Standard Motor Products (SMP) strives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our policies and practices because we believe an equitable environment of diverse people, working together, aids our success. A single person or a singular mindset cannot sustain a global operation such as SMP.
Who we are.
At SMP, a culture of diversity has always been the force that drives us forward. Our foundation was built upon the legacy of diverse individuals with an unwavering commitment to an inclusive workplace. We will continue this legacy by fostering the creative, innovative and unique ideas of our employees, which allows them to excel.
What we do.
We are building a fluid and comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) strategy as a roadmap for the collective success of all our stakeholders from every background.
How we do it.
We achieve our DE&I goals by listening, engaging and creating an environment where each employee feels valued and empowered, through the intentional promotion of policies and practices that fosters a rewarding work-life environment for our employee-family.
Inclusion means everyone.
We achieve our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals by supporting a workforce where each employee feels valued, empowered, and fully engaged in their work. We are developing a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy as a roadmap for our collective success. These measures include the formation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce, which works to devise strategies for training, education, and empowerment of employees as well as recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. Concrete actions include in-depth reviews of hiring practices and affirmative outreach to ensure proper applicant flow from communities of color and women.
Do you have what it takes to become an Inclusive Champion?
The journey to sustainable, organizational inclusion starts from within...
Individually, each of us must be willing to commit, both publicly and privately, to make inclusion a personal priority in our decision making character. Once we’ve made the commitment to becoming an Inclusion Champion, and made it a personal priority, we need to begin being intentional about what inclusion actually looks like. Operating in this mindset will equip us to start thinking and leading inclusively.
So what does inclusion look like?!?! Most research agrees that Inclusion Champions tend to share six (6) behavioral traits that not only promotes diversity, but also cultivates a work environment that allows everyone to thrive. View the image above to learn what those six traits are.
Core Values and Behaviors: I am DRIVEN
Dedicated to Our Customers
Results-Focused
Innovative Values-Centered Leader
Ethical
Networked
Are you DRIVEN?
SMP Recipe & Cook Book
Bringing family, culture & tradition to your table
The current and expanding diversity of our employee base throughout SMP continues to fuel our growth and creativity. As a result, the committee believes that sharing family recipes, traditions and culture will be a perfect way to highlight and celebrate our developing organization.
RECIPE SUBMISSIONS LINK: SMP RECIPE BOOK ENTRY
DEI Employee Spotlight
Periodically, SMP will be spotlighting members of our diverse family.
Please meet Robert Figueroa, Customer Service Manager.
Building Cohesive Teams
Over the course of my 30-year military career, the US Army taught me a key lesson about organizational success – to build a culture of trust and collaboration amongst your service men and women you must acknowledge and value the diverse experiences and backgrounds of every member of the team.
The demographic diversification in the US population will continue and the globalization of business will continue to evolve. Therefore, it is imperative for SMP to position itself as a workplace leader of inclusion and belonging. Having this competitive advantage will help ensure we successfully attract, develop and retain a talented workforce capable of meeting our current and future operational demands.
While transitioning from a military to a civilian life four and a half years ago, I wondered if I would be able to find another team-oriented employer that cared about its personnel and valued everyone’s unique contributions.
From my first day with SMP, I immediately knew I was not only about to start my second career, but more importantly, I found my new team. I felt the company was adjusting to me and not me to the company.
The optics are obvious, we have a skilled, diverse workforce. We need to continue to promote fair treatment and equitable accessibility to opportunities throughout the organization. The current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative will complement the existing efforts to modernize our talent-management processes and ensure fair treatment for every team member.
I am so proud and lucky to be part of SMP—“One Team, One Fight.”
Best,
Robert (Chief)
#InclusionBeginsWithI
DEI 'Thought of the Week'
View the SMP DEI 'Thought of the Week' for some words of inspiration