May 23, 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’s Gold Standard?

US-based non-profit Camber Outdoors, the outdoor industry’s specialists on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, releases its third report.

The outdoor industry has historically struggled with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues, particularly in terms of representation of underrepresented groups such as people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals. However, in recent years, there has been a growing awareness and effort to address these issues.

Camber Outdoors is a non-profit organization in the United States that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoor industry through industry leadership, community building, and job placement initiatives. It works with over 200 companies, including many familiar outdoor brands such as Osprey, Scarpa, Petzl, Hydro Flask, and Tentree.

Since 2020, the Camber Survey System has been tracking the DEI progress of its partners with the goal to “measure progress across committed Camber partners in creating inclusive cultures, equitable, supportive systems and the attraction and retention of a diversity of talent.” The results of the survey are published in Camber’s annual Workplace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report, developed in cooperation with Claremont Graduate University.

Its third and latest report found substantial partner progress towards offering inclusive benefits and in promoting employees from underrepresented communities (10% and 8% increase respectively compared to 2020). On the other hand, nearly half of all employees reported that they feel they are not paid equitably for their work (49%), and perceptions of their organization’s professional development of underrepresented communities remained low in most categories.

“The Camber Survey System strives to be an industry gold standard providing the necessary insights to evoke systemic change – pathways for the underrepresented and ultimately making the outdoor industry – workplaces and spaces – inclusive for all,” says Tiffany Smith, CEO of Camber Outdoors.

The findings are based on the responses of 50 Camber partners and nearly 3,000 U.S. based employees, capturing and at times contrasting the perspectives of both the organization’s executives and its employees.

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