Webinar Date: June 28, 2023 – 03:00 PM EDT

Moderator:

Linda Bell
Head of Content at Fair360

Panelists:

Jamie Bergeron
Americas Diversity, Equity, & Inclusiveness Center of Excellence at EY

Alex Garveaux
Learning and Development Facilitator at Wells Fargo

Stephanie Ray
Program Delivery Executive & LGBTQ2+ Business Executive at TD Bank

Beverly Douglas
Environmental Services Specialist at BASF

Transitioning in the workplace can expose employees to microaggressions and other uncomfortable interactions. 

In this webinar, panelists discuss how organizations can better support transgender employees, develop strategies tailored to the employees needs, and foster a culture of acceptance and inclusion where employees feel psychologically, physically and emotionally safe. 

Highlights From the Session 

“Every single person needs something, wants something different and has a different experience with their gender. Every one of us  is having a different gender experience, no two are going to be the same. The more that we work that muscle of understanding the fluidity of gender and the fluidity of what allyship means within our community, the better off will be to continue to work together and keep moving forward.” —Jamie Bergeron, EY 

 “You may be hiring trans and non-binary people, and you may not know it. Some people are what we would call stealth, they choose to live their life presenting in gender binary. It’s hard when you talk about how do you recruit, how do you retain people you may not know when you hire them? You’re not going to find a lot of people who are in their 20s and 30s that want to be ‘out’ during interviews with employers.” —Beverly Douglas, BASF  

“By having intersectionality, we found that we could get a broader audience to the story, which focused on trans, transitioning and benefits. It broadened the conversation. Sometimes it’s that extra connectivity with intersectionality that can help bring more individuals to learn more about the community.” —Stephanie Eckersley-Ray, TD Bank 

“We can understand that the ERG chapter is essentially the frontline part of the support, as it’s most in tune with the needs of those transitioning in the workplace. At the chapter level, you’ll see the most diversity of race, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, even categories like pay and title — all that to say the chapter is pretty down to earth because we’re less removed from who you are, because we are you.” —Alex Garveaux, Wells Fargo 

Webinar Date: June 22, 2023 – 12:00 AM EDT

If your company completes our annual Top 50 Companies for Diversity survey, you may be left with questions on how your company ranked or didn’t rank and what Fair360’s criteria for creating the rankings are.

As you receive your annual report card as part of the Top 50 assessment process, you may have additional questions about what it means and what insights your company can glean from the report card.

In this webinar, Dr. Chris Parker, our Director of Research and Data Analytics, breaks down Fair360’s process and how to read and get the most from your report card.

Webinar Date: June 14, 2023 – 03:00 PM EDT

Moderator:

Danielle Hess
Senior Digital Copy Editor at Fair360

Panelist:

Leslie O’Harrow
Trusted Solutions Partner – Shine Network at PwC

Onboarding is a crucial step in the employee lifecycle, as it sets the tone for the experience to come. It also plays an important role in creating a sense of psychological safety for new hires to self-ID.

For LGBTQ+ employees, onboarding is essential to understanding how the company supports them and how inclusive the organization’s benefit structures are.

In this webinar, Fair360 Senior Digital Copy Editor Danielle Hess and Leslie O’Harrow, Trusted Solutions Partner – Shine Network at PwC (a Fair360 Hall of Fame company), discussed the best ways to onboard LGBTQ+ talent in a way that makes them feel seen, valued and supported.

Highlights From the Session

When asked what key takeaways and actionable steps organizations can implement to improve LGBTQ+ equity throughout the employee lifecycle, O’Harrow said: “The key takeaways are fostering that inclusive environment and communicating your commitment to equity, both internally and externally. And year around, not just in the month of June that we currently find ourselves in.”

O’Harrow also highlighted inclusive benefits offered by PwC: “We also want to highlight benefits as a part of the onboarding process, particularly around family formation, adoption, fertility and gender-affirming benefits. Sharing these benefits, especially ones that are LGBTQ inclusive, can really go a long way in fostering a culture of inclusion and demonstrating that we’re committed.”

Webinar Date: May 17, 2023 – 03:00 AM EDT

Moderator:

Linda Bell
Head of Content at Fair360

Panelists:

David Rhoads
National President, Veterans ERG at AT&T

Joseph M. Seaton
Assistant VP & Communications Manager at U.S. Bank

May is National Military Appreciation Month. In this session, panelists discussed the transition from military life to corporate America.

Military service provides the skills and training veterans need in the workplace, but unfortunately, finding a job after the military is difficult for many. It’s up to organizations, allies of veterans and their families to support veterans in the workplace and their ability to secure gainful employment.

To help ease the transition for veterans, companies should establish and build employee resource groups (ERGs) that support the community, from providing mental health resources to opportunities for connection with others who served and allies.

The panelists also discussed the importance of leaders that invest in individuals. Establishing a one-on-one connection with an employee or colleague helps facilitate comfort and conversations that go beneath the surface.

Highlights from the Session

“I’ve been in this military organizational structure for about 10 years and I know the language, I know the cultural norms, I know the people in that culture and I wear the uniform of that culture. Then all of a sudden, all of that is taken away in an instant. I think that can be a very frightening situation for a lot of veterans. For me, I found it motivating — I thought, ‘I’m gonna be a CEO someday, I’m gonna figure this out. I’m a military officer, everybody’s gonna want to hire me.’ So, there was a bit of motivation and a bit of naïveté because you don’t know what you don’t know. And I did not know the corporate world at all.” — Joseph M. Seaton, U.S. Bank

“Military units are trained to adapt, improvise and then move the next direction. I think in the corporate sector, we’re now becoming more agile. Those agile ways of working are sort of altering our mindset. But at least for me, personally, I have had to learn how to tell myself, you don’t always have to attack the objective as fast as possible. Sometimes you need to slow it down and bring the team together to accomplish the objective.” — David Rhoads, AT&T

Webinar Date: July 19, 2023 – 03:00 PM EDT

Moderator:

Linda Bell
Head of Content at Fair360

Webinar Date: April 19, 2023 – 03:00 PM EDT

Moderator:

Linda Bell
Head of Content at Fair360

Panelists:

William (Bill) E. Miller
Financial Services and Insurance Audit Partner at KPMG

Dana Stevenson
Lead System Architect (Fraud Detection) at Wells Fargo

The use of pronouns can be a confusing topic for some, creating tension in the workplace. Pronoun misuse can cause employees to feel discriminated against and reduce a sense of belonging, even if the misuse wasn’t intentional.

It’s crucial for leaders to implement education and raise awareness to help make the workplace an inclusive environment. In this session, panelists discuss the importance of authenticity at work, how to train employees, the role of employee resource groups (ERGs) and more.

Highlights from the Session

“Education comes in the form of having conversations. Sometimes it’s real-time when you’re in a meeting and someone uses the wrong pronouns or someone says something a little derogatory. You want to recognize the behavior, to take action and do something about it. And by doing that, you actually help to make employees feel very valued and appreciated. And not only that, you’re acknowledging them for who they are.” — Dana Stevenson, Wells Fargo

“One of the toughest parts about the work that we do in the DEI space is patience. You can’t flip a switch and change mindsets, it takes time to change. You’ve got to have education, share stories, try to lead them to water and bring them to a position where they listen and care, and all of that requires patience. If you have frustration, I guarantee somebody else does too. So find that ally you can partner with, and maybe there’s an opportunity to do something at the local office level. Collaborate on: How can we elevate this issue? How can we make this more prominently known that this is an issue? Try to find somebody that you think you can partner with to make your voice heard.” — Bill Miller, KPMG

Trauma that occurs in the workplace can affect a person’s ability to be productive, be present and feel like they belong.

In this session, panelists discuss ways workplace trauma can be healed as well as how leadership can prevent it from occurring. Time off can be one of the most effective ways to allow a person to heal, especially when paired with an integrated re-onboarding process. Leadership accountability should also include supporting employees through their trauma and preventing traumatic events in the workplace.

Highlights From the Session

“Have an equitable and intentional onboarding process, understand personality styles, ask a lot of questions in your interview process to understand the fit and what this person needs. And then have some type of ongoing employee engagement strategy. [Consider] what it looks like to keep constant touchpoints with them, to make sure they continue to receive what they need. And hold their leadership accountable so that they’re getting the direction and support that they need, and they’re in an environment that is conducive for their success.” — Zachary Nunn, DiversityInc

“If people feel like they are not able to speak up, or if they feel like they’re not equal to be an ally to someone else, they don’t have the courage to do something in support of someone else or themselves — that’s not going to go away when the person comes back from taking time off. It’s important behaviors such as racism, sexism and misogyny are addressed and not tolerated so that you create a culture that’s more acceptable and people are able to flourish and thrive in those environments.” — Dr. Samantha E. Erskine, The PhD Project, University of Massachusetts Boston

Dr. Parker reviews and answers questions regarding the following:

• Eligibility
• What’s new about the survey: DiversityInc now uses Momentive, which condenses the survey and allows for cut-and-paste, offline collaboration. This will help reduce completion time for manual entry
• What does the survey cover: Human Capital Diversity Metrics, Leadership Accountability, Talent Programs, Workplace Practices, Supplier Diversity and Philanthropy
• A step-by-step guide on how to navigate Momentive

Click here to download the presentation deck for this webinar.

Dr. Parker reviews and answers questions regarding the following:

• Eligibility
• What’s new about the survey: DiversityInc now uses Momentive, which condenses the survey and allows for cut-and-paste, offline collaboration. This will help reduce completion time for manual entry
• What does the survey cover: Human Capital Diversity Metrics, Leadership Accountability, Talent Programs, Workplace Practices, Supplier Diversity and Philanthropy
• A step-by-step guide on how to navigate Momentive

Click here to download the presentation deck for this webinar.

Dr. Parker and Adamczyk go over the following:

• Eligibility
• What’s new about the survey: DiversityInc now uses Momentive, which condenses the survey and allows for cut-and-paste, offline collaboration. This will help reduce completion time for manual entry
• What does the survey cover: Human Capital Diversity Metrics, Leadership Accountability, Talent Programs, Workplace Practices, Supplier Diversity and Philanthropy
• A step-by-step guide on how to navigate Momentive

The next two webinars will cover tips for completing the Top 50 assessment.

Panelists: 

• Steven Wallish, Assistant Vice President of Business Intelligence Analytics at AT&T (Hall of Fame, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Tammy Adrian, Vice President of HR Strategy and Enablement at Cox Communications (No. 34, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

Tracking the diversity data of a company helps organizations ensure that they are providing equal opportunities to their employees, reflecting the diversity of their community and aligning with their diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

In this session, panelists discuss how people analytics can benefit a company and its employees, tools used to track this technology and how an organization can approach transparency.

Transparency and data sharing has become a crucial part of keeping companies accountable, but when it comes to people analytics, it’s important to honor anonymous data.

When this data is harnessed correctly, organizations can benefit from diverse talent and underrepresented individuals can gain access to new opportunities.

Highlights from the Session

“When we conduct employee surveys, we often use a third party to administer that survey. The data is given to us at an anonymous and sometimes aggregated level, or we very much limit the people who have access to the actual identity of who responded, which is certainly important. It’s also important to establish trust with your workforce. It’s our job to protect that data, to make sure that we’re being true to the workforce and helping them understand how it’s being used. We have to be good stewards and just very, very thoughtful about what we’re doing with that data, the presentations we’re creating and who we’re giving the data to.” — Tammy Adrian, Cox Communications

“Transparency is important in what is collected on our employees, especially given where we’re seeing privacy laws. And in our data, all our gender and race data self-identify by the employee. When sharing the data, providing the proper context, providing the right optics around that data and how we report on it is important to reflect a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and active workforce.” — Steven Wallish, AT&T

Panelists:

• Linda Kitchens, Assistant Vice President of Compensation at AT&T (Hall of Fame, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Christina Brenner, Senior Vice President of Total Rewards at Mastercard (No. 2, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

Pay equity is an important topic to discuss when considering the inclusivity of a workplace.

Historically, white and male employees have received higher pay than employees from underrepresented groups. These more privileged employees also tend to have more access to promotions and professional opportunities.

In this session, panelists discuss the importance of pay equity, how it differs from pay parity and what measures a company can take to ensure their employees are treated fairly.

Organizations can lay the groundwork by providing access to learning opportunities for underrepresented youth, thus encouraging women and people of color to lead in spaces predominantly occupied by white males.

Companies should also establish policies to ensure that pay is determined by position and experience, not by gender or race.

Highlights from the Session

“After we normalize our expected factors — like job performance, experience, geography, etc. — we take action if we need to adjust to make sure we maintain equity. And of course, we’re making sure we’re getting the candidate in the door to begin with so that as we start this whole process, we’re starting on a ground with a good, diverse group of people.” — Linda Kitchens, AT&T

“STEM has been a pretty heavily male-dominated field. We partner with Girls in Tech so that we can start that pipeline when they’re in elementary school, so that we can build and change the society norms they come through. We are looking to influence where we can find those partnerships, where it will make a difference in the future.” — Christina Brenner, Mastercard

Panelists:

• Jeff Raver, Vice President of ESG Integration at SAIC
• Rakhi Agarwal, AVP, Global Head of Supplier Diversity at Sanofi (No. 25, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time to review the measures taken to improve inclusivity in your workplace.

Everyone comes from different backgrounds, and it’s important to remember that not everyone in the workplace follows the same doctrines or celebrates the same holidays. Assuming everyone celebrates Christmas, for example, can be uncomfortable and even harmful to some.

In this session, panelists discuss the importance of recognizing individuality within the company and how organizations can maintain inclusivity during the holidays.

Employee resource groups (ERGs) can help educate employees about different religions their colleagues may follow, as well as the importance of being respectful. Organizations can also encourage mindfulness among their employees to avoid negative interactions.

Highlights from the Session

“The holidays allow us to look at how the diversity of our workforce celebrates these events. Just acknowledging that other faiths are out there and that people celebrate them in different ways. In many times, our internal biases will drive us to make assumptions that people are all looking at the holidays or this time of year in the same way, but that is not always true. By providing that reminder to our workforce, that alone is incredibly beneficial as you start to look at how you can be more inclusive with other experiences during this time of year.” — Jeff Raver, SAIC

“During the holidays, it’s extremely important for organizations and corporations to create a safe environment. The way we can do this is by constant reminders and education to be mindful. DEI trainings, gentle reminders, the nudges that we can send out. Please engage, but be respectful. The intention is there to learn from each other, to know what’s important for everyone and not hurt each other. We are all individual in our own right, we all have our own opinions. But having a different opinion doesn’t mean you can’t get along with one another. We should be able to coexist.” — Rakhi Agarwal, Sanofi

Panelists:

• Lauren Ruff, Principal and Associate General Counsel at KPMG (No. 11, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Emily Edwards, Enterprise Co-Chair of KP Ability Resource Group at Kaiser Permanente (Hall of Fame, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Susan York Paquette, Managing Intellectual Property Operations at Abbott (No. 3, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Terilynn Bench, Employee Relations Senior Manager at Wells Fargo (No. 29, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

Disability inclusion is vital to any functional organization, and improving disability etiquette can help any workplace thrive.

Understanding the experiences of employees with disabilities is an important first step, as is allowing space to hold open and honest conversations. It’s also important for leadership to take initiative in not only establishing resources for employees, but also ensuring that these resources are known and accessible company-wide.

In this webinar, panelists discuss ways that organizations can establish an inclusive and accessible space for employees with disabilities, as well as uphold strategies for future generations.

Highlights from the Session

“Our company has abundant resources. We’re a large company, we work for a very large global organization, and we’re very pleasantly surprised at the abundant resources that already exist. What we find in our employee resource group is that it gets to be the superhighway connecting the employees to those resources. Making things accessible is one of the biggest impacts and initiatives that Abbott has done.” — Susan York Paquette, Abbott

“Making disability accessibility a priority starts with having firm leadership intentionally make it a priority of strategic planning. Having business resource groups or networks where you have an accessibility and disability focus. We have just recently appointed an accessibility leader whose sole task in the firm is to focus on accessibility across the network.” — Lauren Ruff, KPMG

“It’s about what all of us can do as individuals to make sure that the things we participate in and the people that we talk to know about accessibility. For example, are you setting up a meeting and did you think about closed captioning and having ASL interpretation? It’s what we do individually to help create that inclusivity.” — Terilynn Bench, Wells Fargo

“It’s important to make time for conversations about disability accessibility. Having that point person to run those dialogs so that those conversations can take place, then acting on what comes up in those conversations. Ultimately, it’s our responsibility to listen and implement.” — Emily Edwards, Kaiser Permanente

Panelists:

• Richard Gonzalez, Technical Consultant, AT&T Business Hyperscaler and System Integrator Solutions Team (Hall of Fame, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Greg Bunker, Global Business Director, LDPE and Wire and Cable, High Pressure Envelope Director, Packaging and Specialty Plastics at Dow (No. 15, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Paul Bajus, Head of US Contact Center and AMCB Veterans Pillar Lead at TD Bank (No. 13, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

In the push to support underserved communities, veterans and their families can often be overlooked.

In DiversityInc’s latest webinar, panelists discussed the ways their companies are supporting veterans in the workplace, as well as how helping to unleash their potential can be mutually beneficial to the organization as a whole.

Employee and business resource groups are vital to providing accessible support for veteran employees. Within the hiring process, though, leveling the playing field is also crucial: Offering programs and certificates that allow veterans to be recognized for their skills and experience is an important step in supporting their success.

Highlights from the Session

“We hold a quarterly veterans BRG speaker series, which is really an opportunity for veterans, as well as anyone in the company, to come together as we bring in speakers from both in and outside the company. We offer advice for best practices, how to advance your career within the company, the importance of self-identifying and how to use your military experience to succeed at TD.” — Paul Bajus, TD Bank

“We have multiple resource groups. Having them is really important because they end up being catalysts for change around our hiring practices, our HR policies, and so forth. A couple of years ago, we launched a program called Military Degree Equivalency, which allows veterans at a certain status to earn the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. It unlocks a veteran’s potential and allows them to compete on a level playing field for jobs.” — Greg Bunker, Dow

“It takes leadership to listen and hear what these resource groups have to say. You have to have those listening posts, and observation posts out there. You can use the intel to get better, and utilize the great talents of these individuals. How do we recruit, retain, take advantage of and unleash the power that these folks have?” — Richard Gonzalez, AT&T

Panelists:

• Alicia Petross, Chief Diversity Officer at The Hershey Company (No. 6, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Bala Sreenivasan, VP of Global Supply Chain Operations at Merck
• Rakhi Agarwal, AVP, Global Head of Supplier Diversity and Risk at Sanofi (No. 25, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

As companies strengthen their approach to achieving their diversity and inclusion goals — including supplier diversity and diversity of talent — many are realizing the benefit of collaboration. Learning from one another, as well as working together, can make an immense difference in diversifying the supply chain.

Organizations like these work with Discover to further boost their collaboration. The panelists discuss their experience working with Discover and the strategies they are using to increase diversity in talent and the supply chain.

Highlights from the Session

“I think this collaboration and the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is here to stay. Intentionality is incredibly important; being aspirational about what you hope to achieve for being practical, about what you can do in the moment, and then having measurement in place. You can celebrate and build that sense that the future is real and you can have a lasting and sustainable impact. And I think that’s what discover is all about.” Alicia Petross, The Hershey Company

“We have to make conscious decisions and commitment, and hold ourselves accountable as leaders, to move the needle. We talk to the diverse talent, and other leaders and allies. We’re constantly asking, ‘what else should we be doing?’ And we partner on some of these challenges with Discover, and ask, ‘How are others doing this?’ And we take those best practices.” – Bala Sreenivasan, Merck

“The next big evolution that I would like to see is Discover becoming an end-to-end holistic organization that is providing insights as to what are the key best practices in terms of talent, where to go to find diverse talent, and marrying it with the industry best practices in terms of what the supply chain challenges are, how do we learn from them, and how do we connect the talent needs and requirements into those specific skill sets off the supply chain.” – Rakhi Agarwal, Sanofi

Panelists:

• Patricia Rossman, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at BASF (No. 12, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Deborah Lynn Young, Head of Human Resources, Coating Solutions NA at BASF
• Kim Rowell, Vice President at Cox Communications (No. 34, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Flor Flores, Retail Marketing Manager for Nebraska at Cox Communications

Allyship is crucial to thriving workplaces based on inclusion and equity.

Underrepresented individuals often face a lack of attention to their voice and experience in the workplace. With the advocation of colleagues, their voices can be amplified. White allyship is especially important for the advancement of inclusive and equitable workplaces.

In this session, panelists discuss what it means to be an ally and why allyship is important; ways they have experienced allyship in the past and how those experiences have uplifted them; how to release fear and start your allyship journey; and how allyship is beneficial company-wide.

Highlights from the Session

“There is a definition of allyship that I have taken to heart over the years: Someone who is not a member of a particular underrepresented group, but who takes deliberate action to support that group. I think it’s up to people who hold these positions of influence and privilege to be active allies to those with less access. Take responsibility for making changes that will help others be successful. ” — Patricia Rossman, BASF

“For me as a minority employee, I felt the support of my leaders to take responsibility. Within the last three years, we’ve done a lot of legwork to embrace inclusion. We’ve adopted an empowered people model philosophy, and within that we have an inclusion piece where we focus on embracing transparency, valuing every voice and respecting others’ differences.” — Flor Flores, Cox Communications

“My advice on where to start for those that are interested in engaging with [people of color] on this allyship journey: Start with wherever you are. If you are further ahead in your journey, that’s great, you can bring others along. But if you’re not where you need to be, be honest, be vulnerable and be willing to go into some uncomfortable conversations with people in terms of how to engage and how to be an effective ally.” — Deborah Lynn Young, BASF

“Every person’s journey is different. Start where you are and don’t let fear limit you. There’s a common theme here: introspection and your own personal journey. Ask what you can do within your specific community to become a better ally. Sometimes it may be attending community meetings on their behalf, being their voice.” — Kim Rowell, Cox Communications

Panelists:

• Catherine Korrison, Manager of Diversity Recruitment at Abbott (No. 3, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Lisette Martinez, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer at Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University
• Ed Veloz, Sr. Talent Acquisitions Manager, US Diversity Sourcing at TD Bank (No. 13, Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

Whether unconscious or implicit, employers often demonstrate bias when searching for candidates to fill open positions.

In this webinar, three panelists discuss the multiple impacts of bias during the hiring process, both on the candidates and the company. Rejecting bias and embracing diversity can allow for new thoughts and ideas to thrive in the workplace, and future employees who feel a sense of belonging will be more motivated to dedicate their time to their job.

Highlights from the Session

“When we embrace diversity, we also attract a wider range of candidates that are looking for a progressive place to work. For so many of our candidates, especially our young people, diversity is one of the most important things that they’re looking for. And if they don’t believe you have a diverse environment, they’re not interested in working for your organization. If you can’t show them a diverse environment where people can be their true selves every day, it reduces the number of candidates that you can really consider for a position or the number of candidates that’ll accept the offers that you make.” – Catherine Korrison, Abbott

“If we continue to replicate people who see the world like we do, we lose diversity of thought and people, and this is what contributes to systemic racism. We know that research proves time and time again that diverse teams outperform homogenous teams in creativity, in innovation and outcomes. So the more we talk about implicit bias and discuss how it influences our decision making, the more you bring out your unconscious bias and conscious.” – Lisette Martinez, Jefferson Health

“When you’re looking at coming up with solutions, or addressing problems or issues, having that different mindset is important because that person traveled a different path to get here. That’s going to add value and enhance what your team is doing because they won’t approach solutions and opportunities in the same way as everyone else. And I think when you start to have those discussions with managers, you kind of open their way of thinking where they kind of stop and say, ‘I really wasn’t thinking about it that way.'” – Ed Veloz, TD Bank

• Linda Bell, Senior Business Writer at DiversityInc

Panelists:

• Susan Stith, Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, Foundation and Civil Affairs at Cigna (No. 24,Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Michelle Linares, ERG Program Leader at Kaiser Permanente (a DiversityInc Hall of Fame Company)
• Dawn Verrinder, Senior Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability at ADP (No. 14, Top 50 Companies for Diversity)
• Christine Aspell, Managing Partner at KPMG (No. 11, Top 50 Companies for Diversity)

Since the pandemic, ERGs have proven to be a vital way for employees to network and engage with one another, maintaining a connection with hybrid workforces.

During this webinar, panelists discuss the importance of implementing workforce ERGs, the types of ERGs present at their companies and how leaders can keep their employees engaged and connected.

Highlights from the Session

“In terms of where we are today in today’s world, we’re flexible — today, I’m in the office, tomorrow I may be at home. We need to make sure that people have those connection points that we may have taken for granted three years ago. And I think mentors are more important now more than ever, because I think about individuals who are just starting their careers. ERGs are a way to connect, mentors are a way to stay connected. And so we need to make sure that we’re giving them those opportunities.” – Susan Stith, Cigna

“It’s not always about doing program plans, it’s also carving time for your own professional development. We’ve refreshed our structure to help reinforce that balance and support folks to be tailoring their development while also putting that passion into impact in a balanced way. This helps prevent burnout where we can but also diversify experience across the enterprise with different exposures that they do receive as a BRG leader.” – Michelle Linares, Kaiser Permanente

“There’s an opportunity here at ADP that allows for the networking and the BRG relationships for our associates to be able to learn about multiple facets of business — areas of business that might not be in their normal responsibility. It’s not just about the networking and leadership potential, but it’s also getting a broader understanding of the business as a whole.” – Dawn Verrinder, ADP

“We have a lot of people that start with us right out of college. So we make sure from an onboarding perspective that they’re alerted about the BRGs at that point, and then there’s routine follow up. A communication process is important. And who owns that process is key.” – Christine Aspell, KPMG

• Anita Ricketts, Head of Strategic Partnerships at DiversityInc

Panelists:

• Nicole Joison, Business Excellence Manager in the Diabetes Care Division at Abbott (No. 3 on the 2022 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)
• Janet Pack, Director of Talent Acquisition at AT&T (DiversityInc Hall of Fame company)
• Angel Rodriguez, Business Banking Sales Leader for Northeast Ohio at KeyBank (No. 18 on the 2022 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list)

DiversityInc’s latest webinar focuses on taking measures to maintain inclusivity for all employees in a multigenerational workforce.

The discussion covers the importance of benefit programs, employee resource groups and leadership strategies to reflect on a company’s diversity, as well as ensure employees feel a sense of belonging.

Highlights from the Session

“Whether you’re a new employee to Abbott or you are a young professional joining Abbott, and it’s your first company, the intention is to really make sure that you feel connected to the different networks that are within Abbott, but also making sure that you feel that you have the resources that you need to grow your career.” – Nicole Joison, Abbott

“Our people are really the fiber of what we do. When you talk about empowerment, we definitely embrace each other. We embrace those differences. It’s really important for us to make sure that as we’re working collectively together, that diversity of thought is coming together in those collaborative discussions to think about how we take the innovation or the next best thing, to the next level.” – Janet Pack, AT&T

“One of the ways that I do that is, and when it comes to leadership, is ask two questions. One is, what motivates you? And the second is, what are your goals? I feel like as a leader, my goal is to help fuel your motivation on a daily basis and ultimately work with you to help you achieve your goals.” – Angel Rodriguez, KeyBank

• Linda Bell, Senior Business Writer at DiversityInc

Panelists:

• Joshua Kennedy, Labor Management Partnership Trainer at Kaiser Permanente and Co-Chair of Kaiser Permanente’s Pride Business Resource Group
• William Miller, Audit Partner and Pride Advisor for KPMG
• Bruno Becker, Council, Global Co-Chair of Pride at Abbott

In our latest webinar, DiversityInc discussed the importance of uplifting the LGBTQ+ community not only in June for Pride Month, but throughout the whole year.

The panelists explored how leaders can create inclusive environments where all employees can thrive, especially LGBTQ+ employees, and how to ensure a sense of belonging in the workplace.

Highlights from the Session

“It is my pleasure to be in this space and to continue to open opportunities and doorways for us to break down that stigma, support our youth within our community, and to continue to provide support for our allies, so that they can continue to have the education in a safe space where they feel that questions can be asked.” – Joshua Kennedy, Kaiser Permanente

“Succeeding here is all about what the experience is like at the firm, and how to make sure our underrepresented professionals have an incredibly consistent experience: That we’re engaging everyone, that everyone has that opportunity to shine, that everyone is getting the right opportunities on the right accounts and the right mentorship to really flourish at the firm.” – William Miller, KPMG

“This year, we have a campaign for Pride Month, it’s called ‘We Are Here’. And we try to talk a little bit about the LGBTQ community being everywhere and we try to show that allies are surrounded by LGBTQ people, if it’s family members, if it’s friends, if it’s colleagues. It’s important for them to be included in this discussion, especially because most of the leadership at Abbott and many companies is still not LGBTQ. So, we need allies to promote change.” – Bruno Becker, Abbott

Data from the AARP that shows two-thirds of individuals age 45-to-74 have experienced age-related discrimination in the workplace, despite evidence that older workers actually value their jobs the most.

On June 29th at 3PM EST, DiversityInc’s webinar series will tackle how to reach, hire and support older workers, and how to make the most of their valuable enthusiasm and experience.

Click Here to register for the webinar!

As you receive your annual report card as part of the Top 50 assessment process, you may have further questions about what it all means and what sort of insights your company should be looking to glean from the report card.

In this webinar, Dr. Chris Parker breaks down DiversityInc’s process and how to read and get the most from your report card.

Watch the full video below!

Find out how to get the most from your free report card with this guide from Dr. Chris Parker, our Director of Research and Data Analytics.

• David Rice, Managing Editor at DiversityInc

Panelists: 

• Lisette Martinez, Executive VP & Chief Diversity Officer at Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University
• Katie Talarico, Employee Benefits Manager at KeyBank
• J. Brent Pawlecki, Chief Health Officer at Wells Fargo
• Peggy Sczepanski, Global Wellbeing Program Manager at Dow

As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, DiversityInc’s latest webinar focuses on how mental health shows up in the workplace, and what companies can do to help their employees thrive.

The discussion dives into the expansion of mental health programs, battling stigmas around mental health, employee expectations regarding mental health benefits, creating cultures of compassion and more.

Watch the full session below!

Highlights from the Session

“We encourage our leaders to make this a consistent topic throughout the year, so that folks don’t get mixed messages that this is only available sometimes. You have the support and our department within diversity, equity and inclusion also participates to help make sure that folks utilize inclusion tactics within the conversation of mental health. How we do inclusion tactics to really help build belonging and having that feeling of being valued in the workplace is a great coupling of how we can partner with our folks within our wellbeing department.” –Lissette Martinez, Jefferson Health

“I feel like employees are more open to sharing their stories, their authentic journeys. That helps break down the stigma and creates that safe space for others to do that when they hear their colleagues being open to sharing that. We have similar safe circles that talk about mental wellness and other topics, but more and more I’m seeing that. I think it creates a healthy dialogue and culture that helps break down that stigma.” -Katie Talarico, KeyBank 

“It’s extremely helpful to see a leader who has come through to a better place so that those who are struggling recognize that if that can happen to a leader, then it’s okay for me to be able to come out and then seek the care because they are modeling what we want for others. Leaders are looked up to, even if one doesn’t think that that’s the realm where they should be leading, people are still seeing them in a leadership role, even in other aspects of life too.” – J Brent Pawlecki, Wells Fargo

“Around the mental health space, we’re really looking at what are the right questions to ask? What are those vetted, subjective well-being questionnaires that we can use to help inform the mental health of our population overall? We’ve done some and we’re not done exploring what’s the right mix, what can we learn outside of specific claims data, and those kinds of things to understand the mental health of our population.” – Peggy Sczepanski, Dow