The vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Southwest is to cultivate a diverse and inclusive experience for all our People to thrive. We’ll continue our focus to fuel ongoing momentum to operationalize DEI in our processes and practices to achieve systemic and sustainable change.
In honor of Celebrate Diversity Month, we’re proud to share that we’ve received two awards recognizing the supportive workplace we provide for our Employees. Newsweek named Southwest Airlines to their America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity List, and Latino Leaders Magazine named us one of their Best Companies to Work for Latinos 2023.*
We’re grateful for our People and their impact on our Company. We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment for our Employees.
We know the importance of working toward long-term changes, and we want to share some progress updates we’ve made toward our DEI goals.
Employee Resource Groups
Recently, we introduced Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to promote inclusivity and help our People take pride in their identity, culture, and personal values. Southwest Employees form and organize ERGs around a significant, specific, and shared dimension of diversity or identity.
Southwest Employees are encouraged to join one (or more!) that resonate with them even if they don’t share in the dimension of diversity or identity.
Engaging our Community Partners
At Southwest, we’re proud to support and create valuable connections to the communities we serve. We’re expanding our efforts through our Destination 225° pilot pathway program. In 2022, we expanded Destination 225° to include two more university partners—Texas Southern University, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), and Angelo State University, a Hispanic-Serving Institution in San Angelo, Texas. We’re thrilled to work alongside our University Partners and continue to look for opportunities to reflect the communities we serve.
Additionally, through April 28, 2023, Southwest Airlines, in partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), is accepting applications for the ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program helping Hispanic college students travel home to their families.
These are just a few of our 400+ partnerships, supporting impact across our diverse communities. With these partnerships, we can champion meaningful relationships, impactful communities, and diverse employment opportunities.
Our Leaders are committed to equitable hiring practices and creating an inclusive workplace that values the unique perspectives and abilities for all of our People. Our very own Director of Community Outreach, Laura Nieto, was named to Latino Leaders Magazine 100 Latinas Edition 2023 List. Laura leads with Heart and demonstrates the importance of recognizing and celebrating diversity within the Company and across our communities.
We founded our Company on the principle of putting People first, and we’ve never wavered from that commitment. That means all People. We’re excited to continue embracing all People in the Southwest Family through our current initiatives and future growth!
*The recognition from Newsweek came from a large-scale employer study and determined a score based on several factors, including 350,000 company reviews. Newsweek selected the top 1,000 companies across 34 industries that participants identified as respecting and valuing different kinds of people in the workforce. Latino Leaders Magazines determined their list based on the company’s diversity and inclusion strategies and development.