The Importance of Creating a Diverse, Inclusive Workplace

As we celebrate Black History Month, we reflect on the hardships many Americans face based on race, gender, sexuality, and faith. Though there have been many crucial milestones reached in recent history, from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the legalization of same sex marriage in 2015, the work is by no means over.

One of Clearent's core values is ”Be Yourself.” That is a simple enough idea, but in exploring what it really means we determined that we needed to do more. We must strive to get to a place of belonging for all our employees regardless of our differences. We are better together, blending unique ideas and perspectives to create one unified and beautiful whole.

With these important ideas in mind, Clearent formed the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in late 2020. This group's sole purpose is to celebrate the diversity that currently exists within the organization and to find ways to continually make Clearent a more diverse and inclusive place. Our ultimate goal for employees is to feel like they belong.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee's mission statement is this:

”To create a culture that fosters a sense of belonging through appreciation of diverse talents, skill sets, thoughts, and ideas.”

  The committee, formed of employees from all levels across Clearent and its owned software companies, has focused on three main areas to drive that mission:

• Attracting diverse talent through creative recruiting strategies
• Retaining diverse talent through an investment in employee development
• Dedication to community outreach opportunities

While these efforts are ongoing, there has already been notable success in key areas. Here are just a few of the ways our Diversity and Inclusion Committee has started making an impact on Clearent's culture:

• Tapping into more diverse talent pools to gain access to more varied candidates
• Getting involved in local community outreach initiatives focused on diverse groups, including working with local high schools to prepare the next generation for the realities of the workplace
• Highlighting the experiences of our employees from a variety of backgrounds
• Investing in team members at every level through a focus on developing career paths, taking CliftonStrengths assessments and participating in other personal growth opportunities which helps Clearent better understand employees as individuals
• Mandating Unconscious Bias training for all leaders within the organization
• Holding our managers accountable for diversity and inclusion efforts through the ”Embracing Diversity” performance metric

This committee is truly a passion project for many of the group members and we are excited to continue the mission into 2021 and beyond.The committee is always looking for new voices, and all Clearent employees are encouraged to participate.

Additionally, as part of the commitment to our ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts, we would love to hear your personal stories. Each member of the Clearent family has a unique perspective and background. Keeping in mind that February is Black History Month and March is Women's History Month, this is a perfect opportunity for us to highlight some of our individual contributors and learn how they drive our core values, the Diversity and Inclusion mission statement, and why these diverse voices are so valuable in creating a truly inclusive workplace. If you have a story to share, reach out to marketing@clearent.com and tell us more.