In the ever-evolving landscape of corporate culture, Jyl Feliciano stands at the forefront as a Senior Diversity & Inclusion Leader. Her leadership in the realm of diversity and inclusion is nationally acclaimed, including notable spotlights in magazine publications and podcasts such as Forbes, Employee Benefits News, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Diverseek’s Diversity at Work podcast. Throughout her professional career, she has positively contributed to progress within Fortune 500 environments with notable brands such as MetLife, Cognizant, and Conagra Brands and has recently spearheaded groundbreaking global initiatives in the startup sector. Feliciano is currently the Global Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) at Highspot – a sales enablement platform that increases sales productivity. To complement her extensive experience, Feliciano is a graduate of Purdue University, holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) and earned the prestigious Diversity & Inclusion Certification from Cornell University, further cementing her reputation as a catalyzing industry leader.

Jyl’s unique approach is centered around driving actionable outcomes rather than simply relying on conversations about DEIB. She challenges organizations to go beyond dialogue and encourages active engagement in meaningful actions related to diversity, power dynamics, privilege, and allyship. “While meaningful dialogue is a necessary part of making improvements in this space, we can’t just talk about these things and expect for cultures and outcomes to shift,” remarked Feliciano. “With the inclusion of DEIB in the foundation of our operations and programming, we can truly shift outcomes for marginalized communities while burgeoning success for the company’s bottom line.” Her expertise lies in quantifying, designing, developing, and implementing comprehensive global strategies for diversity and inclusion.

This encompasses a wide array of areas, including recruiting, employer branding, leadership coaching, DEI training, strategy development, and process optimization. Notably, in her role as the Head of North America Inclusion Programs at Conagra, Jyl’s strategies improved the diversity of the Entry Level hires from 12% People of Color (POC) in 2017 to 47% POC in 2018.

Jyl has developed a track record of excelling at leveraging cutting-edge technology, data-driven insights, and streamlined processes to establish inclusive best-practice workplaces. Her adeptness extends to inclusive training, reporting, business model innovation, recruiting channels, and talent acquisition strategies. By strategically focusing on inclusive best practices, she successfully reduces costs, secures and retains top-tier talent, fosters a thriving company culture, and enhances the overall candidate and employee experience.

“Many of our corporate partners need to take a step back and start at square one,” Feliciano continued, “We have to be sure that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are a key part of every aspect of the business and not just an overlay or an afterthought due to cultural pressures brought on by external events. When it is genuine, employees, customers, and investors feel it and that leads to growth in a major way.”

Improving Business Performance through Highlighting and Driving Inclusion

As Global Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Highspot, Feliciano’s mission is to empower every employee to own their role in DEI. This contributes to the creation and evolution of inclusion and belonging by applying their unique perspectives to the role.

Jyl has taken ownership of remarkable collaborations with the Human Resources team, such as the formation of a diverse focus group, aiming to revamp the Performance Management process. By involving employees from various backgrounds, the group identified areas where inequities commonly emerged in the existing process. Armed with these valuable insights, they worked together to reconstruct the process, effectively minimizing those biases. The outcome of these collective efforts was remarkable, with the company witnessing a significant 26% increase in BIPOC employees occupying leadership roles from 2022 to 2023.

She has also played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of innovative programs, such as implementation of Employee Research Groups (ERGs) for Black, Latino/a, AA/PI, Neurodiverse, Women, and LBGTQIA+ employees to be able to expose vulnerabilities and have an outlet to impact change within the company. Feliciano also championed design, launch and oversight of a new Inclusion & Belonging Council with 18 multicultural stakeholders throughout the region collaborating to assess the intersection of employee experiences across EMEA, as well as influence learning and development, policy changes and holding leaders accountable. These steps have further solidified her expertise in diversity and inclusion deployment and management, considering all aspects of growth throughout the employee lifecycle to ensure positive career outcomes for employees of all backgrounds.

“DEI&B isn’t a ‘program’ or an add-on – belonging and inclusion show up when we sit in our seats every day, when we’re having interactions with our managers, talking to customers, or partnering with our peers,” Jyl noted. “DEI&B should be embedded in how we work and woven through our cultural tapestry, until it just becomes a natural part of who we are.”  As a result of Feliciano’s work emphasizing the participation of diverse talent, Highspot has earned perennial recognition on Fortune Magazine’s and Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work lists as well as America’s Best Startup Employers by Forbes in 2022.

Addressing Rising Employee Disengagement

As the Global DEIB Leader, Jyl brings attention to the growing issue of rising employee disengagement rates across various industries. Despite shifts in economic patterns, this problem persists, with studies suggesting that nearly half of the U.S. workforce are “quiet quitters.”

Jyl highlights the role that DEIB can play in reversing this alarming trend, particularly in addressing burnout.  Further stating, “The power of psychological safety should not be underestimated, as individuals are willing to forego higher compensation and better benefits in exchange for feeling safe and included in their workplace. It is a natural inclination for people to seek an environment where they feel a sense of belonging and where their opinions and needs are respected.”

According to Harvard Business Review, employees who experience a strong sense of belonging exhibit a 50% lower risk of turnover, a 56% increase in performance, and a 75% decrease in sick days. Companies that prioritize diverse perspectives as a business imperative are more likely to retain employees, and DEIB initiatives play a crucial role in fostering and nurturing this sense of belonging.

On the flip side, despite economic challenges, many companies continue to actively recruit for key roles and compete for top talent. Even if these companies cannot match the substantial salaries offered by major tech companies, they can create a culture that promotes inclusivity and allows all individuals to thrive. In fact, according to Monster.com, 86% of job seekers consider a company’s approach to DEIB as a motivating factor when considering their next career move.

Leveraging Technology for Accurate Data and Meaningful Insights on Future Trends

While the technology sector still has a considerable distance to cover in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), it is actually setting a noteworthy standard for other industries. Working in a company like Highspot that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven analytics for strategy and execution support, Jyl believes that the same framework is crucial for advancing DE&I as an integral business component.

Feliciano reflects on the challenges that Chief Diversity Officers have historically faced in obtaining accurate data and meaningful insights regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations. “Historically, leaders in the DEIB space have not had an easy way to quantify the work being done,” Jyl noted, “By utilizing the latest innovations in tech, my team has been able to identify retention levels, pace career promotion through an equity lens, and analyze employee engagement data, recruiting metrics and patterns in growth.”

Today, there are various tools available, including platforms designed to collect and analyze employee feedback, as well as use predictive analytics systems that enable proactive awareness of hiring trends and these technological advancements have brought about a transformative change in the DEIB space, granting Jyl and her team the ability to gain valuable insights into the actual data pertaining to companies’ progress towards achieving DEIB.  Equipped with well-rounded DEI analytics, she has applied a quantitative approach to determine the fundamental reasons behind processes that frequently create obstacles for certain groups, as well as pinpointing specific departments that could benefit from further coaching and assistance. The practice of data transparency proves to be a potent instrument in fostering constructive conversations about implementing actionable measures to bring about positive change.

Due to her successful implementation of DEI analytics to drive progress in this field, Jyl has recently taken on the role of a Board Advisor for Included. Included is an Artificial intelligence-driven analytics solution that seamlessly integrates DEI metrics into its real-time people data, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of cause and effect. Additionally, it offers equity gap detection, extending beyond just pay equity, enabling proactive audits across various aspects such as performance calibration, hiring, and promotions to anticipate and address emerging issues.

As a Board Advisor, Jyl aims to continue leveraging her expertise to influence and tackle inequities commonly associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Her goal is to contribute to the development of a more equitable and inclusive environment within the organization and beyond, ensuring that future efforts within corporate settings are truly equity-centered and focused to create positive outcomes for employees from all walks of life.

Website: https://www.highspot.com/