Case Studies
Shaping Success: A Case Study of Redefining Culture with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a Growing Technology Company
The Problem:
A large software company worth $300 million, with more than three thousand workers in 10 different countries across North America, Latin America, and Europe, wanted to figure out how they are doing when it comes to treating everyone fairly within their company culture. They needed to set a starting point to see where they stand with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in their organization.
The Solution:
To address the challenge, the Tessi team collaborated closely with the company’s top leaders to make sure everyone understood and agreed on important diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) concepts. We conducted group coaching sessions to provide guidance and education. Additionally, we conducted a thorough assessment called the State of Inclusion©, which involved surveys, focus groups, and interviews with employees in four different languages. This assessment helped understand how employees viewed DE&I within the company. Furthermore, we conducted the State of Inclusion© organizational equity assessment, which examined the company’s policies and processes across nine internal departments to establish a baseline and measure the effectiveness of DE&I. We extensively reviewed workforce metrics and analytics related to DE&I as part of this effort.
The Impact
The executive workshops, assessment, and training workshops had a significant impact on the organization. They gained a clear understanding of where they stood in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) compared to other similar organizations. The senior executive leadership team fully supported and agreed on the DE&I journey, and together, they created a shared vision for DE&I. Employees became more enthusiastic about making important cultural changes within the organization. The assessment results played a vital role in shaping a global DE&I training program, establishing diverse recruiting certification for hiring managers, and developing the organization’s first DE&I strategic roadmap. To continue this ongoing journey, the organization even hired its first VP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Overall, these efforts have had a significant and positive impact on the organization’s DE&I initiatives.
Transforming Healthcare: A Case Study of Embracing Change through an Inclusive Centric Culture in a Clinical Enterprise
The Problem:
A well-known global healthcare technology company, generating revenues over $550 million, faced a challenge in understanding and evaluating their workforce’s cultural perspectives through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). With over three hundred specialized personnel in its Health division, the company’s senior executive team aimed to enhance and maximize the effectiveness of their DEI Council’s initiatives in creating a genuinely inclusive corporate environment. They sought strategic guidance to achieve these goals.
The Solution:
To address the challenge, the Tessi team took a comprehensive approach. We conducted structured focus groups and one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders, ensuring a deep understanding of the employees’ perspectives on the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) within the company. Additionally, we facilitated and provided guidance in strategic planning sessions for the DEI Council and subcommittees. Through these sessions, we successfully engaged and aligned important stakeholders, fostering collaboration and unity towards a progressive and impactful course of action. Our mentoring and facilitation helped empower the DEI Council and subcommittees to drive meaningful change within the organization.
The Impact
The collaboration with the Tessi team had a remarkable impact, leading to significant advancements in the organization’s DEI journey. By working together, executive perspectives were aligned, and data-driven decision-making was implemented, ensuring a strategic and informed approach. As a result, the DEI Council underwent a strategic restructuring, enhancing its operations and establishing a synergistic partnership with HR business partners. This collaboration resulted in the successful launch of an innovative mentorship and leadership development program. Specifically designed to cultivate a diverse talent pipeline for management positions, this program bolstered recruitment strategies to attract a more diverse and inclusive workforce. These initiatives collectively contributed to creating a stronger and more inclusive organizational culture, empowering employees, and driving positive change.
Building Success Through Diversity: A Case Study of a Real Estate Company's Strategic Integration of Equity and Inclusion for Competitive Advantage
The Problem:
A real estate investment company with a valuation of $10 billion recognized the importance of embarking on a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) journey but faced the challenge of not knowing how to begin. They sought a consulting partner to guide and kickstart their DEI initiatives.
The Solution:
After conducting thorough research and stakeholder interviews, Tessi devised a comprehensive roadmap to address the real estate investment company’s DEI needs. The roadmap included several key components: providing employee training, advising the newly established 12-person Inclusion Committee, and developing and implementing a companywide DEI strategy.
To enhance awareness and understanding of DE&I topics, Tessi facilitated over twenty training workshops targeting executives, managers, seasoned employees, and junior employees. These workshops focused on advancing knowledge of DE&I, recognizing and mitigating biases in the workplace, handling mistakes, and cultivating a mindset and adopting micro habits that promote inclusivity. Additionally, executive coaching was provided to senior leaders to support their personal growth in leading DE&I efforts.
Collaborating closely with the Inclusion Committee and DEI executive sponsors, Tessi played a pivotal role in creating a robust DEI strategy. This involved developing a curriculum for self-paced DEI learning journeys, allowing employees to engage in ongoing education and development.
Through this comprehensive approach, Tessi helped the real estate investment company lay a strong foundation for their DEI journey, empowering employees at all levels and driving meaningful change throughout the organization.
The Impact
Our solution had a significant impact on the company’s DE&I journey, resulting in notable outcomes. Firstly, the company gained a clear understanding of the subsequent steps required to advance their DE&I initiatives. Over a span of two years, the company achieved a remarkable 12% increase in workforce representation across all roles, demonstrating their commitment to fostering diversity.
Moreover, the company successfully developed a robust DEI strategy that seamlessly aligned with its overarching business strategy. As a result, the company began gaining recognition within its industry as an emerging leader in cultivating a diverse workforce, setting a positive example for others.
The positive impact extended to employee engagement as well. Survey scores related to the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusiveness efforts increased by an average of twenty points. This improvement signifies a significant boost in employees’ perception of the company’s commitment to DE&I and their overall satisfaction with the organization.
Overall, our solution not only resulted in tangible outcomes such as increased workforce diversity and improved engagement scores, but also positioned the company as a trailblazer in its industry, demonstrating its dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.
Embracing Diversity: A Case Study to Building an Inclusive Culture within a Professional Services Firm
The Problem:
A business consultancy, valued at $70 million, with a workforce of over 300+ practitioners, faced the challenge of enhancing and retaining its diverse talent pool. In pursuit of their multi-year diversity and inclusion strategic plan, the organization collaborated with Tessi to identify strategies for increasing their visibility in the market as an employer that embraces diversity. Additionally, they sought guidance on methods to effectively retain their underrepresented talent pool.
The Solution:
Tessi collaborated closely with the organization to create a comprehensive solution. We developed a robust affinity group strategy and playbook that outlined the internal process and approach for employees to form affinity groups, promoting a sense of belonging and inclusion. To ensure alignment and understanding, we conducted DEI workshops with the senior leadership team. These workshops covered essential diversity definitions and facilitated discussions on addressing unconscious and implicit biases, which can hinder the progress towards building inclusive cultures.
Working closely with the leadership, we designed and implemented three groundbreaking affinity groups specifically tailored for African American, Latinx, and LGBTQ employees. These affinity groups provided a supportive platform for employees to connect, share experiences, and foster a sense of community within the organization. By leveraging these affinity groups, the organization aimed to enhance inclusivity and celebrate the unique contributions and perspectives of its diverse workforce.
The Impact
The diversity workshops had a transformative impact on the organization, with the leadership team expressing gratitude for gaining a deeper understanding of the habits, language, and practices that perpetuated workplace disparities. As a result, the organization took significant steps to enhance internal policies and procedures, both formal and informal, to eliminate bias in processes such as recruiting and performance management. These improvements aimed to create a fair and inclusive environment for all employees.
Furthermore, the successful launch of three affinity groups played a crucial role in fostering inclusivity. These groups implemented impactful programming both internally and externally, allowing the organization to cultivate a brand that embraces diversity. As a result, there was a remarkable 55% increase in interest from diverse candidates seeking to work for the organization within the first year of implementing these initiatives.
Overall, the organization’s commitment to addressing biases, establishing affinity groups, and enhancing policies yielded tangible and positive outcomes. This case study exemplifies how proactive efforts to promote diversity and inclusion can not only transform workplace culture but also attract and engage a more diverse talent pool.
Inclusive Marketing Transformation: A Case Study Empowering a CRM Software Firm to Foster Diversity and Inclusion in its Daily Operations
The Problem:
A Fortune 200 organization faced a challenge in creating an inclusive marketing environment, lacking a dedicated center of excellence for inclusive marketing practices. The absence of proper training and tools hindered their ability to effectively incorporate inclusive principles into their marketing strategies.
The Solution:
To address the challenge, our team worked closely with the organization to design and develop an innovative inclusive marketing center of excellence. We provided comprehensive training and certification on inclusive marketing principles to the 300-person marketing team. Additionally, we offered specialized training on inclusive selling techniques and developed enablement tools to support inclusive reviews and provide advisory support throughout their work.
The Impact:
The implementation of the inclusive marketing center of excellence had a profound impact on the organization. Within a year, the company witnessed a significant 15% increase in representation at corporate events, demonstrating their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, the company received valuable feedback from prospective clients and beta users, recognizing and appreciating their inclusive practices. This positive response enhanced the organization’s reputation and helped them forge stronger connections with diverse audiences.
The certification and training provided to the marketing team empowered them to incorporate inclusive principles into their strategies, resulting in more thoughtful and inclusive marketing campaigns. The enablement tools and advisory support further facilitated the integration of inclusive practices throughout their work processes.
Overall, the creation of the inclusive marketing center of excellence, along with the training and tools provided, fostered a more inclusive marketing culture within the organization, positively impacting their events, client perception, and overall marketing effectiveness.
