JLL Global DEI Leader on What Makes a Bulletproof Inclusion Strategy

This series delves into some of the most compelling figures in commercial real estate: the dealmakers, game changers, city shapers and standouts who make CRE interesting.

In just a few years, the environment around diversity, equity and inclusion in corporate America has changed. After the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action last year, DEI teams began to face challenges in implementing their programs.

Following a surge in DEI hiring in 2020 and 2021, the number of vacancies decreased by 63% in 2023. Companies are reducing their DEI teams through layoffs. some at 50%, some at all.

Some DEI leaders at CRE are concerned the backlash could trigger a downward trend in inclusive efforts.

Global Head of DEI at JLL, Nashanda Williamssees it differently.

The added emphasis on DEI is a positive, she said, because it means people — both employees and executives — are interested in the subject and how it impacts their companies. And although some may don’t agree with the termAt the heart of DEI, she says, is something everyone can agree on.

“Almost all the CRE firms I’m involved with are about values ​​inclusion, values ​​belonging,” she said. “And I don’t see that going away anytime soon.”

Courtesy of Nashunda Williams

JLL Global DEI Head Nashunda Williams

With her hands on the ground running DEI at one of the nation’s largest brokerages, with 100,000 employees in 80 different countries, Williams is responsible for ensuring JLL’s DEI strategy thrives—even when broader conversations around the topic fizzle out.

She said creating a sustainable DEI policy comes down to creating a strong structure. The strategy must be stable enough to weather any storm, including business changes, reorganizations, or public reaction.

Williams joined JLL in 2015, founding and leading its technology division’s inclusion, culture and belonging efforts over the next six years. She led the company’s Business Resource Groups, a nine-team program serving 7,500 employees in 200 offices.

Under her leadership, the company noticed that 85% of U.S. employees were more likely to stay with a brokerage after attending a BRG event.

“We have been very careful to ensure that our group activities provide general knowledge that can be used in everyday work to improve employees’ ability to communicate with others across the firm. And I think we succeeded. did it successfully,” she said.

It all starts, she says, with people.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Bisnow: First, I wanted to know how you got into real estate.

Williams: For many years I worked as an executive in Allstate’s technology division. As part of this work, I was appointed to the culture committee and tasked with helping the company achieve a major transformation in creating a healthy culture of engagement.

So, my passion is kind of focused on technology, employee engagement, inclusion, and then my career path eventually led me to JLL where I started working in the IT department and similarly doing a lot of the culture work within JLL. And years later, I had the opportunity to lead DEI efforts.

Bisnow: How has your role changed since you started? Have you seen any changes in DEI in corporate America as a whole since you began your work?

Williams: I think the role has changed to the point where—which is actually a positive thing—the number of people who are interested in exploring this space and interested in wanting to be a part of it has increased.

From an employee perspective, I think people, and especially leaders, really understand that if you want to get the most out of your employees and teams and really want to innovate, you have to create an environment where everyone on your team wants to bring it to life. these great ideas and wants to work towards achieving the vision. And they know that to do this, they need to increase employee engagement and create an environment where everyone wants to thrive.

Since I started, I’ve seen DEI evolve into more leaders and employees truly wanting to understand, advocate, and explore how they can create a better, inclusive workplace so everyone can thrive.

Bisnow: DEI has become increasingly controversial, and there has been backlash from various parts of the political spectrum. Why do you think this reaction occurs?

Williams: More people are aware of DEI, and there are many opinions about what DEI is. To me, DEI is about respecting everyone’s life experiences and ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and respected, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive. The goal is to achieve better innovation and desired results. This requires high level participation. And I think it’s awareness that’s driving more and more people to try to understand what this space is all about.

Bisnow: Has the backlash or increased conversation impacted your role in any way?

Williams: I think at JLL we remain committed to our five-year strategy and plan. And so we have been consistent in our activities and what we do.

Bisnow: How did you create your DEI strategy?

Williams: To develop the strategy, we needed an inclusive process. You must lead by example. So we had focus groups from all over the world, and we had focus groups with all levels of the organization.

We shared that feedback with our business teams, with our executive leadership, and also worked with an external consulting firm to gather all of that feedback, see what was working, see what wasn’t working, and develop an inclusive strategy for the company.

Courtesy of Nashunda Williams

JLL Global DEI Head Nashunda Williams (second from left) at the event

Bisnow: When you first took on your role, what did you want to change or what were your main goals?

Williams: I wanted to make sure we had a strong foundation for the future. When businesses create strategies, those strategies must stand on their own.

Different leaders may come and go, but the foundation of what you are working on must be strong enough to withstand it. And so one of my main goals was to make sure that we had a strong foundation of strategy that would withstand a change in leadership or a reorganization, something forward-thinking, something that people could be excited about, that we have a new way forward.

Bisnow: How do you measure success? Are there any metrics you need to achieve?

Williams: For me, we usually conduct surveys of people, look at the results of those surveys and take them as a measure of success. Are we going up or down, depending on specific issues related to inclusion? We also look at our workforce.

Engagement of our employees – do they participate in any of the activities we host? And finally, training and development programs. Are they successful? Do people feel they are receiving growth and development needs within the firm, which is another aspect of engagement.

Bisnow: Can you give an example of some questions you might ask?

Williams: I’ll ask you one question we ask in our employee survey: We ask if your manager demonstrates inclusive leadership in their actions and communications. That’s why we need inclusive leaders where every team member feels like they have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

Bisnow: How much has diversity increased or increased at JLL since you took this position?

Williams: I think diversity can be measured in many different ways and so yes, it has increased and it has increased at the management level since I took this role and also in our workforce.

Bisnow: How have BRG changed since you took over?

Williams: When I first took on this role, it was important that we embedded BRG in a strategy and structure where, firstly, they felt like we were partners as the DEI team and business resource teams came together, and we also wanted to make sure that we support business resource groups.

That’s why we provide some business resource team leaders with coaching opportunities to improve their own leadership development. We give them training. We are currently going through a three-part series on leadership development for all of our BRGs around the world. We’re trying to connect them and get them to collaborate with different BRGs to expand their community at JLL as well as that intersectionality component.

Courtesy of Nashunda Williams

JLL Global DEI Head Nashunda Williams with her husband and children at the JLL Global Leadership Summit in Chicago

Bisnow: If a real estate company wants to implement a DEI program, where should it start and what should it consider?

Williams: It all starts with people. You know, taking a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and backgrounds and asking a couple of key strategic questions about what kind of environment will lead to the best ideas and innovations that will take the organization or that team to the next level. .

And so when you start with people, it really helps because you’re engaging in co-creation. And I always believe that this space is a joint creation. It’s about, you know, talking to people. It’s about dialogue and conversation. So I always started with the employee base and asked questions to really understand what would be the best environment for them to thrive.

Bisnow: What’s something you’ve noticed that’s different about DEI and real estate?

Williams: Our service truly has the power to disrupt and change lives in ways we can’t imagine, and with these bold advances in technology and automation, I think it will create a stronger need for human connection, and I think the ability to make people feel being heard and respected during the next global transformation will be enormous.

Bisnow: What AI can do amazes me. It seems like every month there is something new. What do you think the next six months will bring?

Williams: I just heard about AI agents, where you can specifically perform different tasks that these AI agents learn and develop over time and in one specific area. My hope for the future is that using these technologies will free up time for us to have a little more connection and dialogue. Because I really believe that this is the basis of the human experience, right?

Bisnow: What’s your favorite weekend activity?

Williams: I really enjoy going to Lifetime and swimming in the pool on the weekends. There is something very freeing and relaxing about water and it’s almost like when I’m underwater I feel refreshed and relaxed. And that’s one of my favorite things to do on the weekends—to be with my family.