: