How do you embrace diversity in the workplace? Based on my 20+ years of experience as a human resource professional, I’d say the key to success is making diversity a sustainable part of your culture.
At Level 3, we are a global technology company in every possible sense. We have approximately 13,000 employees located around the world, and provide services in more than 60 countries across 6 continents. The very nature of our business — connecting and protecting the networked world — is inherently global, facilitating the exchange of ideas from every corner of the globe.
Through diversity and inclusion, we help deepen the lives and work experience of our employees, enhance our innovation and creativity, and enrich the communities in which we live and work.
Level 3’s Veterans Employee Resource Group participated in a Memorial Day Parade.
Our network isn’t just physical fiber in the ground — it’s also the collective mind, viewpoints, and experiences of our global workforce. Everything we are and do is the result of the different cultures and backgrounds of our employees, customers, and suppliers, — our entire ecosystem.
When enterprises speak about diversity, the conversation often revolves around an end goal or an idea of what a company should look like.
However, diversity by its own definition is the state of being diverse; and includes a number of factors. In my mind, diversity isn’t a destination to reach. It’s a journey.
In the technology space, a demonstrated commitment to diversity can attract top talent and contribute to a business’s success.
Study after study reveal the benefits of a diverse workforce, ranging from increased productivity to enhanced innovation to a positive impact on the bottom line.
Holiday celebrations in Level 3’s Beijing, China, office.
The 2015 study, "Diversity Matters" from McKinsey & Company found companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity were more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. They also revealed companies in the bottom quartile in these dimensions are statistically less likely to achieve above-average returns. The diversity of thought drives innovative thinking, which in turn drives the business.
UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) underlined the value of diversity in 2001 when it adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and in December 2002, the UN General Assembly declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. They set out a framework to move the cultural conversation along; encourage companies and individuals to start the journey.
Level 3 used the UNESCO day as inspiration to launch a number of initiatives related to diversity and inclusion that leverage and highlight the kind of company we want to be. These programs help direct and encourage our employees to recognize and embody our core value of respect every day.
Level 3 hosted a Diwali festival at its headquarters location in Broomfield, Colorado.
Employee-Led Resource Groups: Building a Culture of Engagement
Level 3 has 9 employee resource groups (ERGs) that run the gamut from Level 3 Women to Millennial Minds to Predictive Analytics and Decision Science Professionals. Each global group provides professional development, networking, volunteer, and leadership opportunities, to employees at all levels in the organization. The self-selected and self-managed groups provide a team and a network for all employees.
Engaged and invested people are more satisfied with the company. We’ve found employees who participate in the diversity-focused programs score 3 to 11 percentage points higher than the rest of the employee base on employee engagement surveys.
Two examples of these groups include:
Mentoring
Various formal and informal mentoring programs are an important aspect of our diversity initiatives, and focus on helping employees work toward career goals, objectives, and to build leadership skills.
Mentor-RINGs is a specific program we started to help boost career progression of women at Level 3. The program is open to managers and individual contributors.
Each Ring consists of up to 10 participants and 2 mentors (1 male and 1 female at the Director and VP levels). Executive sponsors of the program and other leaders take part in panel discussions, which expose the participants to thought leadership and valuable conversation related to leadership topics.
Survey results found mentees increased their engagement and commitment to Level 3 by 71% after participating in the program.
LGBT Equality
A diverse culture provides the opportunity for all Level 3 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees and their colleagues to succeed, and opens the door to conversations around equality.
The LGBT ERG has been instrumental in helping Level 3 evolve into an employer of choice among groups seeking an inclusive work environment.
The group’s efforts helped Level 3 earn a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2016 Corporate Equality Index.
Give employees a voice and a platform, and meaningful changes occur.
Diversity and Inclusion Week
In addition to ongoing events and programs, Level 3 dedicates a week to global diversity and inclusion activities each year. Level 3’s Diversity and Inclusion week celebrates the company’s diverse cultures, and focuses on how every employee can be more inclusive. Daily activities are designed to educate, build awareness, and celebrate our differences.
This annual activity also offers a glimpse into Level 3 offices around the world through "Day in the Life" videos created and submitted by employees. Additionally, various panels of in-house and external experts explore topics like generational communication differences, and awareness of those living and working with both visible and invisible disabilities.
Level 3 released its first Diversity and Inclusion Report this year. The report illustrates Level 3’s culture of diversity, and makes me proud of my team and the company. We take steps each and every day to create a workforce that reflects our global company and mission; and an annual report is a great way to both celebrate and reflect on the results of our efforts.
We all benefit from different, broader perspectives. I hope this article has sparked a few ideas for you and your workforce. As I look at my company working to change the way the world communicates, a diverse and inclusive workforce is core to what we can offer our customers — and employees.
Endnotes
For more information about:
The "Diversity Matters" report, please visit http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters.
The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, please visit http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.
Level 3’s Diversity and Inclusion Report, please visit http://www.level3.com/~/media/files/careers/en_corp_diversityinclusionreport.pdf?la=en.
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