Article: #6 American Express: The Diversity Express

Employee Engagement

#6 American Express: The Diversity Express

A simple yet true thought about hiring the best talent is the secret of American Express
 

American Express believes that the key to having capable and motivated team members is ensuring innovation and improvement in all spheres

 

Most people would think that a complex set of processes and procedures are followed to maintain the stature of American Express. What would surprise one is that this financial empire is based on a few simple guidelines which assist them in reaching the highest echelons of customer and employee satisfaction. For American Express, which is ranked #6 in the Great Place to Work® Institute’s Study, #1 in the Industry Category of the Banking/Credit Services sector, and is also recognised in the Specail Categories for Best Company for Women, and Unique Company Initiative, the thought is simple yet true – hire the best talent.

American Express believes that the key to having capable and motivated team members is ensuring innovation and improvement in all spheres. “We believe that engaged employees help us deliver extraordinary results. We strive to attract, develop and retain premium talent to support our business imperatives. And for us, evaluating for and selecting the ‘right fit’ is the first key step on this path,” stresses Pradeep Kapur, VP & GM, World Service India, American Express.
Cultural Diversity is one of the focus areas that American Express believes in. The mission of their diversity efforts is to build an inclusive environment that leverages the unique experiences, talents, skills and perspectives of all the employees.

Interestingly 43% of the American Express workforce are women. Keeping this in view, one of the key initiatives taken by the company is ‘The Women’s Interest network’ (WIN), an employee network which seeks to build a community that supports development of all women in the workplace through idea sharing and networking. ‘GRACE’ is another initiative that promotes professional development of women in the organization. Acknowledging and appreciating the specific needs of women in the workforce, the company has institutionalized platforms exclusively for women.

Pursuing ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’, American Express has launched numerous programs promoting the concept such as ‘Give As You Earn’, ‘Give2Gether’, etc, that encourage employees to contribute to a charity of their choice for the cause that is most dear to them. In addition, American Express has also launched a program ‘Healthy Living’ that is designed to use data to help bring the right programs to the right employees and helps realize the importance of nurturing body, mind and spirit. The very fact that American Express has consistently been ranked as one of the best employer in India speaks volumes of the culture prevalent in the organisation.
 

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Topics: Employee Engagement, Culture, #BestPractices

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