Celebrating Inclusion at J.B. Hunt
What does it mean to be your authentic self at work?
For us, it means being empowered to put forward your thoughts and ideas as a valued member of our team. When our employees feel safe to be themselves, we believe it leads to better collaboration and innovation in all areas of our business.
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“It takes every one of our employees to embrace what inclusion represents and what we want it to be here at J.B. Hunt.”
- Brad Hicks, president of Dedicated Contract Services®
Focusing on Inclusion
The Inclusion Office was created in 2021 to lead the company’s enterprise inclusion strategy and help foster a culture where all people feel welcomed, valued, respected, safe and heard. The Inclusion Office focuses on several initiatives:
- Connection and Well-being: Connecting employees to resources, our culture and their own potential.
- Empowerment: Continuing to develop and deliver ongoing learning opportunities at various levels of leadership so that inclusion can always be instilled into our culture.
- Enablement: Ensuring inclusion is at all steps of our talent lifecycle, beginning with application and continuing through retention.
- Brand and Reach: Keeping employees connected internally as well as to regional and national inclusion trends through our work with the community, employer alliances and university relationships.
“The focus of the Inclusion Office isn't just one group or another, it's our entire employee population. We want to enable our whole workforce with the skills, opportunities, and cultural competencies needed to be successful at J.B. Hunt.”
- Jackie Lawrence, sr. director of people relations
In April of 2022, we launched The Inclusion Council. The council was created to oversee, encourage and advise on enterprise-wide inclusion efforts. Comprised of senior leaders from across the company, the members’ primary role is to provide advice and consult on key decisions and reporting from the Inclusion Office, in addition to promoting an inclusive culture in each business unit at J.B. Hunt. Its purpose is to ensure that inclusion remains a key component of creating exceptional employee experiences.
Specifically, the Council will focus on these key priorities:
- To promote employee wellbeing and sense of belonging.
- To help create a workplace that reflects the diverse communities where the Company operates, and a culture where everyone feels seen, heard, valued, enabled, and empowered to succeed.
- To help increase awareness, inclusion skills, and capabilities through continuous education.
- To promote and imbed inclusion practices and considerations into all people processes that can help to attract, hire, retain and develop talent from diverse backgrounds.
- To promote a positive social impact in the communities J.B. Hunt serves.
Redefining Workplace Culture
Creating a culture of inclusivity is a project that is never truly finished. It requires not only good leadership, but also strong organizational support. Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) connect our people and foster an inclusive and safe work environment, as well as promote personal growth and professional development. Currently we have seven ERGs at J.B. Hunt:
- AAmERG (African American Employee Resource Group)
- ABLE (Abilities Beyond Limits and Expectations)
- CAAPITAL (Cultivating Asian American Pacific Islanders Together as Leaders)
- GROW (Growing and Retaining Outstanding Women)
- LEAD (Latinos Engaging, Advancing and Developing)
- PLUS+ (LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group)
- VERG (Veterans Employee Resource Group)
“ERGs are important because they provide a safe space to support employees and for their stories to be heard. Gaining that community of co-workers allows people to feel more connected at J.B. Hunt and to grow professionally as well.”
- Ryan Maner, vice president of pricing
Creating an Award-Winning Atmosphere
We make investments in our culture because we want each of our employees, and those interested in becoming an employee, to feel like they have a place within our organization. When people feel like they belong, studies show productivity increases, brand loyalty is stronger and the pace of innovation accelerates.
“As a manager I feel like making sure that my team always feels included - no matter their beliefs - builds morale and retains better employees. When they are comfortable and happy, I think they are more productive and focused on doing a good job.”
- Rosie Butcher, manager for intermodal appointments
J.B. Hunt has been honored with national recognitions from various organizations across the industry. Forbes named us as one of America’s Best Large Employers, and we were also ranked in the Elite 30 of Women in Trucking’s Top Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation. Additionally, our dedication to supporting our military employees earned recognition from VIQTORY as a Top 10 Military Friendly® Employer, Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Veterans and Military Times as Best for Vets.
Looking Forward
Our founders Johnnie Bryan and Johnelle Hunt had a vision to create a people-first organization. Through our various initiatives and employee resource groups, we are excited to continue our path towards a more inclusive and diverse workplace.
Learn more about how J.B. Hunt promotes an inclusive workplace by visiting our careers page or our corporate responsibility page.