At UKG, we realize that solving today’s increasingly complex business problems will require all of us. To be successful, we will need new ideas, high levels of engagement and innovative solutions. We want to focus on creating an environment where every person at UKG feels like they are a part of something important and have a sense of belonging.
This is no small feat, but we are determined to help shape a world where everyone belongs, equity is a reality and impact is profound. Here are three ways we plan to do just that ... together.
1. Creating a culture of Belonging, Equity, and Impact
A critical area of focus for our team is how we uplift our communities through our Social Impact initiatives. This past year, we brought the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and Social Impact teams together with the intent of exponentially accelerating our impact. This pairing spurred an internal brand change and a team name update to Belonging, Equity, and Impact. It signifies our desire to create an "ecosystem of equity” culture (i.e. equity of representation, opportunity, well-being and compensation for all) within and outside of UKG and speaks to our intention to ensure that every employee has a great workplace experience. It also emphasizes our desire to impact lives across the globe through our initiatives and programs.
To further underscore our goal to build an equity-for-all environment, we have created an interactive report that chronicles how our belonging, equity and impact strategy and initiatives affected our employees, partners and communities.
2. Focusing on the lives that are being changed
We made the decision to go beyond what’s been done before to focus on the lives of those being touched by our Belonging, Equity, and Impact efforts at the heart of the story. Typical diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging reports provide a snapshot of their efforts, spotlighting what their programs have achieved over the past year. They are often designed to focus on statistics and data points.
In reimagining our report, we wanted to infuse it with real-life accounts of the people, organizations and communities that have been changed for the better.
"Each of us has a desire to feel that our work is meaningful and that the organizations we work for, no matter where we are in the world, can see the significance in our individual contributions."
Since ‘our purpose is people’ remains at the heart of what we do at UKG, our strategy, programs and initiatives around Belonging, Equity, and Impact are centered around elevating opportunity for our people, our customers and our communities by celebrating unique identities, perspectives, championing inclusive cultures and driving positive change around the world – for all. This year we wanted to bring the impact of our efforts to life by introducing you to The State of Belonging, Equity and Impact at UKG – Stories with Purpose. We know stories have the power to connect us, inspire us, and bring about real change. Stories are the threads that weave the fabric of our shared human experience, and by sharing these stories, we're inviting you to be a part of something greater.
The State of Belonging, Equity, and Impact is an interactive experience centered in a digital bookstore. Upon entering the bookstore, Chris Todd, chief executive officer at UKG, and I discuss our shared commitment for UKG to inspire our customers to join us on our journey to create a more equitable environment for all. In each book, readers can navigate through four story collections organized by our strategic pillars: Create, Enrich, Uplift and Succeed. Here is a glimpse into a few of the stories that demonstrate the countless ways our employees, partners and community members have been impacted:
- Enrich. These stories paint a picture of how we drive awareness, advance workplace inclusion and belonging and expand opportunities for all. One of our new annual programs is the Belonging, Equity, and Impact + ERG scholarship. It’s a program that embodies the spirit of our principles while supporting the dreams of deserving students worldwide. Through this initiative, we proudly provide financial assistance to eligible dependents of employee resource group members, helping them pursue higher education without the burden of expenses.
- Uplift. This collection features stories of partnership, support and how when we collectively drive positive, impactful change, we get one step closer to a future that is both inclusive and equitable for all. To expand and uplift others beyond the walls of UKG, we have partnered with Lean In to bring resources to all women across the globe through our sponsorship of the Lean In Network Leadership Development Program—a transformative, comprehensive 16-week program crafted with women in mind and highlights the untapped potential that often gets overlooked. This partnership creates lasting change and paves the way for a more equal and inclusive future.
3. Celebrating our individual uniqueness
Each of us has a desire to feel that our work is meaningful and that the organizations we work for, no matter where we are in the world, can see the significance in our individual contributions. What this boils down to is workplace environments where you are uniquely you, uniquely valued and uniquely empowered. We know that innovation happens when we celebrate unique identities and perspectives, champion inclusive cultures and drive positive change around the world.
We want to make UKG the greatest people company in the world and inspire greatness in every workplace, in every solution, in every interaction and in every person. To get there, we must always evolve, stay curious, keep learning and live our purpose every day as UKG transcends the standard for what it means to be a company where all individuals feel safe and respected, equally valued and confident that they belong. We will continue to drive this unique commitment into our global communities through our strategic DEI&B and Social Impact initiatives aimed at creating an ecosystem of equity for all.
Join me as we explore, learn, and get inspired by the power of stories and the transformative force of purpose.
