South Jersey Industries

Shawn Abner-Purnell

As a Chief Diversity Officer at South Jersey Industries, Shawn Abner-Purnell is responsible for building strategies to create a culture of inclusion, belonging, and engagement for their workforce. Under her leadership, SJI has taken measurable steps to strengthen its commitment to this area of strategic importance.

How has South Jersey Industries' journey been inputting D&I culture into practice?

I'm proud of the work my team, our Diversity Council, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and allies have done to advance D&I culture, involvement, and awareness at SJI. When I started with the company in 2016, we built our initial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy with our efforts rooted in three tenets: talent, supplier diversity, and community partnerships. They were all equally significant and served as the program's cornerstone, which embodies our broader D&I strategy.

From a talent standpoint, it was important to make sure employees felt like they were part of an environment that was not only inclusive but also grounded in psychological safety. We want our employees to feel free to be their most authentic selves and contribute all their talents and skills at work every day. 

As a utility company, we take pride in supporting the communities we serve. Through our philanthropic efforts, we support local, regional, and state-wide organizations that assist people in need to giving money and volunteering our time. We are equally passionate about ensuring that we are working with suppliers whose values align with our own on the supplier diversity front. Hence, our supplier diversity initiative gives diverse, small, and underrepresented businesses a chance to truly participate in the economic life of our communities.

"We want our employees to feel free to be their most authentic selves and contribute all their talents and skills at work every day. "

And finally, as trends fluctuate, particularly in D&I, staying connected in my line of work is critical. As a result, I spend a lot of time networking with D&I peers and outside experts in the industry, in addition to staying abreast of new research and external best practices.

What are some of the common reasons why employers feel hesitant to embrace a multinational environment?

Some employers may not fully understand the D&I business case or the value it brings to the company. There have been numerous studies that have shown that business with higher percentages of gender and racial diversity outperform their peers.

It’s helpful to understand that there are rewards to an organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, including greater levels of innovation, improved employee engagement, and a return on investment that reduces costs and risks in the talent pipeline. Investing in our people is not only good for our employees, but it’s good for our business, our customers, and the communities we serve. Once leaders and organizations understand the incredible value that investing in programs to enhance D&I initiatives can bring, the work, results, and engagement speak for themselves. 

In a diverse workplace, each person has unique strengths and skills that others can learn from. Everyone should be given a chance to grow and learn daily when exposed to unfamiliar cultures, working styles, and perspectives. Your views on this.

It’s a win-win situation for employees and employers when firms make use of the diversity of their employees' varied experiences. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with executives, my team, and departments throughout the organization to foster an inclusive culture that enables our workforce the opportunity to learn, grow, and share their voice. Along the way, we've developed meaningful DEI initiatives and partnerships with our ERGs to drive our progress. One of the things we've done is conducted employee listening sessions to provide all employees with a safe space for authentic dialogue around diversity, equity, and inclusion at SJI to help identify diversity gaps, increase DEI awareness and gather ideas to further inform our efforts. In addition, we created SJI’s Diversity Council, which consists of a diverse representation of key leaders charged with providing strategic guidance to drive corporate diversity and inclusion priorities. And I can't fail to mention how important our ERGs have been in helping to build an inclusive and collaborative environment overall and driving employee engagement.

What would be your piece of advice for your fellow peers and leaders?

When I think about DEI, I consider it a calling rather than just a job. I always refer to it as “heart work”, as you must put your whole heart into this work to be effective. Before jumping in, you should understand your “why”.Not only why is it important to the company you represent, but why is it important to you personally.That's when the heart enters the equation. Because this path is not without its challenges, you want to be clear about how you will track your success. Lastly, know that this will a journey, not a sprint, so celebrate the small wins along the way.

DEI is not only good for your workforce, it’s good for business – it can lead to greater innovation and increased productivity when cultures are inclusive.