Our people are the driving force behind our company’s culture, and they are integral to the value we create for all stakeholders. One of our strategic priorities is to foster an environment where diversity is embraced, and co-workers are positioned to succeed. This requires providing tools and resources for people to fully develop in the organization, increasing opportunities for engagement, and endeavoring to recruit diverse teams to best serve our customers. Affinity groups and networks such as BRGs allow for mentoring, leadership, and networking opportunities, helping us to foster an inclusive environment for all co-workers.

In the summer of 2017, we surveyed our co-workers about forming a Business Resource Group
(BRG). This resulted in the forming of our BRG named Inclusion and Diversity Encourage Authentic Leadership, or IDEAL, which advances diversity and inclusion efforts at the company. The BRG is a co-worker run organization that provides learning, growth, and networking opportunities.

The first two years of our BRG were foundational, exploring and learning what would resonate and be impactful for co-workers and our organization. By 2020, we began to see the results of that preliminary work; that year saw co-worker participation in the BRG rise to 46% from 40% in 2019. Our BRG is supported internally by co-workers serving on committees to oversee membership, communication, and events. These committees provide co-workers with leadership and growth opportunities, as well as the opportunity to work with people from other areas of the organization. These committee positions turn over on a regular basis to extend these opportunities to as many co-workers as possible. 

Some notable events from our BRG in 2020:

• A guest speaker was invited to lead a conversation about how to foster an inclusive workplace, helping coworkers understand how they can deliver and receive messages across language, cultural, and communication-style barriers.
• “Power of 3” forums focused on women in the workplace, featuring female members of our Board of Directors discussing their career journeys and challenges they have faced.
• 15 BRG members were invited to attend TEMPO Milwaukee Virtual Leadership event – an evening with Gabrielle Union.
• Our BRG team created and shared content with all MGIC co-workers in observation of Black History Month and International Women’s Day, highlighting Black and women leaders and their accomplishments.

Our BRG not only offers a platform for people to share ideas and experiences around diversity and inclusion, it also connects co-workers to interesting events and timely books and articles, while offering mentorship and leadership opportunities.