Creating Pathways for Women's Return to Work: Highlights from Pfizer & Women Back to Work Returnship Event 2023

A few members of our RLD Group Collective, Sue Trace, PCC, CALC, CPQC , Svetlana Parilova , & J. Webster recently attended the virtual 辉瑞 & WBW | Women Back to Work 2023 Returnship Event that was hosted and facilitated by our CEO & Co-Founder, Lisa ?? Duerre (she/her) .

Any time we have the opportunity to participate in an event and witness examples of organizations who exemplify what it means to live their values, we want to be sure that we celebrate values in action and highlight it for others.

We prepared a comprehensive recap of our observations, the values and culture that guided the entire experience, and some tangible ways to implement this type of commitment to culture inside your organization or team.

Whether you're curious about the high level summary and just want the bullet points, you want an in-depth summary of each panel and the individual speakers, or you want to watch the full-length recording of the event - we’ve got you covered.?

QUICK READ

WBW is redefining the way companies hire diverse talent and changing the narrative for women who paused their careers. They are the nation’s leading workforce re-entry program for tech talent.? Over the last 15 years, Women Back to Work has helped more than 10,000 women return to work. Through mentorships, coaching, nurturing, and support programs, they have provided women with the confidence to make long lasting changes in their lives, financial independence and growth.

RLD Group partners with WBW to support and amplify their mission to create systemic pathways that facilitate the re-entry of women into the workforce. RLD Group and our CEO, Lisa Duerre are committed to creating experiences and opportunities for returners.

Why is this important?

• In the last three years, nearly 3 million women have left the workforce.
• Of these three million, women of color are most severely impacted.
• Women’s unpaid labor is globally worth 10.9 trillion dollars.

Pfizer showed us that culture is created by putting values into action and empowering their colleagues to show up as their authentic human selves.

Collectively, we left the event feeling invigorated and reminded us why by their approach to creating an equitable, supportive environment that encourages individuals to embrace their strengths and embrace challenges as an opportunity for growth.

HIGH-LEVEL TAKEAWAYS HIGHLIGHTING HOW CULTURE DRIVES PFIZER'S COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYEE AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE:

• Pfizer employees are motivated by the impact they make in the world, with stories of saving lives and serving rare disease patients.

• Pfizer values diversity and inclusion in their hiring process, and returners bring a unique perspective to the company.

• Pfizer's focus on innovation and collaboration is key to bringing life-saving medicines to patients and creating a great place to work.

• Pfizer is leading the way with a flexible and comprehensive benefits program focused on showing support for each of their colleagues in every different phase of life.

• Pfizer's targeted program "Women Inspiring Women" has been successful in increasing women's representation in senior roles, with all participants receiving increased responsibilities and many becoming site leaders.

• Pfizer's Women's Resource Group (PWR), strives to be the voice for women at Pfizer and promote an inclusive and global culture that embraces gender diversity to unlock the full potential of women and drive business results.

Thank you to the teams at Women Back to Work, including founder, Sonu Ratra , Pfizer and RLD Group for empowering women to return to the workplace after a career gap in an authentic and sustainable way.?

Watch the replay here or keep reading for a high-level recap of the event with key moments and important takeaways.

PS: If your organization needs dynamic facilitation or large-scale meeting design support, or engaging leadership development services give RLD Group | Rebooting Leadership Drive a call. Send us a message at [email protected] or comment below and let’s discuss how RLD Group can help take your employee experience to the next level.

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DETAILED EVENT SUMMARY

Here’s a detailed event summary with some highlights?

After Lisa kicked off the event by emphasizing the purpose and importance of Returnership, introducing the speakers and welcoming the attendees, the event started with an insightful fireside chat between Lisa & Tanya Alcorn , Pfizer's Senior VP of Sterile Injectables and Biotech Operations.

Lisa’s first question, “Why is helping women return to work important to you, to Pfizer and to the community,” prompted Tanya to discuss the importance of Pfizer's Returner Program. In her view, career growth has not been linear, a sentiment that resonates strongly with us at RLD Group. We often emphasize that a strength-based leadership approach unlocks and empowers the uniqueness and individual journey of each leader.

Lisa & Tanya both stressed the significance of mentorship, sponsors, and allies in our careers, encouraging us to invest time in building impactful relationships and reminded us to lean into discomfort, as it often signifies a moment of great career development.

Lisa added that often, differing emotions can manifest in similar ways and to consider that if the butterflies in your stomach are actually from excitement that’s disguised as nervousness, it may prevent you from taking action towards something that really excites you.

Tanya wasn’t shy about addressing that discomfort and its role in career advancement. Those knots in your stomach before a big career decision? Tanya shared that it’s in those moments that we often experience the most growth. She adamantly advocated for uncompromisable self-care and the direct correlation it has on avoiding burnout. Tanya also shared how much she values working for an organization that views self-care as a necessary aspect of our work-life balance. Pfizer actively supports each of their colleagues through their health and wellness programs and values aligned leadership teams.

Lisa then introduced us to Jennifer Weaver (Director of Business Operations at Pfizer), the Moderator of “The Pfizer Way” Panel. We heard from Pfizer representatives Steve First (Vice President, Global Benefits at Pfizer), Kia Nicolas (Sr. Director, People Experience at Pfizer), and Stacie T. (Senior Director, Supply Chain Lead at Pfizer), about the benefits at Pfizer, highlighting the company's intentional efforts to create a great workplace for everyone, at every stage of their stage of life. It was heartening to learn about their progressive parental leave policies, their stance on diversity and inclusion, and their commitment to making Pfizer a great place to work for everyone, at every stage of life.

Steve First was proud to tell us why Pfizer has been named repeatedly as one of the best places to work all around the world (Pfizer - Accolades). He shared incredibly poignant advice on how men have an immense opportunity to take an intentional and active role in the career development of their female colleagues. He invites other men to challenge their assumptions about each other, and publicly and privately advocate for others to challenge their assumptions.?

Kia Nicolas talked to us about Pfizer's extensive and inclusive maternity leave for new parents and the impact it has on their success returning to work after welcoming a child. She also introduced us to the way that team members at Pfizer refer to one another intentionally as colleagues instead of employees, bosses, or managers. This creates a sense of equality and reinforces that everyone is safe to show up as their full selves. “Courage is one of Pfizer's values and I encourage you to be real, let people know who you are and have transparency. You don’t need to hide your story.”?

Stacie Tackett shared the importance of community and that new parents, as well as returners, and current colleagues who are parents, can benefit from Pfizer’s internal Parent Resource Groups. This community of parents who work at Pfizer to provide tools and resources creates a deeper sense of identity for each colleague and a culture of being appreciated for who they are and where they are on their career and life journey.

The discussion then segued into the enlightening Representation Matters Panel with Pfizer's DEI and Talent Management team, with Mona Babury, CDP, PMP , (Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader at Pfizer) (Moderator) & Sherry Cassano (SVP, Chief Talent Officer and People Experience Lead at Pfizer) .?

They explored how to shift our view from a linear path to a multi-experiential growth path, and emphasized on the need to not just be allies, but advocates, supporting each other's growth and opportunities.

"This program is a wonderful opportunity for us to welcome women back to the workforce who have made decisions to leave for whatever reason and now want to come back. It should not be difficult to return to the workforce, women should not be penalized for making choices to support their family or address other needs that they have so I personally am very passionate about this program." Sherry Cassano

"I love that we're building a program with intentionality to welcome women that have stepped out of the workforce or taken a break to care for their family or whatever the reason is. We're building that support network for them at Pfizer so we have an opportunity to increase representation of women and minorities in Leadership." Mona Babury

Next we heard from moderator Sonya Mehta (Vice President People Experience, Global Supply at Pfizer), and a two returners, Jill June (Vice President, Sterile Injectable & Biotech Operations at Pfizer) and Carolina Lapel Martinez (Director, Manufacturing Excellence at Pfizer) who shared their personal journeys, illustrating the power of resilience, intentionality, and having a reliable support system, both at home and professionally on the Panel “Returners at Pfizer.”

It was a candid discussion about equity, the need for advocates (not just allies), and driving towards gender equality. They emphasized being present, confident, and getting out of your own way when it comes to seeking out new opportunities after a career break. It was an incredibly empowering message from people who have first-hand experience with what it's actually like to be a “Returner” with Pfizer.

Jill June shared her experience of leaving her position at Pfizer for 3 years to care for a family member and reflected on the feelings of self-doubt that led to negative self-talk and believing she wouldn’t be successful returning to work at Pfizer because of her time away. She offered concise advice to “get out of your own way, lean in to your skills and experience, and get intentional about seeking out the opportunities that will take your career to the next level.”?

Carolina Martinez spoke about the importance of confidence and intentional boundaries to successfully return to work, create work-life balance and reconnect with your professional network. Seek help, mentorship, and guidance to help prepare you for success when you return to work was a key message: “Be Confident. Know that you’ve got this, and you can have it all. Be present - be at work when you’re at work, and be at home when you’re at home.”

During the final panel “Working for Pfizer,” we learned about Pfizer’s core values: Courage, Excellence, Equity, and Joy and what it’s like to be a valued colleague at Pfizer. Each panelist shared a piece of advice for potential returners embarking on their own journeys to return to work.

Ali Morrison , the Director of People Experience at Pfizer's Rocky Mount site, served as the moderator for the panel discussion on working at Pfizer. Ali introduced the panelists and facilitated an engaging discussion giving each panelist the opportunity to share their insights and experiences.

Jason Cassiday emphasized the importance of striving for excellence, embracing failure, and changing the conversation about the process of re-entering the workforce.

“We welcome courage and want to support people. We're not subscribing to the preconceived notion that it's really hard to enter back into the workforce. We also want people who will strive to do their best. It's okay to fail and find the support you need to come back at it from a different angle.” - Jason

Ke?ya Edmondson encouraged giving oneself grace, building new relationships, and embracing discomfort.

"Give yourself a little grace as you navigate these new learnings upon your return and take time to build new relationships." - Kenya

Kara Renai King, Ph.D., D.Sc. highlighted the need for self-kindness, vulnerability, and embracing mistakes as opportunities for growth.?

"Be kind to yourself because when you're stretched beyond your comfort zone, you're going to make mistakes. It's okay to be uncomfortable." - Kara

Arleen Gallagher , Director, Client Relationships, WBW, closed out the event by explaining the application process for the WBW + Pfizer Returnship program, and giving sound advice on how to use the resources offered by WBW.

• Participants interested in the returnship are encouraged to submit their interest via the "Women Back to Work" website or send their resume directly via email.
• The application process involves a typical screening procedure, including an assessment of candidates' skills, educational background, and professional history.
• The interview process is two-fold: an initial interview with the hiring manager and a subsequent panel interview with potential colleagues.
• Interviews can be conducted virtually or on-site.
• All positions offered require full-time, on-site commitment.
• Successful applicants will undergo a background check before finalizing the job offer.
• Once hired, "Women Back to Work" provides post-hire support, including workshops, to assist with the transition into the new role for the first six months.
• Weekly "power hour" sessions will be hosted to answer questions, assist with resume preparation, and prepare candidates for interviews.

For more information on WBW services, the Pfizer returnship, and the programs they offer returners and employers, visit the WBW website at https://womenbacktowork.org/.

Our partnership with WBW is an excellent example of what becomes possible when you leverage each other's strengths and the power of collaboration. If you’re interested in bringing in expert-level facilitation, executive coaching, leadership development programs or intentional event design to your organization, we encourage you to consider RLD Group to collaborate and create sustainable change to your leadership culture.

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ABOUT RLD GROUP

RLD Group is a boutique Leadership Consulting Firm focused on helping tech companies take culture transformation out of the clouds, banish burnout, and drive bottom-line results. With expertise on HR strategy and organizational design, developing leadership pipelines, talent retention, burnout prevention, and team performance in the complex hybrid-work world for Leaders in Tech, RLD Group has customized solutions for your unique organization.

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