Rochester's Top Workplaces 2022: Employers cited for diversity efforts

We are proud to continue in 2022 an exciting addition made a year ago to the Rochester Top Workplaces awards program.

Diversity, equity and inclusion will increasingly become a competitive differentiator for recruitment and retention of employees, says Bob Helbig, director of media partnerships for Energage, which manages the annual Top Workplaces awards.

We here at the Democrat and Chronicle agree.

For the past few years, we've put significant energy into building new and sustained relationships with members of under-served communities in Greater Rochester. Monroe County is a far more diverse place than it was 50 years ago, and delivering good and relevant journalism means acknowledging that diversity and serving all local readers effectively moving forward.

2022 Rochester Top Workplaces: Complete list of all 61 winners

More: Here’s how Rochester's Top Workplaces were determined for 2022

“Organizations that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion are going to succeed in the long term,” said Kinsey Smith, a senior data analyst at Energage who developed the DEI survey. “Employees and job candidates are quick to spot mismatches between stated values and actions. Walking the talk is incredibly important. This award allows employees to feel confident that the winners have established practices to build sustainable DEI into the foundations of their organization.”

The goal

For a second year, Energage and the D&C sought to take a closer look at what companies are doing to encourage policies that support diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Selected companies were honored in association with the Top Workplaces program. The effort was an attempt to go beyond employees’ opinions of whether they felt their workplaces supported diversity. We looked at what companies are actually doing in practice.

The process

Energage sent a questionnaire to all 2022 Rochester Top Workplaces winners, giving them the opportunity to share what they are doing around DEI. The questionnaire examined areas such as recruiting and hiring; compensation and benefits; professional development; employee involvement; and visible commitment. In all, eight companies chose to respond. Each company was given a score by Energage based on the responses.

The Winners

Energage selected three companies with standout scores based on their responses to the questionnaire:

Partners + Napier

(which also was recognized in 2021)

Among the steps Partners + Napier has taken:

● Training for all interviewers on how to conduct blind resume screenings and portfolio reviews. Interview training for how to eliminate bias and certain language from the interview itself.

● Training sessions for team members on how to talk to clients about DEI with clarity and confidence, and to be able to become more comfortable having the conversations with agency partners.

● Being intentional in pairing direct reports with their supervisors, going beyond management to cultivate true mentorship and advocacy. This supports paths for growth and increases growth transparency.

Partners + Napier sees DEI as “an all-in effort, leading with humility and never assuming we have arrived.” Employees of all experience levels are encouraged to raise DEI topics and to “show up as they are.”

Butler/Till

Among the steps Butler/Till has taken:

●Partnering with organizations like Google Talent Match, diverse job boards and collaborating with other agency partners locally to fill the pipeline with area college students.

●As an employee-owned, women-owned B Corp, Butler/Till practices transparency and encourages employee-owners to get involved through an open-door policy, cohort learning and innovation sessions.

●All-agency-wide meetings, sharing Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategic plans. Open forums around any topic.

Butler/Till says it has realized “we need to continue to push ourselves to be even better for one another and for our communities.”

Gates Chili Central School District

(also honored in this category in 2021)

●Among the steps the school district has taken:

●Gates Chili has a Strategic Plan for Equity, which includes as a major focus area the recruitment and retention of employees from underrepresented and marginalized groups.

●The school district has a director of Recruitment, Hiring and Diversity Practices, whose job it is to revamp all aspects of the recruitment and hiring process to ensure there is focus on DEI.

●They have adopted a Diversity Statement, which is included in all postings and job descriptions.

●Gates Chili provides training for all employees on unconscious bias and on culturally responsive and sustaining education practices. They also provide professional development concerning social and emotional wellness and best practices for working with students with disabilities.

The school district says this: “The Gates Chili Central School District has a moral duty to serve its students and families. Every student must be able to receive an equitable education where they are represented, protected and able to thrive.

“The district acknowledges the presence of white privilege and bias and how this perpetuates systematic racism. The Gates Chili Central School District is committed to the necessary growth required to develop and sustain equity and dismantle disproportionality.”

Congratulations to all three honorees. Energage and the D&C welcome other companies in the years ahead to do the work necessary to pursue such recognition.

Michael Kilian is executive editor of the Democrat and Chronicle.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester's Top Workplaces 2022: Employers cited for diversity efforts