300+ Black- And Women-Owned Suppliers Have Joined Hyatt Hotels As Part Of Its Ongoing DEI Efforts

Hyatt Hotels Corp. has added more than 500 new Black suppliers to buy goods and services, beefing up its diversity procurement efforts since 2020.

Further, the hospitality giant declared it has added 759 managers of color in America from just over three years ago. Those are among metrics in Hyatt’s 2022 World of Care Highlights and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Report. It illustrates efforts and progress in Hyatt’s DEI journey, along with showcasing areas where the Chicago-based company still has more work to do to keep advancing in that discipline.

Hyatt’s DEI efforts are important, given it’s a major player in its industry. The company had roughly 189,000 employees and revenue of nearly $6 billion last year

As part of its Change Starts Here goals, Hyatt explained the company provides actionable steps towards who it buys from and partners with. It also detailed who the company supports, employs, develops, and advances. At the end of 2022, Black suppliers accounted for 34% of total diverse- and women-owned supplier spend, surpassing Hyatt’s 2025 Change Starts Here 10% goal and more than tripling that target.

The company has added 500 new Black suppliers since 2020, up from 192 suppliers in 2021.

Hyatt declared the feat “underscores our 2020 commitment to expanding minority representation in our supply chain.” The global hospitality and hotel chain’s efforts are benefitting diverse suppliers. Take Black-owned Back of House Concepts, a local staffing agency that connects community members with work opportunities. Through a multi-year partnership, Hyatt Regency in Seattle Washington has welcomed over 100 colleagues through Back of House Concepts to stewarding, housekeeping, and engineering roles.

“Looking forward to 2025, we are very focused on the work ahead to achieve our Change Starts Here commitments, and while we are encouraged by the progress we have made, even more profound is our energy to do more. And when inclusion is brought to life through the words and actions of our approximately 189,000 colleagues, we create an unstoppable force for a good that demonstrates the power of creating a culture of empathy, respect and care,” Hyatt wrote in its report.

In 2022, Hyatt introduced Caption by Hyatt, a new lifestyle brand within the select service category that furthers Hyatt’s commitment across its portfolio to hire diverse talent, vendors, artisans, and suppliers. And the culinary team at Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill uses Mark Henry’s Island Bwoy Cuisine jerk seasoning at the property’s restaurant.

“We feel it is our duty to continue to help support the small, local, and diverse businesses in their communities and help both new and long-time suppliers grow their businesses and reach their goals,” Hyatt said.

In its 2022 report, Hyatt spotlighted the six community-based organizations receiving multi-year grant commitments totaling $1 million over three years from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation under the Change Starts Here Grant Program. These organizations focus on one of three key pillars, including magnifying long-term focus on providing resources for Opportunity Youth through RiseHY, strengthening Chicago communities, and supporting small and diverse-owned businesses. The organizations include Black Men Lab Foundation, Male Mogul Initiative, Greater West Town Community Development Project, Urban Juncture Foundation, Allies for Community Business and Neighborhood Development Center.

On the people front, based on Hyatt’s 2022 DE&I report, over 50% of entry-level managers and almost 55% are People of Color (POC). According to Hyatt’s 2020 DEI report, the company had growth in that space as 37.5% of managers were POC – with 47.5% of POC as entry-level managers.

Hyatt added it is now working to boost the representation of Black people and women in key leadership roles by 2025. Hyatt emphasized that it has embedded DE&I into its business, goals, and strategies. “We know that diverse workforces don’t just happen, they’re intentionally built,” Hyatt wrote.

Reflecting on the efforts, Hyatt’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Malaika Myers, stated among her comments, “We are committed to ensuring that our DE&I practices are more than just words on a page. We will continue to hold ourselves accountable to our 2025 Change Starts Here commitments, which is our call to accelerate our DE&I goals.”