Larnise Boain, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly tied to RGA’s corporate values, performance, and purpose. Our growth as a company depends on a talented and highly engaged workforce. DEI is a business imperative in today’s global climate. Our employees are at the heart of why DEI matters and how it contributes to successful business outcomes. DEI engages current employees, helps attract a wide pool of talent so that RGA can hire the best globally, and fosters a workplace culture where we can hear, share, and leverage insights from all.
In fact, we are experiencing a unique moment in history where the way we work, and worker demographics and expectations, are rapidly changing. In a survey of over 1,300 employees, 80% of respondents said inclusion is an important factor for them when choosing an employer – an answer that was true for millennials as well as boomers. Moreover, the number one answer (47%) to the question: Which aspect of work culture do you value most when choosing an organization for which to work was "an atmosphere where I feel comfortable being myself.”
say inclusion is important when choosing an employer.
say that most important is “an atmosphere where I feel comfortable being myself.”
Innovation and creativity are the results of diverse teams. According to a 2019 McKinsey study, ethnic and culturally diverse companies outperform those that are not. In fact, those with diversity in executive teams have a 36% higher likelihood of outperforming their peers. In addition, when it comes to performance, research shows that diversity leads to finding1 solutions faster and less lower groupthink.
1Reynolds, A., & Lewis, D. (2017). Teams solve problems faster when they’re more cognitively diverse. Harvard Business Review, 30
DEI is not new to RGA
Our investment in DEI is an investment in our talent, the RGA brand, our corporate culture, and client and board confidence. While we believe that inherent diversity (age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender) is valuable, our global DEI strategy helps us consciously diversify in all areas. Diversity to RGA is the demographic mix of people and variations of different characteristics that makes us unique, such as our cognitive skills, thinking styles, and personality traits, along with the things that shape our identity (e.g., race, age, gender, physical abilities, religion, sexual orientation, class/social status, cultural background, etc.). Equity is eliminating systemic barriers that inhibit full participation and equitable access to information, pay and opportunity. Inclusion is the art of creating a psychologically safe work culture, one in which everyone can fully participate. As we become more diverse, we recognize and focus on equity and inclusion.
“In the year ahead, RGA will continue to prioritize and invest in DEI plans and programs,” says Larnise Boain, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “Our refreshed DEI strategy provides a definition of what DEI means to RGA and gives direction to help us along our journey. I’m most excited about the opportunity to co-design the RGA work experience, listen to voices from across the organization, and work together to shape the future of our workplace.”
Diverse teams perform
better.
Diverse teams perform
better.
Our DEI journey goes back several years.
Have an idea for the next issue? Want to know more about what we do or explore a potential partnership? Or do you have other questions? Please contact us »