NextEra Energy Honored As a Top U.S. Company for Diversity and Inclusion
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Posted By: Hija Chang on October 20, 2015 FEATURED Content Clean energy leader is the only large national electric utility firm recognized JUNO BEACH, Fla. – NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that it has been presented the premier national award that “recognizes, honors and celebrates the outstanding contributions and achievements of Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Councils.” In its seventh year, the ERG and Council Honors Award™ was established by the Association of ERGs and Councils, a practice group of consulting and training firm PRISM International, Inc. Competing with more than 500 other participants in 2015, all judged on their programs’ results, management commitment, measurement and accountability, and communication and education, NextEra Energy is the only large U.S. electric utility company to receive a Top 25 ranking this year. “At NextEra Energy, we have long believed that our team is a key competitive advantage,” said Jim Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy. “One of our company wide goals is to continually strengthen our team and one way to do so is to make our workforce more inclusive. Being recognized today for our strong commitment and track record in diversity and inclusion speaks directly to that effort. Diverse and inclusive companies have greater employee engagement, higher productivity and are more innovative than their peers. The fact is, the more our workforce mirrors the communities in which we live and work, the more likely we’ll be able to understand and anticipate customer needs and build relationships that deliver long-term value.” “NextEra Energy’s Corporate Diversity Council scored high in the areas of building a culture of inclusion, demonstrated management commitment, measurement, and workforce and member education,” said Debbie Smith Rayford, executive director of the Association of ERGs and Councils. “That the company made the Top 25 on its first application is impressive.” NextEra Energy's Corporate Diversity Council provides strategic oversight, guidance, and direction to corporate-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives by ensuring alignment with business objectives and collaboration across business units. The council is also responsible for overseeing activities of the company's 11 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), such as developing strategies to leverage and engage the groups within business units, modeling inclusive behaviors through active mentorship, and building diverse and inclusive leadership teams. Among the numerous NextEra Energy initiatives processed and scored for this recognition are: A sharper focus: The company recharged its Employee Network Groups (ENGs) and rebranded them as ERGs. This better reflects the goals and expectations for the groups, including driving recruiting, engagement, development and retention strategies throughout the enterprise. Panel interviewing: As a result of a council-hosted inclusion planning session, several business unit leaders adopted the practice of panel interviewing, which allows for increased diversity hires and decreased time spent on individual interviews, and helps eliminate unconscious bias. Job shadowing: A job shadowing program was developed to strengthen community partnerships with local high school students focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers, providing another avenue for recruiting diverse candidates while immersing students in the company culture. Leadership development: Since 2012, NextEra Energy’s Corporate Diversity Council has hosted successful Leadership Summits with a focus on building a strong, inclusive culture. More than 800 leaders have attended these interactive sessions annually. Management execution: Middle managers have formed Diversity Action Teams to help drive diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the business units. These teams organize lunch-and-learns, employee development, recruiting and engagement events. The ERG and Council Honors Award™ is the latest recognition for NextEra Energy, which has long been committed to building a top-notch workforce and challenging its team to help solve America’s energy challenges sustainably and responsibly. During the past year alone, the company has been recognized as being: One of the 10 top companies in the world in both innovativeness and community responsibility on Fortune magazine’s 2015 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list; and A World’s Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute for the eighth time. See the complete list of honorees as well as additional information on this awards program at http://www.ergcouncilconference.com/honors... Learn more about NextEra Energy’s diversity and inclusion strategies and activities by viewing its most recent corporate responsibility report at www.NextEraEnergy.com/crr. NextEra Energy, Inc. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.0 billion, approximately 44,900 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), and approximately 13,800 employees in 27 states and Canada as of year-end 2014. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy's principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves approximately 4.8 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from eight commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity, and has been ranked in the top 10 worldwide for innovativeness and community responsibility as part of Fortune’s 2015 list of “World's Most Admired Companies.” For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
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