Clear all

5 results found

reorder grid_view

Advancing Frontline Employees of Color

January 17, 2020

Employers of frontline talent face an unprecedented opportunity to advance racial equity as a source of competitive advantage. The United States is experiencing dramatic demographic shifts, its workforce is becoming increasingly racially diverse, and the nature of work is fundamentally changing due to automation. Approximately nine million of the country's 24 million frontline employees—entry-level employees who engage closely with customers—are people of color who represent a reservoir of talent, innovative ideas, and multicultural competency that are increasingly sources of competitive advantage.At a time when there are rising societal expectations for companies to embrace a more active role in society and lead with an ambitious corporate purpose, employers face an unprecedented opportunity to advance racial equity as a source of competitive advantage by intentionally finding ways to advance the careers and enhance the experience of employees of color.Advancing Frontline Employees of Color, written in partnership with PolicyLink, identifies 23 evidence-based practices for advancing racial equity and fostering working environments where all people feel valued and can thrive.

Financial Services and the Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity

April 1, 2019

Historically, financial institutions in the United States have not served people of color effectively or fairly. Even today, people of color have less access to credit, pay higher interest rates for loans, and are less likely to receive venture capital funding as compared to their White counterparts. Serving these markets effectively is not only a moral imperative, but also an economic opportunity to enhance a company's bottom line.A follow-up to The Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity, developed in partnership with PolicyLink, this report highlights specific action steps leading companies in the financial sector have taken to create business value by using credit, savings, and investment products to address the unique challenges faced by communities of color. The companies featured in this report—Citi, Oportun, OneUnited Bank, Prudential Financial, and Impact America Fund—have found competitive advantage through their strategies to serve consumers who have historically been excluded.

Health Care and the Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity

April 1, 2019

People of color in the United States experience poorer health and more premature, preventable mortality than their White counterparts. Although health care companies prioritize achieving health equity, their efforts often focus on disparities caused by poverty, education, and disability without explicitly addressing how structural racism significantly raises the risk of poor health for people of color. Corporate diversity and inclusion efforts, while helpful, are not sufficient to counter biases in clinical practice or access to health care. By better serving communities of color, health care companies can deliver better outcomes and strengthen their own economic performance.A follow-up to The Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity, developed in partnership with PolicyLink, this report focuses on actions taken by companies in the health care sector to create business value by addressing the unique challenges faced by communities of color. The companies featured in this report—ProMedica, Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group—have adopted several business strategies that improve health outcomes for people of color and create a competitive advantage through reduced costs, avoided readmissions, and greater member satisfaction.

The Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity

October 1, 2017

Corporate America is missing out on one of the biggest opportunities of our time for driving innovation and growth: creating business value by advancing racial equity.Developed in partnership with PolicyLink and funded by the Ford and W.K. Kellogg foundations, The Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity highlights examples from 12 leading companies such as Gap Inc., PayPal, and Cigna, who are driving innovation and growth by advancing racial equity.

An Opportunity to Address Menstrual Health and Gender Equity

May 1, 2016

Menstruation is a monthly challenge for billions of women and girls worldwide. On any given day, more than 800 million girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 are menstruating. Challenges with menstruation go beyond practical management to issues that affect the girl and her role in the community. While more governments, funders, and other actors are now addressing issues related to menstrual health, many existing efforts are disparate and siloed, and the field lacks the research needed to mobilize more organizations to get involved.This report examines the existing research linking menstrual health to broader outcomes around health, social norms, and education; describes the current state of the menstrual health field; and explores opportunities to better support women and girls.  Top TakeawaysThere has been increased momentum from donors, governments, and other private players to address problems related to menstrual health, but the focus to date has largely been on "hardware" (e.g., products and/or facilities). Few governments, corporations, and NGOs are looking at menstrual health as a systemic problem and thus are missing the opportunity to address the problems sustainably and at scale. There have been limited rigorous evaluations of menstrual health programming to understand what works and is replicable at scale.Evidence about the impact of poor menstrual health on other health, development, and empowerment outcomes is scant, not statistically significant, and largely inconclusive suggesting a need to invest in targeted research to mobilize targeted players in the field.Girls' experience with menstruation is inextricably linked to a broader set of changes affecting girls during puberty. The field needs to explore where menstruation can serve as an opportunity to access girls at a critical transition point in her life. With finite resources available to address issues facing adolescents, understanding the links between menstrual health and a broader set of norms can help to identify if there is an opportunity to influence a cross-cutting set of outcomes and set girls on a longer-term path to success.