For any company looking to expand its customer
base in Massachusetts, understanding how to leverage diversity is a strategic
necessity. "Right now, the only demographic growth in Massachusetts is with the
immigrant population," says Fredi Shonkoff, senior vice president of corporate
relations for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. "We need to pay attention
to all the potential new members out there, and make sure that we are prepared
to serve them, and reach out to them."
The company is currently sponsoring cultural assessments, with the help of
focus groups of employees and potential customers, to understand how to improve
their marketing and service to emerging markets. "Our definition of diversity
is very broad," says Shonkoff. "We are looking at promoting primary diversity,
which consists of the things that you can see, such as race, age and gender. Then
there are the things you can't see, such as religion, sexual preference, the way
people think and operate. Our diversity initiative goes from working with our
physicians, to our suppliers and vendors, to our own employees. We try to encompass
all of this into a culture of inclusion."
Is diversity worth all the effort and expense? Karen Thompson-Yancey, director
of program management delivery in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' Information
Technology division, says an emphatic "yes." "A company with a commitment to diversity
is not only going to attract someone like me, it will also attract a diverse customer
base. I have worked with other top multinationals, but their commitment to diversity
was really just lip service. Being a part of a true diversity initiative, where
people are committed to making diversity be a part of the corporate culture, makes
this an exciting place, and I want to come to work every day. People can sniff
out what is real and what is not. That's why I stay here."
ALSO:
Creating a culture of inclusion
Survey: Diversity initiatives critical to job seekers
CORPORATE PROFILES
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Citizens Bank
New York Times Co.
Raytheon
TJX Companies, Inc.
This special advertising feature is sponsored by participating
advertisers and ran in edited form on September 14, 2003 in The Boston Globe Magazine
and The New York Times Magazine. It was written and reported by Jason Forsythe
and did not involve the reporting or editing staff of The Boston Globe or The
New York Times. © 2003 The Boston Globe.
