Affinity Groups and Networks at Premier
Actions
In response to recent racial tensions, Premier initiated small, intimate “Let’s Chat: Together in Dialogue” sessions.
These sessions were designed to provide a supportive, respectful forum for our employees to come together and share their thoughts and feelings about events in our world that may be stressful or troubling. Our facilitators were not trying to achieve any pre-determined conclusions or objectives, but simply to provide a space for employees to be heard. The sessions were limited to 10 participants to ensure the best environment for dialogue.
Outcomes
Thus far, we’ve held 22 sessions with close to 200 folks enrolled. In these sessions, it validated how vitally important it was for Premier to cultivate and support an environment in which our employees felt safe in expressing their authentic selves.
While Premier had two active employee resource groups (ERG’s) over the past few years, we were devoted to expanding that to better represent all segments of our population. Over the past several months, we have added seven additional ERG’s with over 250 involved employees. Each ERG has two co-leads and two executive sponsors (one of which is an Executive Team member).
Our employee-led ERG’s successfully foster and cultivate a diverse and inclusive workplace in which our employees have a sense of belonging based on shared characteristics, life experiences and interests. They also provide a wonderful opportunity for networking, connection and relationship building – which is a significant need now that we are all working remotely due to COVID.
Our ERG’s are focused on promoting awareness, learning, recognition and celebrating our diverse workforce. We are also finding them to be terrific opportunities for leadership and career development.
Quote
Improving the health of our communities is more than an ambitious goal; it’s our mission. Solving the complex challenges we face requires a greater diversity of thought, cross-cultural representation and engagement than ever. We know that a diversity of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds is a powerful way to unlock new ideas and better understand the needs of others. Our ability to lead the transformation of healthcare relies on the intellect, creativity and passion of all our employees, contractors, members and suppliers.
At Premier, we are committed to a workforce representing different generations, ethnicities, genders, races, orientations, cultures and life experiences. Our values, specifically Integrity and Focus on People, speak to our commitment to treat others fairly, equitably and consistently while affirming that respect for our differences creates our strength. Building a diverse and inclusive culture where our workforce can thrive, where all voices matter, and everyone has a chance to succeed is an extension of these values.