#employeeresourcegroups

The Benefits of Hiring a Diverse Workforce

1. Why Workforce Diversity Matters? 2. What is Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace? 3. What is the Role of Employee Resource Groups?

By Dwayne Logan, Chairman of Aspire, and Jacqui Lucero, Pride Steering Committee Member 

Fidelity’s employee resource groups (ERGs) and special interest groups recently came together for the first time at the ERG Leader Summit in Boston. Representing associates with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, we had to take a moment to absorb the breadth of diversity that filled the room. It made us extremely proud to be Fidelity associates, knowing that our firm is actively building an inclusive culture. 

As ERGs, we’ve been traditionally focused on how we can contribute to the development and success of our members and individual groups (the Asian, Black, Latino and LGBT communities, as well as women, women in technology, veterans, employees with disabilities, caregivers, and young professionals). The conversations we had at the ERG Leader Summit opened our eyes to more, and our discussions centered on the term “intersectionality,” describing how many people identify with more than one minority group. 

Intersectionality isn’t something we create – it is who we are. We don’t live in silos, and many of us have experiences that overlap – whether you’re a black female veteran, an Asian-American gay man, or a parent who has a child with disabilities. Some of us also have the innate curiosity to learn about other cultures and life experiences. Naturally, for us, the next step in our evolution is to create even more diverse communities that span the ERGs. There is still much work to do to advocate for our specific communities but, if we intensify our collaboration, we will be able to draw strength from even more colorful perspectives that exist within Fidelity. 

Another important topic of discussion at the ERG Leader Summit was how our groups can deliver even greater business value to Fidelity. A consistent message throughout the event was that our time is now. Business units are looking to the ERGs to bring unique perspectives on how to meet the needs of our customers. At the same time, as subject-matter experts on diversity, ERG leaders and members shouldn’t just wait for businesses to seek us out. We have to become more proactive in offering our points of view to the business, and this will set Fidelity up for success in continuing to provide the best customer service in the industry. Diversity and inclusion is all about how we’re showing up for our customers, and our ERGs are poised to help Fidelity understand them even better. 

We left the summit with a renewed sense of purpose and a greater sense of community. This was a chance to learn from some of the most progressive minds within Fidelity, and an opportunity to become more than the sum of our parts. Our ERGs have more in common than we sometimes realize, and the ERG Leader Summit was a great step in coming together and creating even more value for our associates, and for Fidelity.