At Oracle, diversity and inclusion is more than an agenda item. It’s a mission that’s been put into action throughout the organization, from supporting employee resource groups (ERGs) and adding mandatory unconscious bias training as part of global new hire onboarding to receiving top awards recognition.
Here are the ways Oracle has demonstrated its commitment to diversity and inclusion in 2021:
This year marked the first time Oracle earned a spot on America’s Best Employers for Diversity list under Forbes. Since 2015, Forbes has collaborated with market research firm Statista to deliver anonymous surveys to employees at major organizations. The surveys request that they rate their company’s dedication to diversity of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation. Participants can also nominate companies outside of their own. The final list ranks workplaces that receive the most recommendations, in addition to those that scored well in board and executive diversity and proactive measures to build diverse cultures.
The Oracle Pride Employee Network (OPEN) was honored with a 2021 Outie Award from Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, a premier organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. The award recognized OPEN as an Employee Resource Group of the Year (ERG). OPEN received the honor for its proven efforts to build an inclusive culture, providing a safe workplace that supports LGBTQ+ employees and allies across the globe. Oracle was one of two winners in the ERG category and competed against 28 other companies.
Oracle announced its Human Capital Management (HCM) tool is broadening its options when specifying gender. Oracle employees now have the following options to identify themselves in our human resources system: male, female, nonbinary, or not disclosed. This is an important step in our continuing journey to ensure our tools properly reflect the lives of our employees and customers.
Oracle united with more than 100 other companies nationwide in signing the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Business Statement Opposing Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation, which states a clear opposition to legislation aimed at restricting the access of LGBTQ+ people in society. The HRC business statement asserts that bills singling out LGBTQ+ individuals harm employees, their families, and hinders employers from recruiting the most qualified candidates for jobs in states that pursue such laws.
“I was pleased that Oracle signed this statement—it’s important to the LGBTQ+ community and others that Oracle stands up for equality, especially for our disenfranchised community members,” said Cheryl Lander, Oracle Pride Employee Network (OPEN) global board cochair.
Oracle took its place in a powerful coalition of 500 worldwide companies committed to promoting the active inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. The effort is part of a global movement launched by The Valuable 500, a nonprofit that puts disability on the business leadership agenda. As a member of The Valuable 500, Oracle embraces specific goals, such as to add disability on the board agenda, make one firm commitment to action, and share its commitment to The Valuable 500 via social media and other channels.
#PurpleLightUp is a global movement that celebrates and draws attention to the economic contribution of the 386 million disabled employees around the world. In recognition of this annual event held on Friday, December 3, Oracle lit up 36 offices around the world to support disability inclusion.
Oracle is among the top companies to score 100% on the list of Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion by the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies make measurable and tangible actions that can achieve disability inclusion and equality. A score of 100 indicates that a company complies with the many leading global disability inclusion best practices featured in the DEI.
In 2021, Oracle earned a ranking on the Top Supporters of Historically Black College and University Engineering Schools list curated by Career Communications Group (CCG), a media company whose mission is to promote STEM diversity. CCG surveyed deans of HBCU engineering departments and members of Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) to compile the list.
Oracle has partnered with seven historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to not only build impactful relationships and develop a pipeline of technical talent, but to also provide the tools and resources for Black talent to thrive in the technology industry. Oracle involvement includes having Oracle leaders become executive sponsors to the universities’ engineering schools, awarding the Oracle “Inspire Your Future” scholarships, having an Oracle employee teach as a faculty in residence, and hosting a senior design expo, a hackathon, and guest lectures for professional development.
“By providing opportunities for the students, we want for the students to be empowered to share their ideas, and Oracle to be supportive of translating their ideas into the life skills necessary to contribute outside of the classroom and transition the skills like decision-making, time management, and resiliency from college to a career,” said Brittiney Jones, diversity and inclusion consultant at Oracle.
Oracle’s continued commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion in its company culture is reflected in the launch of its Executive Diversity Council, which brings together a cross section of executive leaders within Oracle to develop strategies that address important issues and cultivate connections with Oracle employees, customers, and future talent.
The formation of this council is meant to ensure alignment between diversity and inclusion initiatives and priorities of the business as well as accountability for progress and institutional change. The council also provides active and visible support to programs that sustain a culture of inclusion across the globe.
“By bringing together a cross section of executive leaders within Oracle to work on strategies to address important diversity and inclusion issues, we aim to build deeper connections with our employees, customers, and future talent,” said Traci Wade, global vice president of diversity and inclusion at Oracle.
Alex Chan is a writer for Oracle. She was previously a reporter for The Orange County Register and subsidiaries of the Los Angeles Times.
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