Month: March 2024

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Gen Blog |People & Impact

Inclusion isn’t just a box to check off. For me, inclusion is a central point of focus every day, and my team continues to work on blending it into everything we do at Gen. Inclusion is (and should always be) woven into our culture. And though we’re a global company, it doesn’t just come naturally. We still work at it. Strategize around it, purposefully.

Our four-pillar DEI strategy is at the heart of our mission. These include:

Measurement and accountabilityFostering an inclusive environmentDiversifying our workforceDevelopment and retention

These efforts drive our mission to attract, retain and develop talent by providing meaningful opportunities within our diverse teams. So far, we’ve found success in more inclusive and diverse teams – success in innovation, creativity and, more importantly, wellness (wellness being physical, emotional and financial).

Fiscal Year 2023 ended on a good note. But we’ve still got work to do. Here is how Gen netted out in FY23:

30% Of our leadership team are women32% Of our global team members are women15% Of our team members identified as underrepresented minorities6% Of our U.S. team were Black

I’m glad to say that our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed — Newsweek recently recognized Gen as

One of America’s Greatest Workplaces for WomenAnd one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity

That’s something we appreciate and celebrate.

As we continue to grow and build #TeamGen, we’ll continue to evolve our representation strategy, too (I look forward to sharing more on that). Below I’ll dig into a couple of things happening internally and externally, how we’re fostering a culture of belonging and why I think Gen is truly a great workplace.

Sharing Common Differences: Internal Workings

Our employee resource groups – which we call “Communities@Gen” – help us bring our global team members and allies together for events and initiatives, learning journeys, mentoring, volunteering opportunities and more. It’s a way for us to feel close to each other, even when we’re far. Share commonalities and differences with people who are like ourselves and those who are eager to learn. It’s how we make new friends. Introduce cultural understanding. How we have fun. It’s a chance for us to be ourselves (which can be a breath of fresh air in the corporate world).

Beginning in FY24, each community receives a dedicated budget from our Giving@Gen program to donate to an eligible cause of their choice. Communities also partner with Giving@Gen throughout the year to offer volunteering and giving opportunities for all employees, such as raising funds for organizations like SAATHI, Outhouse, Sapling and many, many more.

Amplifying Our Impact: External Efforts 

We work with several high-impact nonprofits to accelerate our inclusion work. With our nonprofit partner, Disability:IN, Gen held an all-company event during World Autism Month, highlighting the challenges of sensory overload for neurodiverse individuals and helped people understand how they can better support themselves or team members who may have a disability.

As part of our efforts to build a pipeline of diverse talent, Gen continues to partner with programs that empower women in tech. Czechitas, based in the Czech Republic, operates a diverse range of programs to help train and upskill professional women looking to enter tech careers. The nonprofit also helps connect its graduates to partner companies hiring in the IT field. In 2023, our partnership supported eight events, including Czechitas’ Digital Academies, educating more than 227 people.

Women4Cyber seeks to close the gender gap in cybersecurity through awareness and mentoring programs for women. Our contribution of $150,000 per year for three years will add content to Women4Cyber’s Academy, offer mentorships with Gen employees and contribute to the expansion of new chapters.

We also collaborate with nonprofits to provide Cyber Safety resources to higher-risk and diverse communities. As an example, Gen partners with The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Together we created the Guide to Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People. This free digital resource helps queer youth navigate the digital world.

As a global brand providing safety for the first digital generation, we get how incorporating diverse voices gets us further, faster. And I’m personally excited to lead the charge on the DE&I front and see how Gen continues to grow in the coming years.

Originally published by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

To mark International Women’s Day, JAWS (Jazz Association of Women Supporters), the affinity forum created to promote the advancement and impact of women globally in the innovative biotechnology industry, hosted Jenn Harper, the founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics for a fireside chat. This inspirational event focused on Ms. Harper’s personal journey, her sustainable, socially conscious beauty brand and her mission to support Indigenous youth. 

At Jazz, we are highly committed to creating a work environment where people can be their authentic selves and where we ensure our people practices promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Jazz efforts to support women are an ongoing commitment and our Corporate Sustainability and Social Impact strategy is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through our aspirational goals and initiatives, we seek to achieve gender parity globally at the Executive Director and above leadership level to foster increased gender representation in leadership roles. Below is a snapshot of our latest activities to demonstrate gender diversity and our support of women in the workforce.

Renée Galá named President and Chief Operating OfficerInspiring Inclusion Video MessageLiz Henderson named Sr. Vice President Technical Operations Jazz Italy Signs Code for Responsible Businesses in Support of MotherhoodNeena Patil, Chief Legal Officer featured in PharmaVoice discussing her views on leadership, ESG and healthcareHeidi Manna, Chief People Officer speaks to the importance of company culture and JazzRemixFrance Gender Equality Index and Jazz Pharmaceuticals Ethical Standards

My organization has been creating special volunteering experiences for companies for 20 years, but in all that time, we had never done one of our own. We create programs for companies that engage their employees in volunteering for nonprofits using their professional skills, or “skills-based volunteering.” In our programs, corporate employees use their skills and expertise to address nonprofits’ internal capacity challenges so that they can focus on the important work of delivering their missions.

We have long touted the benefits of our programs, and when we tried it, we found it was all true. It was fun and rewarding, and we even learned new skills. But one thing surprised us. We had no idea that it would be a powerful team-building exercise.

It is well documented that team building improves employee engagement and morale, but many of us cringe when our companies announce a team escape room or virtual Jeopardy. Still, employers know that team building helps employees feel more engaged and connected, and employees appreciate team building, at least in the abstract. Team building needs a reboot, and my team and I have struck on an innovative solution to the teambuilding rut that so many companies are in.

Skills-based volunteering does not involve painting schools or working in a soup kitchen, though those are valuable. It involves professionals using their skills and expertise in areas like strategy, finance, marketing or human resources to support a nonprofit’s organizational challenge, freeing up time so that they can focus on their missions. They are valuable for nonprofits and can be special for volunteers, making them such great team-building experiences. It is rewarding to give back to society; it feels even better when you leverage the skills and expertise you have developed over a lifetime.

In our skills-based volunteering experience, we worked with America Needs You, an NYC-based nonprofit that serves low-income, first-generation college students; and my team shared that they felt they had worked in unity and purpose with one another during the event. They witnessed their coworkers using skills in ways they had never seen before, and they learned new things about each other, like their lived experiences and personal motivations. They left with a sense of common ground with their coworkers, and that feeling stayed with us after the event.

We learned a few things that we believe contributed to a successful skills-based volunteering team-building experience. Let’s take a look at them.

Try for live and in-person experiences.

We held our volunteer team-building exercise during our annual in-person planning retreat. It gave us a welcome break from the intellectual work that we were doing, and the connections we built with each other and with the nonprofits we supported were deeper. Virtual team building is still an option and, in our experience, can be meaningful and impactful, but when possible, in person is best.

Work with current partners.

We worked with a nonprofit with which we had a strong relationship. This meant we could dive right into the work together. If you partner with a new nonprofit, consider ways to build trust early, like carving out time for a get-to-know-you or giving them the podium to inspire your team by sharing their passion for their work.

Curate the experience.

Intentionally match your employees’ skills to the nonprofit’s needs. This will require thoughtful pre-work to understand the nonprofit’s priorities and challenges, and you will also need a clear understanding of your team’s talents. There are two main approaches to skill-matching. You can group employees by skills—e.g., marketing professionals with a nonprofit seeking a brand refresh.

Another approach is to group people by seniority. We supported first-generation college students on the job hunt. We paired them with both senior and junior members of our team, so while mentoring the fellows, we also developed relationships across our organization.

Know that there will be challenges.

Because skills-based volunteering team building needs to be tightly coordinated, it can present some challenges. For one thing, you most likely need dedicated staff or an external organization, like ours, to manage the entire process. Hiccups can arise, too. Sometimes, nonprofits or their staff may drop out at the last minute. People can get sick or have emergencies, and that can’t be helped, so you should be prepared to rework your volunteer matches in a pinch.

Whether a company is ready to consider skills-based volunteering for teambuilding, the principles that drive success can make any teambuilding experience more authentic. Being in person is best when possible. Working with current organizations, partners or vendors can propel success. Dedicating time to closely curating the experience can pay off in a more authentic fit for your team and deeper impact, creating lasting memories.

On my team, we talked about our skills-based volunteering experience long afterward. To me, that is a sign of team-building success.

Follow Leila Saad on LinkedIn.

For more social impact content, follow Common Impact on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter. Ready to learn more about skills-based volunteering? Contact us.

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About Common Impact 

Common Impact is a national nonprofit that fosters meaningful partnerships between purpose-driven Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits worldwide to propel social good. Since 2000, Common Impact has generated over 205,000 hours of skills-based volunteering and $40 million in resources. Common Impact is dedicated to helping nonprofits expand their capacity, improve efficiency, and deliver on their mission with customized and impactful projects through corporate partnerships. Learn more about Common Impact’s services, impact, and clients.

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Media Contact

Elizabeth Cross, Obviouslee Marketing 
common-impact@obviouslee.com

Baker Tilly’s robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy charges teams to integrate DEI across business functions, developing goals that meet the needs of their team members, clients and communities.

Recently, an event at Baker Tilly’s Chicago offices brought together Baker Tilly professionals with the Chicago Urban League and Business Leadership Council to further this inclusive work via a panel discussion and meet and greet. The evening highlighted collaborative opportunities to engage with and support minority business enterprises (MBE) and women businesses enterprises (WBE) across the country.

“We were excited to discuss how our work supporting minority and women-owned businesses is an integral part of our firm strategy and goes to our commitment to serving historically under resourced communities by leveraging the power of our people,” said Assurance Partner Rose Ann Abraham.

Former Mayor of Gary, Indiana, and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, Karen Freeman Wilson said, “When I worked with Baker Tilly during my tenure as mayor of Gary, Indiana, I did not have to mandate that they come with a diverse team,” she said. “They showed up to a diverse community with a diverse team, and that is what matters to the citizens.”

Making connections and facilitating access to capital

During the panel discussion, Baker Tilly team members shared collaboration success stories and equitable business development efforts.

Consulting Manager Monique Caston, on Baker Tilly’s Public Sector Advisory team, helps forge connections between businesses. “The Federal government often has requirements that mandate MBE participation so it’s important to seek out minority business enterprises that are reflective of the community,” she said. “However, it also requires understanding the scope of work and what the technical needs are.”

Matt Paschall, Program Manager for DevelUP, Baker Tilly’s program that focuses on building an equitable economic development ecosystem that empowers underrepresented stakeholders to thrive, encouraged attendees to register for the Chicago DevelUP conference on April 17 and 18.

Senior Manager Nick Placek, on Baker Tilly’s Development Advisory Services team, said “What many women and minority subcontractors struggle with is access to capital. Through DevelUP we have helped democratize access to capital for diverse developers and subcontractors.”

“As the focus on DEI continues to be a priority for public, private and non-profit institutions, it is imperative that Baker Tilly continue to lead the way by cultivating an ecosystem of diverse community partnerships, subcontractors, and clients, now, for tomorrow,” said Jonathan McGee, a senior consultant in Baker Tilly’s Development and Community Advisory team.

Learn more about Baker Tilly.

Originally published on Built From Scratch

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States experienced 28 weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion each in 2023. It’s a stark difference to the three separate billion-dollar weather disasters reported in 1980.

With both the frequency and amount of damage done from severe weather and climate events on the rise each year, it’s important to have a plan in place. March is the perfect time to begin preparing because it’s often in early spring when tornadoes, hail, high winds and flooding are most prevalent.

In a typical year, around 1,200 tornadoes will strike the U.S. Since tornadoes start from thunderstorms and develop quickly, being prepared for a potential strike is critical. There are many things you can do now that will help you get ready and remain safe ahead of tornado season:

Check your forecast regularlySign up for your community’s weather notificationsIdentify a safe room in your home or a nearby safe buildingCreate a plan for you and your family and practice

When a disaster strikes, The Home Depot Foundation stands ready to help. Each year, Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, builds thousands of disaster relief kits ahead of severe weather seasons. By preparing year-round, Team Depot and the Foundation’s nonprofit partners can respond immediately to help communities in need.

Learn more about The Home Depot Foundation’s commitment to supporting communities with natural disaster preparedness, short-term response and long-term recovery at HomeDepotFoundation.org.

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