IABC Chicago had the opportunity to sit down with Take a Bow award winner Tamara Fletcher, director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, at CDW. Tamara along with ROC Group were instrumental in bringing the Belonging. IT Matters video campaign to life.
CDW and ROC Group are the first winners of the Take a Bow award. Tune in on Monday, Nov. 8 when IABC Chicago hosts its first learning session of 2021-22. Tamara Fletcher and Victor Villanueva, managing director of the ROC Group, will share more about their award-winning campaign. Sign up today!
Please take a moment to learn more about this award-winner campaign. Feel free to contact Tamara with additional questions.
What sparked a need for the Belonging. IT Matters campaign?
“CDW was embarking on its first official and formal DEI strategy in 2019. Our coworkers were very familiar with our business resource groups (BRG) but coworkers needed to know and see more. The next year, the pandemic hit and the George Floyd murder happened. It was a pivotal moment for us to engage our coworkers. We wanted to do it in an innovative way. We decided creating videos that told coworkers DEI stories was the right communication outlet.”
Give us a snapshot of what the Belonging. IT Matters video series is about.
“There are four videos in the series. The first one was telling our coworkers’ stories. We asked them to bring their whole selves to work and be honest about their personal experiences. The second video was about allyship and helping coworkers understand how they can support each other. The third video was about our BRGs and how that experience enhances how coworkers feel they belong. The last video is a work in progress but will provide an executive lens on belonging. While each one has a different focus, they all carry a powerful message.”
How did you vet candidates for the series?
“The DEI team publishes an inclusion newsletter. We added a blurb in the newsletter ‘advertising’ for coworkers who were interested in sharing their personal DEI stories. We were careful to ensure we had a good representation of coworkers, and provided many platforms to tell their stories, in case some were not comfortable being on video.”
How has Belonging. IT Matters been received by senior leaders?
“Our leaders have fully embraced both the concept of belonging as well as the video campaign. They’re very interested in our coworkers DEI journeys and want to ensure that CDW has a culture where everyone feels they can be unique and belong.”
How has Belonging. IT Matters changed you personally and professionally?
“Personally, I lead by example, and I tell my story. I tell it because I want people to feel safe. Professionally, I remind myself that every person has a story and that I should listen to hear what it is.”