Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1313608
Worcester Business Journal 25 The Hanover Insurance Company 440 Lincoln Street, Worcester, MA 01653 h a n o v e r . c o m 701-10546 (9/20) Join us. jobs.hanover.com WE ARE THE HANOVER: A company where people feel safe to be their authentic selves and empowered to offer their unique perspectives. D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N F O C U S C ompanies are at an inflection point – they can choose to keep the status quo, or they can look for opportunities to embrace cognitive and demographic diversity. For socially responsible companies, the latter is now an imperative, and simply the right thing to do for your employees. Inclusion and diversity must be key initiatives for organizations that want to excel in today's world. An inclusive culture is one where every employee feels valued and has the same opportunity to contribute and grow. Of course, fostering an inclusive culture doesn't happen by accident. It takes a strong commitment from leadership, consistent messaging and, equally as important, actively engaged employees. When companies foster environments that encourage and welcome the unique perspectives, experiences and insights of individuals of all backgrounds, they develop corporate cultures that can be embraced by employees and fuel innovation. For The Hanover, living our CARE values (collaboration, accountability, respect and empowerment) each day means differences are appreciated and inclusive behaviors at all levels of the organization are reinforced. Personally, I feel I have had a meaningful impact on our organization as a co-sponsor for our inclusion and diversity efforts through our I&D Council. We launched the council several years ago when we focused on reinforcing the value of diverse perspectives and backgrounds in all aspects of our business. We realized that when employees truly feel accepted and engaged, businesses can thrive. Now more than ever, we want to ensure our employees feel accepted, supported and empowered to be their authentic selves. In the past 24 months, we have focused on several initiatives that move us closer to our goals. We've recently launched a number of business resource groups that are employee-led and designed to support underrepresented populations and allies of those populations. Employees throughout our organization have participated in educational sessions focused on inclusive leadership and unconscious bias. We are facilitating purposeful conversations with employees on various topics, such as racial injustice. Flexible work arrangements have enabled our ability to attract and retain top talent and we've identified opportunities to help attract and promote talented women into leadership positions. Our CEO signed the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge, and we've been recognized as a best place to work for LGBTQ equality and for female representation on our board of directors. We are proud of our progress. But, this work will never be complete. We are energized as we continue to identify new ways to leverage the abilities and backgrounds of our entire workforce. As our organization looks toward the future, our focus remains on being an employer of choice, one that recognizes the unique perspectives each employee has to offer and reinforces its values in every aspect of its corporate culture. Ann K. Tripp, executive vice president, chief investment officer and treasurer at The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., and co-sponsor of The Hanover's inclusion and diversity efforts THE KEY TO A STRONG CORPORATE CULTURE: Building an Inclusive and Diverse Workforce "Inclusion and diversity must be key initiatives for organizations that want to excel in today's world." – Ann K. Tripp e Hanover Insurance Group W Ann K. Tripp Special Sponsored Section