Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility

As an anti-bias organization, we approach diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) work with a goal to increase understanding of differences and their values to a respectful and civil society and to actively challenge bias, stereotypes and all forms of discrimination, thereby creating a community that supports all dimensions of human differences including culture, race, language, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, socioeconomic differences and other areas of social differences.

ANCOR’s DEIA work is grounded in a culture of curiosity and inclusion. ANCOR believes fostering a culture of curiosity in the workplace leads to greater innovation, collaboration, adaptability, and employee satisfaction, ultimately contributing to the long-term success of our association.

• Curiosity Promotes Innovation: Curiosity drives individuals to question the status quo, seek new solutions, and explore unconventional ideas. In a curious workplace culture, employees are more likely to innovate and develop creative solutions to problems.
• Curiosity Encourages Learning & Growth: Curiosity motivates individuals to continuously seek knowledge and skills. In a curious workplace environment, employees are more inclined to pursue learning opportunities, both formally and informally, leading to personal and professional growth.
• Curiosity Fosters Collaboration & Communication: Curiosity encourages open dialogue and the exchange of ideas. When employees are curious about each other’s perspectives and experiences, it promotes collaboration and effective communication among team members.
• Curiosity Increases Adaptability: In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, adaptability is crucial. A culture of curiosity encourages employees to adapt to new technologies, market trends, and business strategies, enabling organizations to stay agile and competitive.
• Curiosity Enhances Problem-Solving Abilities: Curiosity prompts individuals to ask questions and explore different angles when faced with challenges. A curious workforce is better equipped to tackle complex problems by approaching them with a sense of inquiry and creativity.
• Curiosity Boosts Employee Engagement & Satisfaction: Cultivating a culture of curiosity can lead to higher levels of employee engagement and job satisfaction. When employees feel encouraged to explore their interests and contribute their ideas, they are more likely to feel valued and fulfilled in their roles.

• Cultures of Belonging Help Reduce Workforce Shortages: Cultures of belonging contribute to reducing workforce shortages by enhancing retention, attracting diverse talent, fostering employee engagement, facilitating skills development, promoting collaboration, and lowering recruitment costs. At ANCOR, we understand that creating a sense of belonging for everyone in the workforce is crucial. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a valuable lesson – that a culture of belonging is essential to our personal and professional lives. As we navigate the “new normal,” we must prioritize building inclusive workplaces to ensure the success of our members and ourselves. This is because belonging in the workplace is crucial to ensuring that diverse talent feels valued and supported. When individuals who self-identify as members of historically marginalized groups or rising identities feel like they don’t belong, they are more likely to leave an organization. Thus, we believe that building inclusive workplaces offers us a comparative advantage as we work to combat the workforce shortage that directly impacts the quality of care our members can provide.
• Retention: Cultures of belonging foster an environment where employees feel valued, respected, and appreciated. When employees feel like they belong within an organization, they are more likely to stay with the company for a longer duration. This helps reduce turnover rates, which in turn mitigates the impact of workforce shortages.
• Talent Attraction: Companies with strong cultures of belonging tend to attract a diverse pool of talent. People are drawn to workplaces where they feel they can be they show-up as their authentic-selves. By creating an inclusive culture, organizations can tap into a wider talent pool, thus addressing workforce shortages more effectively.
• Skills Development & Training: Cultures of belonging prioritize employee development and training initiatives. Organizations that invest in their employees’ growth and skills enhancement not only empower their workforce but also ensure that they have the necessary competencies to address skill gaps and shortages within the organization.
• A Strong ANCOR Team Means Better Member Support: At ANCOR, diverse staff, committees, and leadership result in us being better equipped to meet the needs of our members. Diverse teams eliminate the standard approach to problem-solving as they naturally result in enhanced creativity and innovation. To come up with the next big idea, it’s necessary to think outside the box, and having a group of people from different backgrounds, with varying life experiences and unique perspectives, is the perfect recipe for developing a wide range of solutions to support our membership. Moreover, diverse teams are more effective at making decisions. They bring in broader perspectives and mitigate our hardwired biases that may prevent us from understanding the range of needs of our growing membership.
• Understanding Diverse Customer Needs: A diverse team brings together individuals with varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity enables team members to better understand and empathize with a wide range of member needs, preferences, and cultural nuances. When membership support representatives can relate to and appreciate the diversity of our members, they are better equipped to provide tailored solutions and personalized assistance.
• Cultural Sensitivity & Awareness: A diverse team is more likely to possess cultural sensitivity and awareness, which are essential for providing effective membership support in a multicultural and globalized world. Team members from different cultural backgrounds can help bridge communication gaps, navigate cross-cultural differences, and avoid misunderstandings that may arise during interactions with members from diverse backgrounds.
• Innovative Problem-Solving: Diversity fosters creativity and innovation by bringing together individuals with unique perspectives and problem-solving approaches. When faced with complex or challenging membership concerns, a diverse team is more likely to generate innovative solutions and think outside the box. Different viewpoints and experiences can lead to novel insights and strategies.
• Enhanced Team Collaboration: Inclusive environments that celebrate diversity promote collaboration and teamwork among employees. When team members respect and value each other’s differences, they are more inclined to collaborate closely, share knowledge and expertise, and support each other in delivering exceptional membership support. Collaboration within a diverse team can lead to improved efficiency, productivity, and overall membership satisfaction.
• Representation & Reliability: A diverse team of employees can better reflect the diversity of our members, increasing relatability and fostering a sense of inclusion among members. When customers feel understood and valued by the association, they are more likely to develop loyalty and trust in the brand.
• Stronger Public Policy Partnerships: ANCOR’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work is based on the Combahee River Collective’s theory of interlocking oppression, which can lead to intersectional collaboration. At ANCOR, we believe this framework allows us to not only hold the constructive center but also continue to build a stronger coalition of allies who can support the needs of our members.

We believe that who we hire shapes our culture. By adopting anti-bias practices, ANCOR has created a more equitable and inclusive workplace where individuals are judged based on their abilities and potential rather than on stereotypes or prejudices.

These testimonials from candidates for positions at ANCOR—including candidates who weren’t ultimately hired—illustrate the value of these practices.

“I really appreciated how transparent and seamless this entire process was. I’ll be certain to keep an eye out for future opportunities with you all.”

“Thank you for all the transparency and organization around this process!”

“I appreciate y’all’s flexibility and glad to hear ANCOR has a history of making accommodations in the interview process!”

“Thank you for being so encouraging while giving me the news. Regardless of the outcome, this has been a good experience for me. I do hope to hear in the future from ANCOR if there are any similar roles available.”

• Be present.
• Use “I” statements.
• Assess your safety and use discernment when making contributions.
• Confront, critique, and challenge your discomfort.
• Recognize and reflect upon the difference between “comfort” and “safety.”
• Use the word “pause” to acknowledge a real-time pain or offense suffered that you wish to discuss.
• Acknowledge and consider your privilege.
• Hear and honor the words of others.
• Center stories and actions around those with lived experiences.
• Acknowledge the emotional labor of marginalized voices and commit to conducting your own research and professional development practices.
• Actively reflect on your reactions before speaking.
• Step up when your voice adds to the discussion.
• Acknowledge that silence is a form of holding space.
• Acknowledge and consider who is not at the table.
• When possible, adopt the principle of “Nothing About Us, Without Us.”
• When this principle is not possible, speak up for those who are not represented at the table.
• Value qualitative and quantitative data and actively recognize that not all voices receive equal attention when it comes to academic and research-based funding.
• Maintain confidentiality and trust among the group.

The following are some of the books that members of ANCOR’s staff have read as part of our DEIA Book Club:

• Did That Just Happen?! Beyond “Diversity” – Creating Sustainable and Inclusive Organizations by Stephanie Pinder-Amaker & Lauren Wadsworth
• Feminism is For Everyone: Passionate Politics by bell hooks
• When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Cullors
• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
• Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
• Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
• Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
• Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar