Colin McDonald

In the past 12 months, Cross Country Chief HR Officer Colin McDonald has successfully launched and implemented Cross Country Impact, an employee-led council that’s dedicated to promoting DE&I within the organization.

The council gives employees of every background a chance to drive meaningful change together. “I am proud of this accomplishment because it demonstrates our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion where every voice is heard and valued,” McDonald says.

Cross Country Impact is just a recent example of McDonald’s longtime interest in DE&I. “I’ve always been passionate about diversity and inclusion,” he says. In his current role, he establishes employee-led councils and resource groups, implements annual diversity training, and develops recruitment and retention strategies to promote workplace diversity. He also pursues speaking engagements and thought leadership, hoping to nudge other companies toward prioritizing DE&I in their own workplaces.

McDonald believes that DE&I is a moral imperative, a matter of fairness and respect for the broad tapestry of human experience. Moreover, he sees DE&I as a vital business strategy, one that he’s witnessed in action. “I’ve seen the transformative impact of inclusive practices on organizational performance and employee satisfaction,” he says.

I’ve seen the transformative impact of inclusive practices on organizational performance and employee satisfaction.

As a DE&I leader, McDonald has ideas for other companies interested in improving their performance in this area. He suggests that they commit to transparent diversity goals and regularly track progress, actively seek diverse candidates through targeted recruitment strategies, establish employee resource groups to support underrepresented communities, and encourage open dialogue and feedback on DE&I initiatives. He also encourages organizations to invest in leadership development programs to cultivate diverse talent pipelines and to partner with community organizations to support DE&I initiatives beyond the workplace. McDonald also advocates for companies to provide unconscious bias training for employees at all levels, saying that such a workshop “opened my eyes to the subtle ways in which bias can shape decision-making and perpetuate inequalities.”

When he’s not at work, McDonald volunteers with organizations focused on education, social justice and economic empowerment for underrepresented communities. “I aim to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society,” he says.