Doing Diversity, Doing it Right: Here’s How

Diversity matters. From the first affinity groups to the first African American female to lead a Fortune 500 company, diversity, inclusion and social responsibility are values the people of Xerox have lived for over five decades.

This top-down, down-top influence landed two of our leaders on the list of “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.” The Savoy Magazine Top 100 definitive list spotlights African-American executives, influencers and achievers who proactively impact corporate America. This list includes Xerox CEO Ursula Burns and Kevin Warren, president of our Commercial Business Group in Xerox Services.

Where diversity is concerned, policies matter. But more than policy, you need a philosophy of inclusion that both starts at the top and bubbles up from the bottom.  We offer seven proof points — these  articles that appeared on this blog over the past year:

Kevin Warren  

The Gift of Higher Education: Give it the Power to Make Black Lives Matter by Kevin Warren: Even the most disciplined students find the gift of higher education to be elusive. How can we change that?

 

Xerox’s ‘Wilson Rule’ Builds on Our Commitment to Diversity by Gregory Pings: Our diverse backgrounds and perspectives allow us to gain the benefit of different ways of looking at our business.

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Help and Jobs for U.S. Veterans  

Help and Jobs for U.S. Veterans by Paige Blankenship: This Xerox outreach team provides opportunities for veterans to pursue post-service dreams and find workplace success.

 

Mastering the Game of Change by Kevin Warren: Leading change means that you must challenge the “muscle memory” of “we’ve always done it that way.” Here’s how.

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#MarriageEquality  

Diversity and Inclusion: It’s in our DNA by Hervé Tessler: Commenting on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality, Hervé points out  that, at Xerox, diversity is not viewed as a mandate, but as an essential part of our corporate culture.

 

Advice for Women Who Are Starting Their Careers by Gregory Pings: Advice from 11 successful businesswomen: How to succeed in business by working hard, smart and bold.

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Your Employees Can Help Create LGBT Equality at Work by John Curtis: LGBT inclusion and workplace equality helps companies achieve their business goals and bottom line results.

 

Top-Down, Down-Top Diversity

You want this kind of recognition, but it doesn’t come by simply flipping a switch. More than “hiring diverse employees,” companies must create an environment that helps their people develop and use their own creativity.

Xerox has turned what began as good citizenship, into a competitive advantage. In four simple bullets, here’s how a company embraces diversity:

  • Ruling by hierarchy of imagination when people of all ages, gender, races and backgrounds fill your ranks.
  • Thinking broadly, looking harder and casting a wider net attracts, retains and develops the best and the brightest talent.
  • Fostering a productive work environment by providing the resources and flexibility employees need to learn and succeed.
  • Diversity fuels innovation and an environment that is more creative, more collaborative, more dynamic, and more open to new ideas takes root.

We are certain of one more thing: Other examples abound. How has good citizenship played out in your organization?

Becky Dziedzic (pronounced “DEE-zik”) is communications director of Xerox’s Commercial Business group. Gregory Pings (not related the golf club guy) is manager of Content Marketing in Xerox’s Digital Marketing and Communications group. Between us, we have 39 years of supporting communications at Xerox — still young by any standard.

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4 Comments

  1. Fateh Ahmad September 13, 2017 -

    Hi,
    I wish to apply for the Xerox Technology Scholarship Program. Is the company still accepting applications for it?
    Fateh

    • Gregory Pings September 19, 2017 -

      Thank you for your inquiry about The Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship Program. We regret to inform you that this program has ended.

      Xerox is working on its strategic transformation the results of which will position the Company for future success. The Xerox Foundation was tasked to review and analyze the full portfolio of our programs and as a result, chose to do a complete reset of our corporate philanthropy platform. It is an opportunity for Xerox to create a philanthropic strategy that aligns with our current business priorities, geographic ties and people’s passions. We firmly believe in and remain committed to STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) where, for decades, we’ve implemented programs and supported organizations that place a number of young people, women and minorities on a STEM career path.

      We understand that this news will be disappointing and hope you can understand the task at hand.

      We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

  2. maureen reid July 17, 2018 -

    Please advise if there are/will be any scholarship opportunities for graduating high school students for the 2018-2019 school year. Thank you

    • Gregory Pings July 17, 2018 -

      Hi Maureen: As noted in the response above, the Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship Program has ended.

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