Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1313608
26 Worcester Business Journal F O C U S D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N I t's been quite a year. An unprecedented pandemic unleashed heartache across the globe, as lost lives, economic hardship and public health restrictions continue to reshape our daily existence. The 2020 headlines have also shined a light on places like Kenosha, WI, Minneapolis, and Louisville, cities on the front lines of systemic racism that exists in our country. At National Grid, we understand we need to do our part to combat this issue in the communities we serve, beginning with what goes on inside our business. That means making our company a more inclusive and diverse place to work. To that end, we spent time this summer examining our inclusion and diversity efforts and crafting an agenda in support of a movement that requires us to use our voices and take specific actions. As of March 31, approximately 23 percent of our 16,000 US employees identify as women and 20 percent identify as ethnically/racially diverse. In New England, a similar percentage of our employees are women and 14 percent identify as ethni- cally/racially diverse. All these numbers fall short of the representation of women and those who identify as ethically/racially diverse in our communities. We focus on creating an inclusive culture that supports our diverse workforce so everyone can contribute to meeting our customers' energy needs today, while cre- ating sustainable solutions for tomorrow. We have 11 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including the Alliance of Black Professionals, the Asian Leadership Association, and the Hispanic Professional Association. ERGs offer our employees the chance to build their careers and skills through networking, peer mentoring, and engagement with senior leadership. Our inclusion and diversity outreach are essential to our values and are well rec- ognized. National Grid has been named a "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality" by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, one of the "Best Employers for Diversity 2020" by Forbes, and a "Leading Disability Employer" by the National Organization on Disability. We are honored to receive these awards, but we recog- nize we have a great deal of work to do if we want to achieve our goal of making real change within our busi- ness and the communities we serve. In the coming weeks, we will be adding several new resources, including a Global Head of Inclusion and Diversity. We will be transparent in sharing our inclusion and diversity metrics and will also increase access to racial dialogue ses- sions and training and development for all employees. We will also conduct an analysis of our hiring practices and talent pipeline processes while making addi- tional diversity courses available online. These early steps will ultimately roll into a five-year inclusion and diversity ini- tiative, one that advances an inclusive culture at National Grid that better rep- resents the diverse neighborhoods in which we work and live. At National Grid we know a culture of inclusion and equality attracts top talent, fosters innovation and promotes shared goals critical to our overall health and wellbeing. We serve a critical role in society, one that comes with tremendous responsibility. Our success is dependent upon strengthening a culture where all employees can thrive and perform at their very best. Sincerely, NATIONAL GRID: Advancing a Culture of Inclusion and Equality W Marcy L. Reed President, Massachusetts and Executive Vice President of Policy & Social Impact Special Sponsored Section One Chance Leads to Change UMass Memorial is dedicated to improving the social, physical and financial health of the communities we serve. Oftentimes, these improvements start with a simple chance for change – a job that can help someone put food on their family's table, a career that can help them access affordable housing, a lifeline that offers them a new start. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, means that we're driven to hire individuals from some of the most disadvantaged areas of our community to ensure our workforce reflects the communities where we live. • We empower our Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources offices to guide our hiring strategies and programs. • We identify gateway positions where underserved people can begin a promising career path. • We partner with workforce development agencies to discover potential job candidates from at-risk populations. We do this because we believe one chance can change someone's life. To learn more about our Diversity and Inclusion efforts, visit: umassmemorial.org/diversityandinclusion. For career information, visit umassmemorial.org/careers.