At Americares, we want to ensure everyone is welcomed, respected, valued and heard.
– Christine Squires, President and CEO
Diversity: Proactively pursuing the involvement of people from a range of different identities.
Equity: Proactively addressing current-state differences between groups and providing appropriate resources to establish a fair end-state.
Inclusion: Proactively creating policies and practices that give equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded.
Access: Proactively working to ensure that all individuals, including those with diverse abilities and languages, have equitable access to facilities, information, and resources.
DEIA is an imperative at Americares. As we state in our values: We embed ethics and equity in our work and workplace. The work we do together to achieve our mission reflects the connected nature of health equity and workplace equity.
DEIA is part of the fabric of our organization. It is a lens through which we approach the work we do – and how we approach that work internally.
At Americares, we want to ensure everyone is welcomed, respected, valued and heard. We aim every day to be an organization where diverse backgrounds and experiences bring us together to create sustainable solutions and accomplish our shared mission. We do all of this to create a sense of inclusion and belonging for everyone who interacts with our work, knowing these feelings enrich every individual’s life.
Christine Squires,
President and CEO
Americares does not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion, caste, tribe, creed, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, genetic information, disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, sex characteristics or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include hiring and firing staff, selecting volunteers and vendors, and providing services. As a humanitarian organization, we provide help to people in need regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation.
Based on DEIA best practices, we have developed a tool to help Americares staff evaluate and incorporate inclusion metrics in our everyday work. Once a baseline is established, these metrics act as guides to measure and grow inclusion efforts as we work together toward our goal of ensuring Americares remains an inclusive and equitable workplace for all. Learn more about Americares organizational values.
Americares makes conscious choices about how we come together as a global work community, considering the uniqueness each employee brings to work based on their backgrounds, locations, languages and identities. We aspire to build an operating model centered around local constituents and empowering local leaders, while also leveraging global standards, practices and resources, contributing to locally appropriate and sustainable solutions. Our organization, including our Leadership Team and Board of Directors, includes employees and Board members from diverse backgrounds from around the world.
Americares recruiting philosophy is founded in three core beliefs: that recruiting should be fair, transparent and accountable. We use competency-based interview processes. Our compensation philosophy seeks to close the gap on benefits inequity. Learn more about working at Americares.
To help us collectively live out our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, Americares has launched several key initiatives.
Based in our offices around the world, Americares DEI&A councils work with stakeholders throughout the organization to support Americares commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access. Each council focuses on its own specific region, country and/or location – creating staff-led initiatives that are most impactful for local priorities.
Our Global Community Resources Groups bring together Americares staff with shared identities, concerns, experiences and interests. Led by employee volunteers for and with their colleagues, these groups are spaces to connect, advocate, change and innovate.
Americares extends its DEI&A commitment through Employee Engagement to bring together various staff lead initiatives and working groups to foster inclusion. Anonymous staff feedback system is established to understand employee pulse. DEI&A training is conducted by local providers, in compliance with local laws, across our global work community. The access working group brings staff from across functions to create an accessible workplace. We also provide language classes to our staff for the key languages in our global locations.
To me, DEI&A is an intersection of head and heart. It is truly knowing that an organization is fundamentally stronger and more successful when DEI&A is embedded into how we think and operate. Simultaneously, it is deeply feeling that each of us deserves to be valued for – not in spite of – our identities and seen in the beautiful complexity of who we are. Both are true equally for those we touch with our work and those we work beside.
Elana Lopez,
Chief People and Systems Officer