Top 10 - Ethnicity Employee Networks - 2016
This category recognises the achievements of employee network groups established to work on race diversity within organisations.
Asian Pacific American Forum - GE (USA)
GE’s Asian Pacific American Forum consists of 19 hubs, 33 chapters, and over 10,000+ APA employees. APAF is committed to developing world-class leaders, overcoming gender bias and helping GE communities. Their initiative ‘Developing Health Globally’ has helped millions globally by upgrading the capabilities of rural district hospitals. In 2011, after Japan’s catastrophic tsunami, APAF mobilised its hubs to raise money for disaster relief.
Embrace Network - Barclays (Global)
The Embrace Network is business-led and dedicated to championing the multiculturalism agenda at Barclays. There is unconscious bias training for all staff, with all MDs/Directors attending and interviewers, and recruitment processes address factors disproportionally impacting BAME candidates. Embrace has made a massive impact, upping the BAME intern hires by 823% in 5 years and ensuring a ‘lifecycle mentoring’ approach with senior management engagement.
Ethnic Minority Network - NELFT (UK)
Providing community and mental health services across NE London and parts of Essex, NELFT is the first trust in the NHS to develop an Ethnic Minority Strategy, addressing lack of diversity in senior management. Real progress has been made: nine assistant or associate directors from a BME background are now employed at band 8c out of 26 staff at this level. Diversity and inclusion is now embedded, impacting positively on the care provided to patients and service users.
Global Diversity Exchange - Ryerson (Canada)
The GDX is a ‘think and do’ tank based at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University. It identifies and amplifies links between prosperity, diversity and migration, anchoring these in policy, research and practice. Its programmes include Hire Immigrants, to further employment of high and low-skilled immigrants, and DiverseCity OnBoard, which equips diverse candidates to take their place on the boards of not-for-profit and public institutions in the largest cities in Canada.
Indigenous Employee Network - Chevron (Australia)
Chevron Australia is committed to providing Aboriginal employment and business opportunities. They sponsors events including those to highlight the contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ cultures have made to society. Boola Moort (“many people” in Nyoongar language), is their employee network dedicated to promoting Aboriginal culture through events, presentations and internal publications such as an Intranet page to inform employees of the Network Mission and Vision, upcoming events and networking opportunities.
International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) (USA)
For almost two decades ICAP has been a joint programme sponsored in part by the Aspen Institute/Univ. of Denver/Ford Foundation whose goal is to mentor mid-level international affairs professionals from diverse disadvantaged groups to reach senior executive positions in government, international institutions and NGOs. Today, the ICAP Alumni Network consists of over 400 professionals who have become ambassadors, heads of NGOs, key Presidential political appointees, senior policy makers.
Multicultural Network - Hogan Lovells (UK)
Hogan Lovells’ Multicultural Network aims to imbed a culture of inclusion, regardless of ethnicity, faith or culture, and to foster mutual respect while supporting effective engagement with diverse, global clients. The percentage of their BAME candidates accepting training contracts increased from 11% in 2008/9 to 17% in 2013/14. The Network's activities include volunteering and hosting events /workshops for the local community, and initiatives relating to culture, ethnicity and faith.
Native American Network - Chevron (USA)
In 2002, Chevron employees of Native American origin started the Native American Network. Among many initiatives, they host a Native American Film Festival in six major Chevron locations annually. Outreach activities include the education of elementary school children of Native American descent about their heritage. NAN members lead a Chevron recruiting team annually to the national American Indian Science and Engineering Society conference to recruit Native American STEM students.
South Asia Pharmaceutical Council (Asia)
The South Asian Pharmaceutical Council helps people of South Asian origin to network and mentor each other and communicate with people of all ethnicities within the pharma industry, promoting an inclusive working environment all levels. Membership is open to all, regardless of difference, and SAPC aims to combine its scientific and social knowledge to support important healthcare initiatives in South Asia.
Writers of Color Network (USA)
This proactive network connects a variety of media professionals and editors with writers of color, to promote the diversification of the media landscape to include the voices of those often excluded. Their aim is "to create more visibility for writers of color, to ease their access to publications, and to build a platform that is both easy for editors to use and accurately represents the writers".