DEI@Cadence: An Experience For All at the Great Place to Work Summit

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not just words but values that are exemplified through our One Cadence—One Team culture. In the DEI@Cadence blog series, you’ll find a community where employees share their perspectives and experiences. By providing a glimpse of their personal stories, we celebrate our One Cadence—One Team culture and the importance of sustaining it as we learn from diverse perspectives.

The idea of traveling for work is always an exciting proposition. It’s an opportunity to fly high with bright minds from across industries, absorb bits of knowledge from the bustling conversations around you, and rub elbows with well-regarded business professionals. The idea of traveling for work is especially exciting when you’ve been invited to attend the Great Place to Work Summit as a representative of Cadence, this year’s #9 best workplace.

Making my way to the downstairs convention center of Hilton’s Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, the seemingly compact conference layout of benign, beige doorways was transformed when entering the grand ballroom for the first general session. A massive stage and an unbelievably bigger screen sat before a sprawling view of 2,000 attendees eagerly awaiting marquee guests Ariana Huffington, Angela Duckworth, and Mindy Kaling. At precisely 8:30am, the lights dimmed to black, and the opening film began. What happened next can only be described as a marketing masterclass as each of us was offered a complete immersion through the eyes and ears while being transported to the world of Great Place to Work. For a moment, I wondered if I had accidentally walked into a music festival.

As Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, took the stage wearing a feathered Mardi Gras mask, the keynote interview with Hilton president and CEO Christopher Nassetta and executive vice president and chief human resources officer Laura Fuentes was underway, and the summit was on.

Across each of the featured speakers and panelists, belonging and mental wellness were a central theme. As Hilton was recognized as the #1 Great Place to Work, Christopher Nassetta credited their globally engaged workforce by saying, “It starts with culture, and everything follows.” This was echoed by Anthony Capuano, president and CEO of eighth-ranked Marriott, who impressed upon us that, “You’ll find the greatest professional fulfillment if you join a company whose values align with yours.” Their statements correlate to our own One Team environment and record of success, with 94% of employees saying they’re proud to tell others they work at Cadence.

Following the general session, Cadence leaders Tina Jones, vice president of Global Human Resources, and Nita Espinosa-Cornfoot, vice president of Strategic Sourcing, were joined by Holly Petroff, executive vice president of Global Client Services at Great Place to Work, for a special conversation about how a focus on women at work can create a better outcome for all employees. Tina, Nita, and Holly are all phenomenal speakers, and hearing from two of Cadence’s women leaders on such an intersectional stage made it one of the week’s standout panel sessions. As an employee, I’m already familiar with some of Cadence’s incredible programs like Returnship and the mold-breaking progress made in elevating its representation of women. However, it was uniquely inspiring to hear the eruption of applause fill the room as these and other accomplishments were highlighted. It was truly a reinforcement of the important work our Culture, Diversity, and Engagement teams are doing each day.  

A lot of our activity was done as a team, but I attended another Hilton session on my own that focused on increasing engagement among employee resource groups (ERGs). I found the topic particularly interesting as we’re always exploring new ways to continue growing our inclusion groups on campus. Throughout the 45-minute talk, the panelists kept returning to one idea: trust. By utilizing “trust index surveys” to capture crucial data, they’re seeing grassroots enthusiasm when the trust of management is higher, which has ultimately led to increased engagement across the company. The key takeaways, for me, were that employees want to be heard, feel as if they have the freedom to come to life through ERGs, exemplify meaningful connection to their communities, and find commonality between groups by engaging horizontally, breaking free of single-group silos.

Now, whether or not it was celebrity allure, I was thrilled to be front and off to the side for Mindy Kaling’s fireside chat with Ellen McGirt, editor-in-chief at Design Observer. She was real, and real funny, touching on her career, family life, and making the most of opportunity. In the early days of NBC’s The Office, Mindy arrived at her first writers’ meeting confident that her “big break” was accredited to talent and wit, only to discover that she was a diversity hire. She commented that, at first, this was a huge blow to her confidence and led to extreme imposter syndrome before later embracing the idea that “Being forced to work with people who don’t look like you is the best thing you can do.” It was a fantastic appearance full of candor and self-described tangents, and honestly, the one general session event that I wished went on longer.   

How was my first experience at Great Place to Work’s For All Summit? It was educational, thought-provoking, and, most of all, fun. From seeing one of Michael C. Bush’s legendary presentations live to being a part of the 60-second standing ovation for closing speaker John O’Leary, this was a well-rounded event that provided different pathways to grow personally and professionally. I’m grateful to be part of an organization that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion and is willing to walk the talk by supporting its people with these types of opportunities. I can’t wait for the next one.