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A voyage of discovery

June 17, 2020/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion d&i, diversity, diversity and inclusion, employee, employee resource, europe, european, group, inclusion, journey, knew, learn, learning, open, resource, role, role in inclusion, team, work, world /by kkilgarriff

A voyage of discovery

My inclusion journey at Vanguard began about three years ago when I was working in marketing. The European business was in the process of setting up a local branch of the employee resource group, Out Professional Engagement Network (OPEN), and one of my friends on my team, Alice, encouraged me to get involved. I jumped at the chance because, while I think of myself as forward-thinking and educated, I also knew there was so much more I could learn.

And my goodness, I have learnt a lot. I moved into Human Resources in 2018 to take up my current job as Learning and Development Manager for Europe in the U.K. and, in this role, I get to dive a lot deeper into the world of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). I’ve since helped to set up a group dedicated to mental health awareness, which has proven to be very timely, given where we are today. Additionally, I also chair our European Diversity and Inclusion Council, which helps to ensure all of our work on this topic is consistent.

It’s been a steep learning curve for me. But although I have picked up many new skills and D&I terminology, what I have really found is something I knew all along: that the world is a much better place if we are curious to learn about others and respectful of each other’s differences. That’s a mantra that I hope I have passed on to my children as well as those that I lead, both formally and informally.

Thinking about today’s unique circumstances, inclusion has never been more important. Often, it’s the small things that count. I’m fortunate to have a comfortable house and a lovely family to help me through lockdown, but I always try to remember that others may not be so lucky. So I’ve made a point of reaching out to people that I miss from the office who may be struggling. It only takes a few minutes to have a quick video exchange and it can brighten my day and, hopefully, theirs.

It’s also been an honour to be part of the team that has re-shaped Vanguard’s course for crew, Your Role in Inclusion, for a virtual world. It’s a great example of how combining different perspectives can create a better outcome.

By the time this is published, I will have facilitated the first pilot session alongside my friend Cathy, who is the chair of OPEN Europe and has put such a lot of positive energy into our D&I work in Europe. She deserves a lot of credit for role-modelling inclusion in her daily work.

I often muse that, with London being one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, D&I is a different challenge here compared with the U.S. The past couple of months have brought out the best in the UK population, but they have also reminded us that there is still tension lurking below the surface. We all have further to go on our D&I journey, and I’m looking forward to taking the next steps as I continue to work with our employee resource groups in Europe to roll out the global Your Role in Inclusion virtual sessions more broadly.

—James B.

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Managing it all while working from home

June 3, 2020/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion all amber, amber c, best practices, home, laura, laura s, members, panel, principal, shared, time, vanguard, virtual, virtual panel, wils, wils members, work, work from home, working, working from home /by fanwar

Managing it all while working from home

In the month of May, the Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS) crew resource group coordinated two internal webcasts focused on working from home featuring female leaders from across Vanguard. I had the opportunity to facilitate the first virtual panel discussion with Amber Czonstka, Principal of Institutional Large Market Sales, and Laura Symon Browne, Principal of Broker Dealer Strategic Sales, both of whom have worked from home offices for several years. These two fantastic leaders shared their insights and best practices with nearly 1,200 Vanguard crew members from around the globe and talked about how life and work are different now during the pandemic.

While I was nervous to facilitate an event with so many coworkers eager for advice (wifi don’t fail me now!), supporting WILS members is very important to me as a program lead for Vanguard’s retail division. I also know how challenging the shift to work from home has been for many, myself included.

Since mid-March, my husband and I have both been working from home. During the day, we barricade ourselves in our shared workspace – a spare bedroom in the attic. We feel very lucky that we have assistance during the day with our two-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, who get the run of the rest of the house. At first, my children hated us being home without having access to us all day. Now that we have a loose routine, we all look forward to lunch together and I can check in on them throughout the day without triggering a meltdown. I shared with the virtual panel attendees that it has been much harder for me to focus now that life isn’t “compartmentalized” into work and home. As I’m sitting in virtual meetings, I might be thinking about the laundry piling up. As I’m eating dinner with my family, I might be tempted to send a few work emails. The way that I’ve combatted the distraction is by taking a little extra time in the morning to do the house chores worrying me and making really strong to-do lists for the workday so that I know what I need to accomplish before I leave “the attic.”

Amber also talked to the panelists about the importance of “preserving the morning commute” and taking that time to get active or do something for yourself. This really resonated for me. When I begin my day by going for a long walk with the dog, I’m just much more grounded. I also find that I’m more productive if I get out of the sweatpants and put on a blouse and jeans at a minimum. It boosts my confidence, makes me feel like I am dressed for my day, and separates the week from the weekend.

Laura had great advice for those who are trying to maintain and deepen team connection remotely during this very challenging time. She emphasized how critical communication is when working from home, and shared that she supports her teams by encouraging cross-sharing about the frustrations, challenges and concerns everyone is facing.

Laura S. with her work from home companions

Amber C. in her home workspace

Speaking with the panelists personally following the event, here is what they had to share:

Amber C: As I talked with Laura, Danielle, and our WILS members, the power of community became clear – particularly during a time like this. It might feel like we are all facing different challenges, from caring for young children while working, to worrying about family members on the front lines, to professionally advocating for ourselves in a virtual working environment. But there are members of our tribe who are dealing with similar issues. Sharing best practices, ideas, and stories with each other and creating a safe space to be vulnerable makes us all stronger, healthier, and more productive. The WILS network matters now more than ever; we can learn so much from one another.

Laura S.: The opportunity to connect with my female and male colleagues across Vanguard who are facing many of the same issues was special. It’s a reassuring feeling that we have each other’s back during these times, and that we’ll all emerge stronger and more convicted in our passion for investors as a result of this.

I’m looking forward to this two part series expanding in the future as we all support one another during this unprecedented time!
—Danielle C.

Stay tuned for a recap on the second panel focused specifically on parents managing small children and work from the home. It features Theresa Westwood, a department head in Vanguard’s Financial Advisor Services, Tiffany Haley, Principal and Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Rashanda Perryman, Program Officer of Vanguard Community Stewardship, and Liz Waldron, Head of Digital and Marketing in Europe.

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VetsConnect celebrates Memorial Day

May 27, 2020/in Diversity & inclusion, In the community began, congress, covid-19, died, fallen, fallen soldiers, flags, meaning, memorial, military, national, new meaning, poppies, remembrance, remembrances, serving, soldiers, time, weekend, workers /by deepikasharma

VetsConnect celebrates Memorial Day

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”

The history of remembrances for fallen soldiers dates back to the post-Civil War era. Americans began to hold springtime tributes to fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers.

Throughout the years, these remembrances began to take on new meaning, and new traditions came about.

In 1920, the National American Legion adopted red poppies as their official symbol of remembrance.
In 1968, Congress moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend.
In 2000, Congress declared that a National Moment of Remembrance take place every Memorial Day at 3:00 p.m.

This year, Memorial Day will take on an even deeper meaning. Because of restrictions mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, public graveside gatherings and parades are canceled. Flags now fly half-staff every day to remember those who have died of COVID-19. Poppies are now virtual instead of given in person.

But the opportunity to mark Memorial Day is as important as ever. We encourage you to find ways to connect with friends, family, current military members, and veterans. Reflect on the sacrifice made by fallen warriors and their families. Discover new ways to encourage those who are serving and have served.

Virtual remembrances

Vanguard’s VetsConnect members recently shared their thoughts on the importance of Memorial Day, those they are remembering, and the importance of all who serve in these challenging times today.

“I think about how important it is to celebrate all those who’ve served in the military, those currently serving, and military families who serve, too. It reminds me that we should be taking a little time each day to say thank you to all of those in uniform. I would also like to honor those serving during these challenging times: The health care workers, the first responders, the postal service, the grocery store workers, and all those who work in jobs that support the food supply.” –Andrew B.

“My Dad and I put flags on all our family gravesites the weekend before Memorial Day—our own small tradition of remembrance. This year Memorial Day has new meaning, including all of the front-line workers who are taking risks every day.” –Shari G.

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Reduce the effects of social distancing by reinforcing Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

As individuals work remotely and adjust to workdays without in-person face time with peers and colleagues, we anticipate that we will all feel the effects of social distancing.

Like you, the Diversity & Inclusion team at Vanguard is experiencing this first hand, and we’ve been asking ourselves:

How can I feel a sense of belonging during this period of social distancing (which can feel very exclusive and disconnected)?
How do I stay connected to my work and my colleagues?

We have 6 suggestions to consider for living the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) principles with your teams.

1. Establish a positive mindset.

While you are setting the course aligned to your company’s mission and providing parameters for your team, it’s important to amplify a silver lining. You can acknowledge that adjusting to change can be difficult, but remember (and remind your team) that there are many advantages to working remotely.

Studies show that employees who telework report lower stress levels (granted, that may take a while in our current environment) and higher productivity. Promoting your and your colleagues’ health and safety should be top of mind.

2. Enable connections to happen.

The best way to ensure that connections happen between you and your team is to be authentic. Weave personal, relatable themes into your everyday interactions and encourage your team to do so, as well.

Creating belonging for individuals who are working on a partial or fully virtual team requires a leader to enable moments for employees to connect digitally on a personal level. Reserve and devote explicit social time each week for your entire team to gather, check-in, and continue to get to know each other “outside of work.” This ensures that the interpersonal connections that normally occur face-to-face each day will continue to happen in a virtual environment. It is those interpersonal, social connections that will help promote inclusion and minimize feelings of isolation.

Allow each team member to voice his or her feelings. This is important not only for more established team, but also for those who have a new member joining the team or company. A weekly video session can really make a difference. These can be distinct, separate events, or perhaps it can be time devoted during recurring staff meetings. Your team can decide what schedule works best.

3. Champion inclusion and flexibility.

Our current circumstances will most likely impact you and your team(s) differently. Some may have children, elders, or other family and friends who need different levels of attention and support during this time. Asking everyone to be candid about their unique situations can promote empathy among the team.

If possible, provide opportunities for your team to flex their work time as needed, so they can balance their work and life commitments. Depending upon the team’s work, role, and need for collaboration, encourage your team to leverage their diversity to help solve for any concerns. Remember and reinforce that the diversity on your team is an advantage, and share helpful resources when you find them. A few examples for working parents:

How to Work from Home with Kids Around

4. Recognize, recognize, recognize.

Consider how you may need to approach employee recognition differently. Some research suggests that remote workers feel they receive less recognition than non-remote workers. When we interact with our teams in person, we tend to share praise and compliments after meetings and when we pass each other in the halls. Remote workers have fewer chances to receive this kind of informal feedback. Find the opportunities, whether directly or on a team video chat, to recognize a job well done. This can go a long way toward building a sense of belonging, for both an individual and the team.

5. Make sure everyone on your team receives critical information.

Each day, pause to consider who on your team may not have the latest information they may need to do their work. Vanguard is a highly relational organization, and normally, a considerable amount of information exchange happens in person, before or after meetings. What normally occurs in a sidebar conversation in the hallway or at someone’s workstation will now likely occur on the telephone or via video conference. If your company is similar, invite everyone impacted to join by phone or chat so that everyone is given the same opportunity to learn and participate. If this isn’t possible, ensure there is a method to collect information that needs to be shared with everyone afterward.

6. Exercise emotional intelligence.

Consider the Emotional Intelligence (EQ) at play for you and members of your team. Mature emotional intelligence skills will put you and your team(s) at an advantage during this time, as well as when things return to normal. The strongest leaders understand how to help others manage their emotions, and how to use their own emotional awareness to navigate, build, and maintain positive relationships.

If EQ is a new concept to you, or you simply need to refresh your understanding and familiarity with it, spending a few minutes reading an overview of EQ will be helpful in integrating the DIB principles.

One example of EQ is how you acknowledge and control your own emotional response(s). You have the ability to control strong emotions by not acting on raw feelings or impulse. Instead, consider sitting with uncomfortable feelings and giving yourself time to decide how to alleviate or reduce them. This discipline develops self-confidence, and also allows time to reflect on potential solutions to a situation or problem.

Suppressing an immediate reaction based upon an initial, emotionally charged state helps lead to better decision-making outcomes. As everyone adjusts to our new work environment, you or your team may have periods of unexpected fear, anxiety, uncertainty, or frustration. Understanding how to control emotional responses will be important.

Another example of EQ is your ability to empathize with the individuals on your team, which will go a long way to developing deeper relationships with them. Empathy is the ability to recognize how and why people feel the way they do, and it allows us to anticipate how our actions and behaviors influence others. Empathy skills enhance our relationships, both with each other and ourselves. Ultimately, self-confidence increases, and a sense of belonging grows.

Most importantly, make sure you are hearing from all of the individuals on your team. Sometimes when working virtually, it can be easy for some employees to “hide” and not speak up, and you may have to do more in the way of initiating communication from them. Leverage tools, like going around the virtual room, to ensure you hear from everyone. Call someone’s name if they haven’t spoken up, and if this isn’t appropriate given your team dynamic(s), make sure you follow-up individually with anyone who exhibits this behavior or behavioral preference. If someone is quiet, we caution you not to assume that they are okay and feel connected to the team.

Thank you for devoting time and hard work to bring the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging principles to life! We wish you all the best in your journey.

—Rosaleena M. and Chris H.

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Vanguard celebrates MLK and Black History Month through service

In the U.S., crew members celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, legacy, and commitment to volunteerism by participating in community projects and activities throughout the winter. As Black History Month comes to an end, we have asked crew in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona to reflect and share their personal experiences attending Martin Luther King, Jr. Days of Service events. Here’s what they had to say:

For as long as I can remember, receiving quality education has been a priority in my household. I spent countless hours at my parents’ dining room table working on homework. Even now, my mom regularly tries to convince my 4-year-old son to work on spelling games at the same table. I feel very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to work with the West Philadelphia Action for Early Learning (AFEL) to help instill this imperative into the children of that community. The organization has two main goals: kindergarten readiness and reading on grade level by the third grade. My colleagues and I were able to support these goals by preparing resource bags for use in classrooms and reading to some of the children from local schools. Beyond the crew that were able to attend, crew from across Vanguard donated over 250 books to help children build their home libraries.

The specific group that supported AFEL is the Vanguard Black Professional Network (VBPN), which is committed to increasing engagement of black crew members and supporting the increased representation of black crew in leadership positions. Having the opportunity to serve with aligned crew in a community that may produce the future of Vanguard leadership was truly a humbling experience.

— Josh C.

VBPN sponsored two MLK Days of Service events in North Carolina at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Classroom Central. Second Harvest is responsible for supplying food throughout a 19-county region of North and South Carolina through a network of over 700 emergency pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and programs for low-income children and seniors. Crew members took time out of their Saturday to help inspect and sort donated food items for distribution to those partner agencies. Classroom Central equips students in need by collecting and distributing free school supplies to their teachers. Eleven Vanguard crew members assisted the organization by die cutting shapes and organizing the overflow of school supplies in the warehouse.

— Ebony B. and Sabrina B.

As a North Caroline VBPN site lead, giving back is extremely important to me. It’s such a rewarding and humbling experience. I’ve been with Vanguard for 21 years and our commitment to our community has never wavered. It is an amazing differentiator, and providing Days of Service so crew can work together to help others is so empowering. As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History Month, this resonates with me even more. His commitment to service and helping others was powerful and a major driver in the movement. To be able to not only serve, but honor him and his sacrifice, is humbling. To me, this is what our purpose is about; loving and helping others, and extending your hand to pull others up. That is what service is really about.

— Kenya H.

I am a helper by nature and have enjoyed volunteering for many organizations and causes since childhood. I recently had the opportunity to coordinate an MLK Days of Service volunteer event on behalf of VBPN at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). FMSC is a non-profit organization that assists in providing rice, soy, dried vegetables, and vitamins and minerals to needy children locally and internationally. Through donations and the efforts of volunteers, FMSC is able to ensure the food is packaged and expedited to hungry kids. On the day of our volunteer event, I was immediately impressed with the FMSC staff. We were warmly greeted and provided with instructions to prepare us for the day.

I appreciated that the FMSC staff emphasized a hygienic environment to ensure the children were not exposed to germs, and we watched a video that included detailed instructions for each food prep station. The staff kept the event light by teaching us fun chants to say when each prep station was able to completely fill a box with food packages. The staff shared with the volunteers that it costs $88.00 to feed one needy child, ALL year! As a parent of two teenagers, that resonated with me. On average, it costs my family more than $88.00 per week in meals. During our volunteer session, we were able to fill 192 boxes with food packages, which will feed 113 children in Thailand and provide 41,472 meals!

When I volunteer, I feel that I benefit from the experience in so many ways. I get to share in the experience with fellow crew and members in our community that also volunteer their time. Volunteering helps me appreciate how fortunate we are and reminds me that by simply providing our time, we are making an impact. A thank you note I once received after donating my time included an impactful quote that sums up my volunteer journey:

“Help one another. There’s no time like the present
and no present like your time.” —James Durst

— Veronica A.

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Vanguard shines as a top employer

In recent months, Vanguard has been recognized across multiple communities as an employer of choice. In this blog, the Diversity and Inclusion team is excited to highlight accolades that Vanguard is proud to have received.

College students praise Vanguard’s summer internship program

Vanguard is ranked No. 4 for 2020 Best Financial Services Internships among 40 companies in the industry, and Vanguard is ranked No. 40 for Best Overall Internship among 135 participating companies representing all industries. This contest is sponsored annually by Vault.com, and results are based solely upon feedback from the undergraduate students that participated in our 2019 summer internship program.

The scoring and final ranking is based upon several aspects of the summer internship program:

Career development.
Full-time employment prospects.
Compensation & benefits.
Diversity.
The interview process.
Overall quality of life.

Maintaining a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Corporate Equality Index Survey

This is the fifth consecutive year that Vanguard has been recognized in the 2020 Corporate Equality Index report. Published annually, the survey evaluates a company’s corporate policies, practices, and benefits with respect to LGBTQ+ employees. It’s the global standard for benchmarking corporate policies and practices for awareness and inclusion in the workplace.

The 2020 survey is divided into three key criteria areas of focus:

Nondiscrimination and inclusion policies across business entities.
Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families.
Support of an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility.

Chief Diversity Officer Crystal Hardie Langston shared, “At Vanguard, we believe our culture of inclusion is essential for each of us to fully thrive in our careers and provide superior value to our clients and communities. It’s a business imperative for Vanguard’s success in the future, and that’s why we are committed to providing a trusting, supportive environment in which all crew members worldwide feel a sense of belonging.”

Continuing to climb in IT

Vanguard rose to number three among large organizations (5,000 or more U.S. employees) in Computerworld’s 2019 survey of the Best Places to Work in IT, up from number nine last year and number ten in 2017.

The rankings are based on both employer and employee surveys. About half of the scoring was based on crew member responses, and the other half was based on a survey of several HR areas: career development, retention, benefits, diversity, and training.

“This is an incredible endorsement for our organization, for Vanguard, and for our clients,” said John Marcante, managing director for IT. “This recognition is a reflection of all the crew at Vanguard who work daily to make this place a special community.”

Vanguard embraces veterans

Vanguard was also recognized as a Top Veteran-Friendly Company in 2019 by U.S. Veterans Magazine (USVM). The magazine’s annual list evaluates a company’s policies, practices, and career recruitment efforts with respect to veterans. Its mission includes finding employment and other opportunities for transitioning service members, disabled veterans, spouses of veterans, and veteran business owners.

USVM selected about 200 names after polling hundreds of companies, including many on the Fortune 1000.

This year’s evaluation recognized excellence in three focus areas:

Sponsorship of veteran career events.
Career opportunities.
Success in seeking, hiring, and/or retaining veteran candidates.

“Together we work to establish a strong crew network of service-minded military veterans and friends,” said Sean Gardner, senior manager in Global Risk & Security and a member of the VetsConnect leadership team. “Our objective is to enrich the sense of community for crew with past military service and all others interested by providing engaging ways to connect, assisting new veteran crew to Vanguard, and reflecting the esprit de corps of our military heritage.”

Most admired in Arizona

Vanguard was among 50 chosen as one of Arizona’s 2019 Most Admired Companies by AZ Business Magazine and BestCompaniesAZ for the fifth straight year.

The selection was based on Scottsdale crew’s demonstrated distinction and excellence in multiple fields: client experience, innovation, leadership, social responsibility, and workplace culture.

“This is a significant accomplishment for Vanguard,” said Deborah Akinsipe, HR site lead for Arizona. “We could not have achieved this milestone without the commitment of our crew. Their dedication to client service and unwavering support to our local community are just some of the reasons we received this award.”

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The Future of Work

There are many anticipated advances that will change the way that we do business. Speculation and ideas about what will shape the future of investing can bring fear or excitement to the industry. Vanguard’s Crew Resource Group, Leadership and Engagement for Asian Professionals (LEAP), held a Q&A session with Vanguard’s CEO, Tim Buckley, and a Principal of the Institutional Investor Group, Jean Lu, on how cultural and technological differences make an impact on ongoing and future ways of working, both at Vanguard and within the industry.

(Left to right) John Ameriks, Jean Lu, and Tim Buckley discuss Future of Work

In the opening remarks, Jean Lu reminded everyone that approaching cultural differences can be an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Although difficult, addressing the uncomfortable aspect can provide a new perspective to everyday operations.

As one of the department heads of the Institutional Investor Group and a co-executive of LEAP, Jean discussed her experiences receiving difficult questions about diversity and shared that when we speak up, we become advocates for diversity and bring value and new ideas to light. She referenced a quote from Verna Myers, Vice President of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, who noted, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance,” to highlight the importance of what we can do to increase diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality in the workplace. Jean later added, “Diversity matters because embracing different cultures give us a competitive edge. It’s my fiduciary duty to share my perspective, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Tim Buckley also made it clear that diversity plays an integral part in the future of Vanguard. Tim elaborated, “If we listen to each other, we can learn from each other and build on ideas.” As an example of this type of collaboration, he described how Vanguard’s economics team brings together regional expertise from Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, and the U.S. to ensure our research and analysis presents a global picture of the trends investors need to know about.

One trend our economists have an eye on is how technology will impact the future of work. With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, Tim reminded the room of the distinction between tasks and jobs. Many rote, repetitive tasks can be automated, which means that jobs will rely more on human creativity and problem solving. At Vanguard, we’ll need both technical expertise and what our researchers call “uniquely human tasks” to serve clients well. Jean added that the “. . . need for tech acumen and expertise will only increase. Our ability to go deep is important.”

LEAP holds events throughout the year to participate in meaningful and impactful conversations. John Marcante, co-executive of LEAP, shared that LEAP impacts the workplace by “providing a network of support, development, and empowerment,” and urges that we “Get involved. Dig deep. Ask hard questions. It takes courage. That’s what leaders are made of. It’s about talking about intersectionality.”

—Bridget K.

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