An Inclusive Culture is Paramount to Company Success

When I joined Cengage in 2012, I quickly learned that nothing short of transformation would be needed to move the company forward. But taking a 100-year-old company into the digital era would not be easy. To accomplish this, we needed to build a stronger culture to fuel more innovation.

Fostering a solid culture—creating an open and honest environment—is critical to gaining trust and ensuring that employees at all levels feel comfortable voicing their ideas and opinions. At Cengage, radical transparency is a core value.

One way we encourage more voices to contribute is through our Employee Resource Groups. These voluntary, employee-led groups are organized around shared experiences or an affinity to help build a positive and supportive workplace. Our first such group was Cengage PRIDE, established in Spring 2018, which now has more than 200 members. Other groups include women in technology and employees of color.

These initiatives serve two important purposes. First, these groups foster a sense of community within the company through various events and activities. And second, the groups’ members are advocates who inform workplace policies and procedures to ensure all employees feel respected and comfortable.

These efforts are paying off. Last month, the Human Rights Campaign acknowledged Cengage in its Corporate Equality Index. The index is the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality.

Fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce has been central to our work to make college more affordable. I’m proud of the strides we have made as a company and look forward to working closely with our employees to grow our impact.