For Michael Streffery, Realtor.com’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Philanthropy (DEIP), working in the DEIP space isn’t just a job. “I’m dedicated to helping make the world a better place,” says Michael, “and I know that in my heart, we are all stronger together.” Michael was recently honored as an OnCon Icon Top 50 DEI Professional Award winner, which recognizes DEI professionals across the globe as voted on by their peers.
Since he joined Realtor.com in 2022, we’ve undertaken many noteworthy projects, and our DEIP philosophy has strengthened. We sat down with Michael to learn more about the true meaning of DEIP and how it plays a key role in our culture at Realtor.com.
What’s Realtor.com’s DEIP vision?
At Realtor.com, we embrace our passion for building a way home for everyone with a DEIP strategy that supports and celebrates a diverse workforce of talented people, champions inclusive leaders, partners with and services diverse and inclusive communities, and enables and empowers all consumers and customers.
What’s one meaningful project we’ve recently undertaken?
In the last two years, we’ve evolved our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to better meet the needs of our leaders and members. We’ve set structure and standards in place to help them be more focused and strategic, with annual planning and special projects as a backbone to the whole program. We’ve created clear leadership roles and more ERG Sponsor positions to help bring more diverse voices into the spotlight. We’ve also launched new ERG Committees to give our employees more opportunities to engage. We have also aligned Talent Attraction representatives with each ERG to further ensure alignment and partnership across DEI work and talent attraction initiatives.
Through this important foundational work, we’ve set our ERGs up for long-term success. They’re not just a great space for connection and networking but a place to help make an impact through business innovation, inclusive hiring, professional development in support of internal upward mobility, customer and consumer inclusion, and strategic community partnerships.
How are we positioning ourselves to be a leader in the DEIP space?
For an organization to innovate through DEIP, we first need to understand and respect the past accomplishments and challenges of the company. We need to identify what other organizations are achieving and not achieving and have a good understanding of available technology, partnerships, and future industry changes.
In addition to these learnings, we’re applying standards to keep us on track. This includes aligning our process to our new Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and company mission; ensuring that we use evidence-based systems and data tracking for strategic planning; and applying principles of Honesty, Caring, Respect, and Responsibility.
In FY24, as part of ERG Annual Planning, each ERG is leading a special project that focuses on our DEIP Strategic Pillars and promotes cross-departmental collaboration. This year, our Real Accessible ERG partnered with our Facilities team to lead a project that explores further improving accessibility for all of our worksites.
What does DEIP mean to you?
Beyond being the right thing to do, DEIP is crucial for achieving our goal of being the best in our industry and serving our customers well. Through DEIP comes innovation, and DEIP enhances problem-solving due to a broader range of perspectives. Embracing DEIP also builds trust and a sense of belonging among employees, which is essential to creating a positive work environment and can lead to increased engagement, loyalty, and profitability. I hope to help others see and understand that by celebrating individuals for the unique perspectives each of us can bring to the table, we can expand beyond what has been achieved in the past.
