Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace is changing at an accelerated pace. There are more generations working together than ever before and greater representation of previously underrepresented identities in the corporate world. Organizations must work to foster more inclusive and equitable workplaces, leading many companies to invest in upskilling initiatives to address skill gaps in areas like cultural awareness, recognizing and mitigating unconscious bias and collaborating with diverse team members.

Like many global organizations, Denny’s recognizes the need to address these challenges and develop a new DEI and wellness training strategy. This is imperative not only to keep employees and management engaged and to build a more equitable and inclusive workplace, but also to ensure that front-line workers and managers have the skills they need to better serve Denny’s diverse clientele.

But with franchise locations across the globe and over 50,000 employees, the Denny’s learning and development (L&D) team knew that creating a new DEI and wellness training strategy would be no simple matter. Spearheaded by Fasika Melaku Peterson, senior vice president of human resources and chief learning officer, and Raila Roinisalo, director of leadership development, Denny’s set out to develop a multi-year strategy for culture change.

Peterson and Roinisalo recognize the need for ongoing, systemic and substantive DEI and well-being efforts. “The fact is, most of these initiatives traditionally involve one- or two-day workshops,” Peterson says. “Unfortunately, this approach does not truly create awareness or generate an authentic change in mindset or behavior. We know we need to work together at all levels of the brand to plan and build training that embraces our diverse characteristics, creates equitable outcomes for all and promotes employee well-being.”

Denny’s Rules to Live By

“It is paramount that everyone who dines and works here feels respected and treated fairly. No matter your department or role, we are all responsible for making Denny’s a place where everyone feels welcomed, all voices are heard and inclusion is championed,” Peterson says.

“The Denny’s culture journey is comprised of several elements that support each other,” she continues. “A foundational part of the training, aimed at our front-line staff, is learning and embodying Denny’s ‘Rules to Live By.’ Our Rules to Live By are the foundational expectations that inform how team members treat Denny’s guests and how they treat one another.”

The Rules to Live By are three non-negotiable rules that ensure all Denny’s guests and team members are welcomed, respected and valued. These rules are taught in the form of interactive webinars and eLearning for restaurant team members and include points on both how employees should treat one another and how guests are to be treated. The Rules to Live By emphasize individual contributors in championing inclusion and treating guests with kindness and respect.

Training at the Corporate Level

At the corporate level, Roinisalo and Peterson rolled out experience-based learning through the Go Beyond Challenge. “The Go Beyond Challenge is a month-long, experience-focused program designed to invite and engage Denny’s corporate team members in a collaborative manner for a sustained period of 30 days,” Roinisalo says.

The Go Beyond Challenge is designed to encourage compassionate curiosity, self-reflection and exploration of the lived experiences of others. The challenges are aimed at equipping organizational leaders with tools to help actively flex their empathy muscles. “Employees are encouraged to ‘go beyond’ their individual experiences, beliefs, biases and attitudes with compassion and curiosity to understand their thoughts, actions and relationships,” Roinisalo says.

The Go Beyond Challenge is broken down into themed daily challenges, with topics like appearance discrimination and minimizing bias. In addition to these reflective techniques, Roinisalo says that the training is about “how to create safe spaces for collaborative learning.” L&D can play a major role in fostering safe learning environments by establishing norms and expectations to hold people accountable, encourage constructive feedback and regularly provide learners with up-to-date resources. Team leaders discuss and reflect on challenge topics in meetings. The experience also incorporates elements of gamification, with raffles and giveaways, including a grand prize of two round-trip tickets to anywhere in the continental United States.

To make the training more accessible, additional learning was designed to “give participants room to integrate learning in their work at their own pace,” Roinisalo says. Their goal was to meet learners where they are in their personal journeys toward inclusion and equity skills. Denny’s survey data indicates that they were successful. Approximately 73% of participants agreed that Go Beyond helped them grow as individuals and 74% would recommend Denny’s as an employer, in large part because of initiatives like this.

The Denny’s DEI Council, led by April Kelly-Drummond, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, together with the Denny’s business resource groups (BRGs), champions the Go Beyond Challenge.

Training for Leadership

“Developing leaders and change makers across the organization is an essential part of this upskilling strategy,” Peterson says. The L&D team created the Championing Humanity program, aimed at Denny’s leaders, culture carriers and change makers — starting with the executive leadership team. Championing Humanity intends to upskill leaders with active allyship skills that they can carry over into their interactions with people at all levels of the organization. Skills like designing for equity, active allyship and sharing power are essential to ensure organizational leaders are equipped to champion a successful DEI initiative.

The Business Case for DEI

Improving the DEI and well-being of Denny’s employees has proved not just to be a moral imperative, but also a strategic one. “Beyond creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace, investing in DEI will improve employee engagement, reduce absenteeism and turnover and increase innovation, all of which positively impacts overall financial performance,” Roinisalo says.

Improving employee well-being skills also contributes to measurable business outcomes, lowering health care costs, increasing productivity and improving overall financial outcomes. The training is essential not just for the way it enables front-line workers to interact with guests, but also for the way it helps team members establish a community where everyone feels valued and empowered.

“With the current working world marked by unprecedented cultural shifts, Denny’s L&D is at the forefront of navigating new complexities. We’re faced with immense challenges of fostering a learning environment that resonates with employees across generations and diverse identities, as well as enabling them to advocate for and protect their own well-being. Denny’s journey through a multi-year strategy can serve as an example on how to create organization-wide change,” Peterson says.

From foundational expectations communicated through webinars and eLearning for front-line staff to corporate-level programs like the Go Beyond Challenge and the Championing Humanity initiative, Denny’s’ approach is holistic and impactful.

Roinisalo and Peterson’s programming demonstrates a positive impact on employee engagement and is a testament to the fact that investing in creating an inclusive workplace through L&D can lead to real, measurable business outcomes. By embracing comprehensive, ongoing and substantive DEI and well-being efforts that go beyond the surface, Denny’s has been able to foster a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered.