Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at WE
WE is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive workforce, industry and community. WE embraces and advocates three fundamental values that serve as the foundation of an inclusive community: equity, justice and respect. At WE, diversity and inclusion refers to people, perspectives and ideas.
A work environment that is safe, equitable, respectful and inviting for every employee is a central part of being an inclusive culture, where everyone belongs. This is what we stand for at WE Communications.
Interested in a career at WE?
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION Leadership
Elizabeth Herrera Smith, EVP
In 2020, Elizabeth Herrera Smith was named to the leadership of WE's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team.
Culture at WE
We invest in employee programs and benefits, and follow inclusive and equitable business practices.
In 2022, for the fourth year in a row, WE earned a 100-point score in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index (HRC CEI), a measurement of how equitably large private businesses in the U.S. treat LGBTQ employees. We’re proud to once again be designated a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
Our Commitment
WE is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive workforce, industry and community. We’re building a culture where people, perspectives and ideas come together so everyone is equal and everyone belongs. Our efforts to help make this culture a reality fall into three categories: culture, collaboration and connection.
Interested in learning more? See our 2021 EEOC data »
Reproductive rights
Protecting Equal Healthcare Access for All — A Statement from Melissa Waggener Zorkin, Global CEO
As the largest female-founded, female-led agency in the world, WE has always worked to empower women in their lives and careers, especially when over 70% of our people in the U.S. identify as such. Striving for equality is the bedrock on which we have always stood. We fully believe in equal rights for all — including access to healthcare — and that our laws should protect everyone.
COLLABORATION AT WE
We partner with organizations that support equality and opportunity for all.
Since 2016 in the U.S., WE has supported ColorComm, an organization dedicated to bringing more women of color into the communications industry and championing and celebrating those who are already there. In 2019, CEO Melissa Waggener Zorkin joined the advisory board of directors.
For the past 10 years, WE has supported, mentored and hired students and alumni scholars from The LAGRANT Foundation. Kass Sells, WE’s global chief operating officer and president of international, joined the board in 2017, and in 2018 WE dedicated more than half a million dollars in support to The LAGRANT Foundation in the form of scholarship funding, career development resources and professional workshops for ethnic minority communications students.
Learn more about our partnerships and pledges:
Perspectives on Diversity
Featuring our most recent, relevant blog posts and op-eds.
WE provides flexible and inclusive employee benefits.
In the U.S., as part of the 2019 healthcare employee benefit, WE expanded benefits to transgender employees and revamped fertility benefits to fit the needs of both opposite- and same-sex couples. We’ve offered same-sex domestic partners benefits since 2009, and our bereavement policy lets our employees define family in whatever way is meaningful to them. Our LGBTQ employee resource group, WE PRIDE, brings community involvement and ongoing learning opportunities to many of our offices.
Connection at WE
We strive to be open to diverse perspectives, ideas, people and backgrounds.
In the U.S., the WE Employee Diversity and Inclusion Council represents the interests of all employees and serves as a brain trust for companywide initiatives.
To nurture and evolve our company culture, WE provides ongoing training opportunities and experiences, including unconscious bias training — a fundamental step in building deeper connections and understanding our preferences, biases and blind spots.
