Reflections of a Founding Member
I remember meeting with my chief human resources officer to talk about goals for 2019 and discuss launching a women's group at Selective. Selective’s Women's Agency Leadership Initiative (WALI) recently launched a program for our agency partners. I was excited by the prospect of developing a similar internal network for our employees.
Another female leader and I began researching other organizations, gathering best practices for starting an employee resource group, and met with the Women's Agency Leadership Initiative leaders to gain insights from their progress. We also surveyed Selective employees to gauge their interest.
We held the first meeting of the Women at Work group in April 2019 at Selective's Branchville, NJ headquarters, and about 50 women attended! We began with a panel discussion, introduced our steering committee of women leaders, and spent the rest of the day in breakout sessions to begin framing our focus areas.
Today we have over 150 women participating in Women at Work. We have hosted networking events, discussions with Selective leaders and Board Members, development workshops, and even provided resources and connections at a time when many of our employees needed support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An "Aha" Moment for Women at Work
Last year, I had an "aha" moment when I was invited to speak with a group of our female agents at a Selective-hosted event. As I waited for my turn to speak, I listened to one of our employees lead a discussion with our agency partners about Selective's successes in supporting women and helping them advance professionally.
She spoke of various Women at Work initiatives and their impact on her move into a leadership role at Selective.
Until then, I didn't realize how much this group impacted women across the company. It was heartwarming to think about how something that had initially started as a small group in Branchville had grown into such an extensive network of passionate women across our footprint who not only carry the mission forward but also impact each other's development. And here I was, listening to this employee share ideas with our agents on how to build a similar network for their own employees!
New ERG Opportunities
At the close of 2022, I was presented with an opportunity to lead a newer ERG in the organization, the PRIDE Alliance, and turn over the leadership reigns of Women at Work to two women I respect tremendously: Cassie Masone and Shannon Leinen. I am excited to remain on the steering committee.
During Women's History Month, I reflect on this group's journey and how much we have accomplished over the last four years.
As a founding member of Women at Work, I have learned so much and developed so many relationships with women across the organization. This experience reinforces my passion for helping create a unique community of women who support one another's successes through networking, mentoring, education, and empowerment.
I am particularly proud of our momentum and the prospect of continuing to build on the solid foundation we have created over the years.
Happy International Women’s Day and Women's History Month!
Thank you to Chalina and the Women at Work group for creating such a powerful support network for the women at Selective and for what you bring to Selective each day!