Inclusive Environment at Ciena
Challenge
A sense of belonging is a desired outcome of our People Promise. To achieve that, we aim to create an environment that is inclusive of everyone's voice and where everyone can be themselves without fear of discrimination or prejudice.
Through conversations, sometimes challenging or uncomfortable, we learn from each other and celebrate everyone’s uniqueness with support to and from the diverse groups of individuals within Ciena.
Action
Sponsored by our executive leadership team, we have four established ERGs at Ciena, each at different stages of maturity: Women@Ciena; Black and African Heritage; Pride@Ciena and Ciena Next! (aimed at our early in career and new graduate colleagues). They are all very well represented and have a strong and active ally network supporting them and their intersectionality.
These groups provide an excellent system to foster awareness, respect, and inclusion within each community and act as a resource to the rest of the organization. They are actively innovative in their approaches to solve challenges – for example, executing new communication ideas or automating involvement for new hires to Ciena.
Each group has a clear charter and VSEM (vision, strategy, execution and measurement) scorecard. They provide opportunities internally for employee development, education, recruitment, and business outreach while providing insights to regional markets, identifying new business opportunities, and enhancing our brand awareness.
Communications and events are a big part of building an inclusive environment. Recent highlights are our “Who wants to be an inclusive millionaire” gameshow and our Ciena Next! Olympics.
In addition to these resource groups, we also formed a global Inclusivity Council in March 2020, sponsored and led by two executives and comprised of a mix of people with diverse backgrounds from all levels of the organization to address specific D&I action areas.
Outcomes
Providing these psychological safe spaces for individuals has helped further evolve Ciena’s culture into a more inclusive organization and drive our ambition of being a place where everyone can belong. By connecting people who share common interests, goals, ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, and lifestyle and who are supported by a strong allyship – we allow the voices of all employees to be heard.
Our employee engagement and feeling of inclusion is high and helps drive stronger performance and business outcomes as well as retention and an individual’s intent to stay.
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All of our groups are an important asset to those who are part of the communities and the wider organization. I am proud of the effort and contributions of those involved and of all the allies who support the events and activities to make Ciena a place where everyone can feel they belong.