Many companies in the hotel industry claim they practice diversity in their hiring practices. When questioned about how many Black people they employ, most companies can back up their hiring outcomes with data.

That’s all well and good, but what’s missing in most employment demographics is a measurement of how inclusive the company is not only in its rank-and-file but also across all levels of leadership.

A new study that measures inclusivity reveals what we really all know: The hotel industry in America has few Black people in senior leadership roles. And even the most “woke” companies dramatically fail in providing opportunities for Blacks to move up the ranks.

The good news is as the hospitality industry begins a comeback from the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, companies have an opportunity to mend their ways and revise their hiring and promotion practices to leverage the diversity they’re so eager to claim.

In this episode – a continuation of our coverage of racism, diversity and inclusion in the hotel industry – we talk to experts who are on the front lines of gender and racial equality in business. We highlight two new studies that could very well pave the way for a change in how hospitality businesses bring back and reposition their workforces as the U.S. economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic amid an historic re-awakening on Black lives and civil rights.