GM DIVERSITY NEWSLETTER

As General Motors starts its second century, GM Diversity has launched a new, interactive program to bring its 266,000 of employees around the world a little closer.

Known as “I am GM,” the yearlong program highlights the value of each person and the incredibly rich diversity of GM’s global workforce – men and women of different cultures, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations and physical abilities.

Rod Gillum, GM vice president, Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, said I am GM is not your typical employee awareness campaign.

“Through I am GM, we will learn more about our colleagues,” said Gillum. “We will learn about the contributions these individuals make to GM, our communities and the world. We will learn how differences in backgrounds and perspectives drive innovation, and how our diverse workforce drives our success, connecting us to the global marketplace.”

The campaign features posters, brochures, short video clips, blogs and even t-shirts highlighting GM’s diverse workforce. Some of the materials can be viewed by clicking here.

I am GM started with an idea from Karen DeCuir-DiNicola, manager of diversity initiatives at GM, who recognized that GM’s employees bring with them multiple talents and perspectives that represent one of the richest talent pools in the world. I am GM was born from the idea that all employees are responsible for creating an environment of mutual respect and inclusion through their own behaviors and interaction with others.

“I believe that we can only fully tap into people’s talents and abilities, and have effective teams and leadership when we truly learn about others, respect them and value the
diversity that people bring to the workplace,” said DeCuir-DiNicola. “Our employees’ lives cross over into communities and into the marketplace. They are a direct connection to the global community. When we allow people to be who they are, they thrive. When our employees thrive, GM thrives.”

Although I am GM has a strong internal communications component to engage GM employees, DeCuir-DiNicola believes its multiple messages will resonate with non-employees as well. She added that the campaign could become a permanent facet of GM’s overall diversity strategy.

GM is a global corporation that sells vehicles in 192 countries on six continents. It owns facilities in 53 countries across 23 time zones and employs people who speak more than 50 languages. GM employees also represent a direct link to the global marketplace by providing the critical relationships, cultural knowledge and experience we need to be successful and competitive worldwide.

DeCuir-DiNicola said investing in these relationships can pay significant dividends in a number of areas, including greater productivity, innovation, and employee recruitment and retention. It helps reduce barriers across separating groups to improve relationships between employees and customers.

“The campaign says, ‘People matter. Diversity matters’,” she said. “It says we value all that people bring in talents and perspectives. It says, ‘We are global.’ It says, ‘Each and every person matters.’ It says, ‘Individual respect and responsibility is a core value.’ It says, ‘Come to work for GM – we want diverse talent.’

“The campaign shows customers that we look like them and demonstrates that GM is an employer of choice for people from all backgrounds. The campaign demonstrates GM has the hottest talent in the world! The campaign says “we care about our employees and the communities they represent.”

Q&A: The making of "I am GM "

Karen DeCuir-DiNicola, manager,
GM Diversity Initiatives

The I am GM campaign features posters, brochures, short video clips, blogs and even t-shirts highlighting GM’s diverse workforce. Karen DeCuir-DiNicola, GM’s manager of diversity initiatives, chatted briefly with The Inside Scoop about the ad campaign.

How many ads total have been created?
“The initial launch highlights 16 employees. The campaign includes the placement of posters at sites throughout GM, the placement of tent cards in conference rooms, a special internal weblink and an external weblink.

“The goal is to ultimately have a presence in some form – posters, tent cards, etc. – at every GM location worldwide. This is already accomplished to the extent that every GM employee should have access to the web.”

How were employees selected for the ads?
“Every employee at GM can be part of the I am GM campaign. The first group of 16 employees that were chosen to kick off the campaign comes from different functions, divisions and professional, backgrounds. Moreover, they represent many different dimensions of Diversity including race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical abilities and age.

“This initial pool of employees came primarily from GM's Affinity Groups (There are ten Affinity Groups at GM) and GM Diversity Partners. The I am GM campaign has provided a template for any function/site/division within GM to create their own I am GM posters.

“The only request, they coordinate with GM Diversity Initiatives to ensure integrity of the program and consistency of messaging.”

How does GM benefit from such diversity, as displayed in the campaign?
“Diversity is GM business reality. By default, as a global company, GM benefits from diversity of thought, diversity of perspectives, a diverse global marketplace and a global talent pool. By recognizing the importance of and respecting and including different ideas and perspectives we will come together as One GM to innovate and to outshine and outperform our competitors worldwide.

“Each of us makes GM the great company that it is, and as our Diversity logo states – we are Many People, One GM, Now!“

How long will this campaign run?
“The initial launch is for a year. However, I am GM is a campaign that could become a permanent facet of GM’s overall diversity strategy.”