Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Work
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Talent
Every Voice is Valued
Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our culture. For MFS, that means building teams of diverse thinkers, embracing our differences and combining our unique perspectives to make better investment and business decisions. In our culture, maintaining an inclusive workplace is the responsibility of each and every one of us. When we share a sense of belonging and work in an environment of trust, we are more committed to our purpose — creating value responsibly for investors.
Talent - Building Diverse Teams
People matter at MFS — who we are as individuals and what we bring to the table. In our culture of inclusivity, trust and respect are non-negotiable. That creates a workplace where each of us has the comfort and freedom to contribute.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are a mindset that starts with our senior leaders and is embraced throughout the firm. We believe that bringing together employees with different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds limits individual bias and helps us make better decisions — for our clients, the firm and each other. Here is how that mindset drives the way we recruit talent, shape our hiring practices and cultivate our leadership:
Hiring - purposely searching for and hiring people with different backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints so we can expand our diverse talent as well as develop the next generation of diverse leadership
Retention - retaining our diverse talent by creating an environment of respect and trust as well as providing inclusive employee benefits
Partnerships - working with several organizations to build diverse talent pipelines, such as the Posse Foundation, The Partnership Inc. and Bottom Line
Global Representation - building teams that represent all segments of the global population to give us a constant pipeline of fresh ideas
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Culture
Culture - Driving Our Decisions
Diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational to our success as active managers, because diverse perspectives drive our investment process. We create incentives for our diverse workforce to collaborate and to build a powerful collective expertise that helps us vet investment ideas from multiple angles, assess risk and identify opportunities while overriding individual bias. To sustain that collaborative and inclusive work environment takes regular self-assessment and learning together to increase awareness, build empathy, embrace diversity and support inclusivity.
At MFS, that work includes
- Firm-wide inclusivity and unconscious bias training
- Educational programming
- Speaker series sponsored by our Diversity and Inclusion/Corporate Citizenship team
- Programming and education offered by our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Our ERGs enable employee empowerment and support the diverse communities within our firm, including LGBTQ+, women, people of color and young professionals.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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Community
Community - Making an Impact
While our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion says a lot about MFS as a firm, it also drives the way we connect with others outside the firm — whether it’s our clients or communities. Because we care deeply about diversity and inclusion globally, we partner with global organizations to promote it and effect change. Using our voice on diversity in the industry isn’t about competing; it’s about contributing.
Importantly, we consider diversity essential to long-term value, for both MFS and for the businesses we own, because it makes companies better employers and drives innovation. For this reason, we ask portfolio companies for culture and diversity-related data and have voted against boards of companies that lack sufficient diversity.
Every Voice is Valued
Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our culture. For MFS, that means building teams of diverse thinkers, embracing our differences and combining our unique perspectives to make better investment and business decisions. In our culture, maintaining an inclusive workplace is the responsibility of each and every one of us. When we share a sense of belonging and work in an environment of trust, we are more committed to our purpose — creating value responsibly for investors.
Talent - Building Diverse Teams
People matter at MFS — who we are as individuals and what we bring to the table. In our culture of inclusivity, trust and respect are non-negotiable. That creates a workplace where each of us has the comfort and freedom to contribute.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are a mindset that starts with our senior leaders and is embraced throughout the firm. We believe that bringing together employees with different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds limits individual bias and helps us make better decisions — for our clients, the firm and each other. Here is how that mindset drives the way we recruit talent, shape our hiring practices and cultivate our leadership:
Hiring - purposely searching for and hiring people with different backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints so we can expand our diverse talent as well as develop the next generation of diverse leadership
Retention - retaining our diverse talent by creating an environment of respect and trust as well as providing inclusive employee benefits
Partnerships - working with several organizations to build diverse talent pipelines, such as the Posse Foundation, The Partnership Inc. and Bottom Line
Global Representation - building teams that represent all segments of the global population to give us a constant pipeline of fresh ideas
Culture - Driving Our Decisions
Diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational to our success as active managers, because diverse perspectives drive our investment process. We create incentives for our diverse workforce to collaborate and to build a powerful collective expertise that helps us vet investment ideas from multiple angles, assess risk and identify opportunities while overriding individual bias. To sustain that collaborative and inclusive work environment takes regular self-assessment and learning together to increase awareness, build empathy, embrace diversity and support inclusivity.
At MFS, that work includes
- Firm-wide inclusivity and unconscious bias training
- Educational programming
- Speaker series sponsored by our Diversity and Inclusion/Corporate Citizenship team
- Programming and education offered by our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Our ERGs enable employee empowerment and support the diverse communities within our firm, including LGBTQ+, women, people of color and young professionals.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Community - Making an Impact
While our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion says a lot about MFS as a firm, it also drives the way we connect with others outside the firm — whether it’s our clients or communities. Because we care deeply about diversity and inclusion globally, we partner with global organizations to promote it and effect change. Using our voice on diversity in the industry isn’t about competing; it’s about contributing.
Importantly, we consider diversity essential to long-term value, for both MFS and for the businesses we own, because it makes companies better employers and drives innovation. For this reason, we ask portfolio companies for culture and diversity-related data and have voted against boards of companies that lack sufficient diversity.