The Walser Way: Leaders for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Automotive Retail

In 2019, Walser Automotive Group created an employee resource group for their LGBTQ+ employees. Since then, Drive With Pride became part of a deeper initiative to fulfill the Walser Way by encouraging its employees to bring “your whole self to work.”

Drive With Pride was established after the dealership group started the Women of Walser ERG. Today, there have been other ERGs added to this initiative for their Asian/Hmong and Veteran employees.

Five years on, we wanted to see how this groundbreaking ERG in the automotive retail business has progressed and evolved through that time. We also wanted to know whether Drive With Pride has made an impact on both employees and customers since its inception.

According to Dayna Kleve, the Director of Diversity Engagement & Inclusion at Walser Automotive Group, “It’s amazing to see Drive With Pride nearing its fifth anniversary as an ERG at Walser. With 224 active members, we’ve achieved significant milestones over the past five years, both big and small.”

Kleve cited major accomplishments, such as “standardizing the use of optional pronouns in email signatures and making it easier to change one’s preferred name in Walser’s Human Resources system, have changed our organizational fabric. Drive With Pride is prominently featured on Walser’s website and job postings. Members actively participate in local career fairs, and the ERG is highlighted in our weekly new-hire orientation programs.”

Drive With Pride’s presence and awareness already marked significant strides within Walser. Not because of its team members, but also its allies. In fact, Kleve cites that there are occasions when “a new teammate tells us Drive With Pride was one of the reasons they joined Walser.”

You can see the ERG’s impact not only at Walser’s corporate offices in Bloomington, but at its 27 showrooms and three collision and glass centers across the Midwest. “It’s not uncommon to see Drive With Pride stickers on employee laptops, cube walls, and toolboxes,” explained Kleve. “As someone who’s been with Walser since 2017, I am inspired by the transformation of Walser’s culture since the inception of our ERGs, especially Drive With Pride.”

Walser’s corporate culture is driven by a set of principles, called The Walser Way. According to Kleve, it centers around “four core values” doing the right thing, leading by example, staying positive, and being open-minded. Our ERGs embody this philosophy, ensuring what’s right for the business is right for our employees and vice versa. It means creating a workplace where they feel valued.”

“Our goal is to create an environment where employees can thrive personally and professionally,” Kleve further explained. “Our ERGs play a crucial role in supporting our employees’ development, which is fundamental to our business’s success. Participating in ERG leadership isn’t just an extracurricular activity; it’s an indication of leadership and professional drive. ERG leadership roles are given due consideration during annual succession planning, highlighting their importance within the organization.”

Even with the continued success of Drive With Pride, there were some challenges over the past five years. Notably, when the COVID-19 Pandemic changed the way the automotive retail business had to respond with local and national restrictions in place. Walser adapted to these changes, as did Drive With Pride. According to Kleve, the Pandemic “was a huge hurdle to overcome in building momentum and connecting with new members. DWP’s leadership had to get really creative in engaging with members virtually and creating learning opportunities from afar.”

“The silver lining is that the pandemic got everyone accustomed to learning in new formats, especially webinars,” explained Kleve. “We leaned on this tactic a lot during the pandemic to keep pushing our personal development initiatives forward, and it’s something that’s stuck with us today.”

How does all of this translate to you – the consumer? Specifically, the LGBTQ+ consumer. “For our customers, doing the right thing means offering a transparent, efficient, thoughtful, and straightforward buying and servicing experience,” Kleve said.

“Everyone has elements of diversity, seen and unseen,” Kleve explained. “Walser’s focus on inclusion means welcoming our employees to show up as themselves. That spirit of inclusivity extends to how we engage with our customers. Choosing to transact with Walser is more than buying a car—you’re choosing a company that values authenticity, open-mindedness, and a positive customer experience.”

What is ahead for Walser’s LGBTQ+ ERG? Nick Weast, the President of Drive With Pride, explained that his vision “involves its continued growth and becoming even further reaching. Not only do I want to see a strong Drive With Pride presence in our dealerships, but I would like to see our ERG further represented in all of our affiliates and partner companies. Since these companies are under the Walser umbrella, it’s important that they represent our core values.”

On many levels, representation matters. Bring your whole self to work also matters. That also translates into the connection between employee and customer when it comes to transactional commerce. We always want to see ourselves at any place we go – in particular, to shop.

Five years ago, Walser made it clear that their LGBTQ+ employees will be welcomed at work. They are primed for success no matter what their function is across the company. Doing so is always good business.

https://www.walser.com/about-us/Drive-With-Pride/