February 1, 2021
I’m a senior manager for corporate HR. It’s my job to think about how we develop and implement talent strategies to address our critical business needs and build a diverse and inclusive workforce. That might mean working on our performance management processes; thinking about succession and building a funnel of leaders for our corporate functions; developing engagement plans; or making sure we have effective development practices in place. It all starts with being clear about what our organization needs, but it’s also important that we understand the aspirations of our team.
We want to offer growth opportunities that are aligned with what people want to do and where they want to be, whether that’s here in the Corporate organization or in one of Danaher’s operating companies.
I’ve been at Danaher for more than four years now, and I’ve worked with several different functions during that time, including Legal, Procurement, Tax, and our Danaher Business System office—DBS is the suite of tools and processes at the heart of Danaher. Right now, I’m working with our Corporate Finance function on a variety of talent and organizational initiatives. I’m also working with Danaher Digital, which is a relatively new team, to build the organization through hiring in both India and the U.S., and making sure we’re laying the foundation for a strong, engaged team culture.
Not unlike a lot of people, I’d never heard of Danaher before I applied. I wanted to move back to Washington, D.C., where I’m from, and one of the agencies I’d shared my résumé with connected me to the opportunity. It ended up being really fortuitous.
As I learned more about Danaher’s performance, it was very clear this company was doing something right. I also discovered that they’re known for talent development—it’s a place where HR is highly valued and seen as a strategic partner. Then I met the people, and they all seemed fantastic and so smart. I also saw that I’d be continually challenged, which was appealing to me.
But believe it or not, one of the things that intrigued me most was DBS. I liked the relentless rigor and the idea of drilling down to the root cause of a problem and then developing countermeasures. It was all very action- and data-oriented, which you more often see applied to other functions like operations or sales. But I could see how the same tools would apply to things like understanding engagement in terms of employee demographics or pinpointing an issue in the recruiting funnel. It seemed like a great opportunity to build a new level of detail and analysis in the HR space.
I think one of the keys is how we at Danaher hold ourselves accountable. Part of that is the metrics we track, ensuring they are meaningful and that we’re truly seeking to understand and address the unique challenges facing different groups. The other part is the conversations we’re having with managers because, ultimately, diversity and inclusion efforts aren’t an HR initiative. They’re a partnership all of us own. So when we identify a gap, we need to look at that data together with the business leaders. It’s building awareness and education and sometimes just getting more comfortable having those conversations in the first place.
And of course, it’s not just about hiring—it’s also how we engage the people already on our team. With our Black associates at Corporate, for example, we actually started feedback sessions early last year, before the killing of George Floyd put more focus on Black lives globally, to better understand how they felt in their jobs. Did they feel respected? Did they feel heard?
Then we developed programming to address some of the themes that came out of those sessions—things like career planning and providing associates more transparency into the annual Organization and Talent Assessment, or OTA, process—so people feel more empowered and confident to have those career conversations with their managers.
I think there’s definitely more work to be done in terms of engaging our underrepresented groups—and in true DBS fashion, we’re constantly looking at the data and identifying opportunities. But I’ve been really encouraged by the discussions with our senior leaders. There’s a genuine, high level of investment in building an inclusive environment that nurtures talent from a range of backgrounds.
The ARG has been huge for me. As a Black woman, I’m always in the minority in a room, and it’s not uncommon to be the only person who looks like me. So seeing a sea of Black faces, even virtually, as it has been for almost a year now, is really empowering. Knowing you’re in a community of people who have had similar experiences helps you build confidence and means you don’t feel alone.
The offerings themselves have been very robust—we’ve had sessions on everything from professional development to financial well-being—but it’s that sense of community, just being together, that’s at the heart of it for me. Especially this year, with the pandemic and during the protests and unrest, the coffee chats have been powerful and emotional. We’ve been focused on mental wellness and safety and security, and we’ve been able to hear from Danaher’s leaders, not just about their careers, but about their experiences and challenges as Black Americans more broadly.
I’m looking forward to getting more experience with some of Danaher’s operating companies. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate across the organization in some parts of my role—I’m working with Finance Leadership on D&I and mentorship, for example. For me, growing my career is less about a vertical climb and more about the diversity of experiences that keep me challenged and push me to grow. So I’m excited about working with different companies and perhaps at some point taking advantage of Danaher Go, our process for internal talent movement. I want to keep on learning from our leaders.
I’m excited about the future of Danaher itself, too. We’re in some great markets that have a lot of potential, but more importantly, we’re making a significant impact on the health and well-being of people all over the world. That’s an inspiring mission, and I’m proud to be part of it.