Diversity: A Strategic Advantage
As a company whose success is rooted in the unique solutions we provide, diversity of thought is a strategic advantage—one that we’re not yet fully leveraging. Research shows that diversity enhances the core values that have defined our company since our founding, including innovation, quality, and collaboration.
Although we hold ourselves accountable to benchmarks that ensure progress, diversity is really about hiring someone who thinks “differently than I do” in an effort to generate stronger ideas. To put forward something different requires a variance in life experiences, which frequently emerge from contrasting backgrounds, be they economic, gender, race, ability, generational, or industry differentiation.
Unfortunately, human nature often causes hiring managers’ attraction to the spark of commonality, resulting in a lack of dissimilarities among team members that ultimately curbs innovation. That’s why we train our employees on the dangers of implicit bias so we can proactively combat these tendencies. We also actively recruit employees who bring a fresh perspective, participating in programs like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, which is designed to train transitioning service members on skills needed to succeed in the civilian workforce.
“Everyone at SSOE is great to work with. While working for previous employers, I was often reminded that I was different, mostly because I’m not originally from the U.S. and have an accent. That never happened to me here. It was refreshing to have all my team members truly accept me from the moment I started. They also never hesitate to share their experience or knowledge with me. With so many clients in various cultures around the world, SSOE has the ability to easily adapt—both internally and externally.”
“At SSOE, everyone has the same opportunities—regardless of age or gender—as long as they’re willing to work hard and be part of the team. Different perspectives are not only welcomed, they help us innovate. The inclusive culture here has allowed me to develop myself as a person and a professional. I also feel more confident in my abilities and self-assured overall. I also appreciate how SSOE is adapting to millennials, offering more flexibility in our work to remove barriers for employees.”
“The opportunities I’m given at SSOE continue to challenge my technical and innovative ambition. Despite being a woman in a male-dominated field, my gender has not hindered my development. In fact, SSOE has encouraged and promoted my growth from day one, continuously helping me build upon my technical and leadership skills. Our focus on diversity and inclusion ensures that we as an organization have the diversity of thought and experience needed to take on the global challenges ahead of us. We recognize our differences in a way that cultivates relationship building and continuous improvement so that we’re not only better for our clients, we’re better for each other and ourselves.”
