Page 28 - BusinessWest June 17, 2024

John Henderson says businesses increasingly want to create a culture where people feel valued.
Staff Photo
feel like they belong, they’ll be better employees and better people. I just want to enhance those communications and make DEI more transparent, both internally and externally.”
Welcomed, Valued, and Heard
Jackson Davis, who heads up the DEI program for MassMutual, said that organization’s strategy is focused on creating an environ- ment that is equitable and inclusive for its employees, customers, business partners, and the communities it serves.
“When it comes to our workforce, we strive to create teams that
reflect our customers and communities, fostering an envi- ronment where all employees are welcomed, valued, and heard,” Davis explained. “To do this, we’ve integrated DEI into all that we do, taking specific actions like monitoring and being transparent about our progress in increasing the overall diversity of our workforce, encouraging both a diverse candidate pool and interview panel for open posi- tions, and providing employee benefits and supports that will help us attract and retain a diverse workforce.”
These benefits include a variety of things, from eight employee business resource groups to holistic, flexible benefits that are designed to meet the diverse, evolving needs of employees. And that investment in DEI isn’t just the right thing to do, he added; it pays off in many ways from a business perspective.
“Having a diverse workforce is important because it brings together different perspectives, which in turn can help us solve problems faster, innovate with more success, and go above and beyond for our customers in order to deliver them the best possible experience,” Davis noted. “From a customer perspective, having a diverse and inclu-
sive workforce allows us to better understand and meet the needs of those we serve.”
Bob Belitz, president and CEO of Tighe & Bond (see related story on page 20), agreed, noting that the civil-engineering firm’s roster of projects is so broad and affects so many different com- munities and demographics that it’s important to have team with backgrounds and experiences that are equally varied.
“I think that makes a difference, and we’re really committed to that because of the project portfolio we have,” he said. “We’re also trying to expand the schools that we recruit from, expanding our reach to produce more talent.”
A company that wants to be truly diverse may approach its strategy through many goals, Polite said, from training employees to recognize and prevent unconscious bias in their actions and comments to using gender-neutral language in outward communi- cation, to making sure job postings and promotion opportunities
“Having a diverse workforce
is important because it brings together different perspectives, which in turn can help
us solve problems faster, innovate with more success, and go above and beyond for our customers in order to deliver them the best possible experience.”
JACKSON DAVIS
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28 JUNE 24, 2024
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