Author: Lauren Herb Schudson, Market Development Manager, RSM US LLP
Back in the day, when faced with an employment or investment decision, I would look up the company and immediately go to its leadership and board of directors’ web pages. I wanted to know if they were walking the talk from their diversity pages and how many women and people of color were on their leadership teams.
But today, that method for assessing a company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts is out of step. The majority of employees now, largely Millennials, prefer a fresh perspective on DEI topics.
The newer generations of workers believe DEI refers mainly to a diversity of ideas, perspectives and insights, and the race/gender/sexual orientation numbers will rise naturally. Above all, they are seeking inclusive and supportive cultures at the places they work and support. The younger cohorts want a sense of community and to feel they belong, which requires employers to provide ample opportunities for engagement, transparency, and authenticity.
Creating an Engaging Culture
When Millennials talk about inclusion, they are focused on subjective measures, such as whether an organization offers ALL people the opportunity to network, share ideas, and contribute to innovation. So how does a company express its welcoming, innovative culture and demonstrate a commitment to those subjective topics without citing analytics?
The firm I work with, RSM US LLP (“RSM”), has been remarkably successful in this area. In fact, MAPLE Co-Founder and President Stephen Armstrong said, “RSM is clearly doing it right. I was inspired by your employees’ passion and the sense of community and fellowship they promote throughout the firm.”
I agree RSM is doing it right but there is always room for improvement. Case in point, the firm has a widely open door for any employee at any level to recommend innovative ideas whenever they see those opportunities (more on that later).
But taking a step back, let’s look at the foundation of RSM’s engaging culture. It begins with a well-defined focus on what the organization believes in. RSM is an audit, tax and consulting firm, and the leading firm serving the middle market. For many years, we’ve provided our clients with “the power of being understood.” Everyone in the organization, through all levels and positions, believes in it, and works every day to make it a reality – not only for our clients, but for one another.
Supporting and giving structure to the power of being understood are the firm’s 5 C’s (characteristics of a first-choice advisor): We are caring, curious, collaborative, courageous, critical thinkers. These behaviors, along with our core values of respect, integrity, teamwork, excellence and stewardship, help enable others to feel understood.
Inside the firm, we promote a “power of being you” culture where each of us can bring our authentic selves to work and serve as a leader every day. Understanding is at the core of our brand, and it starts by understanding our people and their unique talents and aspirations.
"We know that when people are understood and included, they feel a sense of acceptance and belonging," says Paul Short, partner and leader of RSM's Orange County office. "It builds trust and leads to strong relationships while empowering people with the confidence to achieve their best."
RSM fosters its inclusive environment through training programs, collaborative summits, 12 employee network groups, and other resources that facilitate transparent dialogues and inclusive thinking. Together, these strategies empower us to develop global leadership, embrace cultural differences, raise intercultural competencies, improve workforce productivity and exceed the expectations of our clients. Our differences fuel our insights.
Examples of RSM’s Inclusive Community
For seven years and counting, we have hosted our annual CDI Summit, attended by hundreds of key leaders from across the United States and Canada. Positive reinforcement of an inclusive environment is the tone at the top of our organization. According to Tracey Walker, our national culture, diversity and inclusion leader, “If you don’t have leaders who are authentic in their behavior, efforts for inclusion won’t resonate at the workforce level.”
Our firm’s CEO holds regular “Courageous Conversation” webinars with all employees and invites them to share their voice and ideas for enabling RSM’s future success. “I always look forward to listening to the diverse perspectives and learning from the different points of view that are shared during this candid exchange,” says Brian Becker, managing partner and CEO with RSM US LLP.
RSM has committed four professionals to serve as CEO Action for Racial Equity Fellows. These professionals work alongside fellows from other firms to identify, develop and promote scalable and sustainable public policies and corporate engagement strategies that advance racial equity and improve societal wellbeing. This is the second class of professionals we’ve committed to this important work.
We provide resources to our employees and clients for engaging as allies in matters relating to race. People who think of themselves as allies benefit because they have more frequent and effective conversations with others. This has very important social, institutional and organizational impact.
The firm recently launched the RSM Excellence Academy, a multi-year early identification professional development and skill-building program for underrepresented students majoring in accounting, business technology and related fields.
Our diversity report shares the intricate details of our initiatives, our progress and the next steps on our path toward greater diversity, equity and inclusion. (And if you’re a person who still likes to see the stats, we include those as well.)
We believe anyone with a big idea, or a different perspective, can drive transformative change. Innovation has been and always will be a key element of our firm’s culture. Employees can submit new ideas through a variety of programs and contests, which not only helps us provide the latest tools and concepts to our clients, but encourages camaraderie, collaboration and learning.
Perhaps most important and unique are our 12 employee-led employee network groups (ENGs) mentioned previously, which bring together people with diverse experiences and similar interests. They are a critical component of what makes RSM an equitable and inclusive firm where diverse talent excels. We created this grassroots movement to advance culture and connectivity while creating spaces for people to belong. ENGs facilitate communication, provide education and serve as a source of community for their members. We feature all of them on our website, with information and videos about their purpose. The groups consist of:
AACE (African American and Canadian Excellence)
Abilities
Alumni
Family First
Generations
¡Hola!
InspirAsian
Interfaith
Multicultural
Pride
STAR (Stewardship and Teamwork for the Advancement and Retention of women)
VALOR (Veterans and Allies Leading OutReach)
Bringing It Home to Our Communities
Granted, many companies have affinity groups similar to RSM’s ENGs, but our firm really shines when we involve ENG members in activities and events with our clients and communities. These members become ambassadors who share our inclusive culture with other stakeholders.
For instance, when RSM’s Orange County office held an open house to showcase its innovative office features, we highlighted all 12 of our local ENGs at the event. Each group had its own space to promote their unique perspectives and discuss with guests how their team interpreted the “Disruption” theme of the event.
“Our employee network groups are passionate about sharing their cultures and interests to increase understanding of the power of diversity,” Paul explained. “By the same token, RSM also believes strongly in innovation. So I wanted to blend both concepts at our event by asking the ENGs to express their understanding of how “disruption” enables innovative ideas to surface.”
The external involvement of our ENGs demonstrates RSM’s DEI priorities, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from our communities. We continue to encourage team members to get involved, knowing that their engagement strengthens our overall ability to deliver for our clients and employees.
I believe that by placing the highest priority on developing an inclusive culture, all organizations can drive meaningful change, create a more equitable future and ultimately escalate their business success. Thankfully, leaders are increasingly recognizing that DEI is a critical component of the business ecosystem.
Each day we make intentional choices to create an environment where inclusion thrives. The work required to provide a first-choice workplace culture and create long-lasting change in our society will continue—strengthening our firm and elevating our professionals.
It is inspiring to know we each have a role in incorporating the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion into our professional and personal spaces, relationships, and communities. By now you might be wondering who I am, or how my role enables me to speak about DEI at my firm. Demonstrating that RSM encourages all our voices to be heard, I write this even though I’m a newbie in the grand scheme of this global company. I’m not a partner, accountant or CDI director, but I am still a leader – because we all lead, authentically, from where we are.
The author is a market development manager in RSM’s West region. For more information about RSM, please visit www.rsmus.com.
Photo Credit: Tony Lattimore Photography