How UKG advances diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging with Hive Learning

“Foundational learning through our Unified program is taking our people on this journey from awareness to advocacy and action. Our Unified cohorts learn about unconscious bias, micro-aggressions, intersectionality, and other critical DEI&B-related topics that help form a common understanding and invite more open and honest conversations, so together we can champion a culture of trust, equity, and belonging for all.” Brian K. Reaves, EVP and chief belonging, diversity, and equity officer at UKG

Overview

UKG believes businesses succeed when all individuals are respected and all voices are heard and all employees have the support and resources necessary to thrive. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) at UKG focuses on building an inclusive environment where differences are respected, and the innovative spirit is unlocked. 

UKG partnered with Hive Learning to roll out an award-winning Inclusion Works program to all 15,000 employees globally, offering practical learning designed to help every employee build daily habits of inclusion.  The UKG DEI&B initiative and overall strategy include foundational learning to mitigate bias, partnerships to build a diverse talent pipeline and maximise impact, accountability through goals and scorecard metrics, and actively making a difference at UKG and in their communities through participation in diverse employee resource groups. 

The UKG DEI&B program has several strategic initiatives that build upon and bring these pillars to life. For the purpose of this award, we’ll focus on three areas: 

• Unified: a digital DEI&B foundational learning initiative to help people better understand complex topics associated with DEI&B, such as unconscious bias, microaggressions, privilege, and equity. 

• Ambassador Program: a global set of internal advocates who will be empowered and well-equipped to effectively communicate and execute their DEI&B strategy both at UKG and outside their company. 

Leaders Scorecard: provides transparency into UKG leaders’ progress against a set of metrics that support achievement of their short- and long-term program goals. The scorecard will share leader performance in several key areas, including Global Gender Representation, U.S. Ethnic Representation, Early Talent-Hiring Representation, Foundational Learning completion, and organizational participation in employee resource groups.  

The Unified digital learning program was a critical, foundational, part of the strategy as it had the potential to also have a ripple effect on these two other strategic areas –– in helping to develop a new generation of Ambassadors who understand DEI&B and to help to identify new potential ambassadors, and in improving leaders’ skills and their ability to move the needle on the hard metrics they are measured on in their Scorecards.

Hive Learning and UKG won the Gold Award for ‘Best Advance in Diversity and Inclusion Innovation’ at the 2022 Brandon Hall Excellence in Technology Awards

This award follows the success of Hive Learning’s partnership with UKG to roll out its award-winning Inclusion Works program to all 15,000 UKG employees globally, offering practical learning designed to help every employee build daily habits of inclusion. 

After the success of the phased rollout of the digital learning program by UKG –– branded ‘Unified Foundational Learning’ internally –– it is a critical initiative that supports part of the company’s core diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) strategy, which aligns to its core values and behaviors, and furthers its mission to advance DEI&B at work.

“One of the fundamental elements of our strategy is to deeply understand complex topics associated with DEI&B and to regularly model inclusive behaviors that are core to building a culture where all employees feel uniquely valued,” said Brian K. Reaves, EVP and chief belonging, diversity, and equity officer at UKG. “Foundational learning through our Unified program is taking our people on this journey from awareness to advocacy and action. Our Unified cohorts learn about unconscious bias, micro-aggressions, intersectionality, and other critical DEI&B-related topics that help form a common understanding and invite more open and honest conversations, so together we can champion a culture of trust, equity, and belonging for all.”

Following the initial rollout of Hive Learning’s flagship inclusion program to UKG employees:

• 86% of UKG employees who participated took action to develop a more inclusive culture;
• 96% of executives participated in active discussions about DEI&B; and
• 85% of learners discussed identity and difference with colleagues.

Earlier this year, Hive Learning was accepted into the UKG Diversity Accelerator Program, where it joined one of the world’s largest and most collaborative partner networks wholly focused on the HCM industry and receives targeted support from UKG to further amplify the impact of its programs. More than 70,000 UKG customers worldwide now have access to Hive Learning through the UKG Marketplace, including access to an exclusive integration between the two vendors which enables the automation of large-scale cohort management.

Hive Learning CEO Julia Tierney commented on the partnership:

“We’ve loved working with the innovative DEI&B team at UKG. They are one of the most responsive inclusion teams we have had the privilege of working with, constantly responding to changing learner needs in line with the wider social context and putting learners at the center of everything they do. 

“UKG says their purpose is people, and I have had the privilege of witnessing how deeply that commitment runs over the past year. What I admire the most is their drive to take their internal learnings and use them to educate their customers on the latest and most innovative solutions shaping their world. I look forward to our continued work together in paving the way for what great DEI&B solutions look like in the corporate world.”