Diversity & Inclusion

Meganne Franks - September 14, 2020 - 149 views

There’s a reason racial gaslighting is so widely talked about: It’s everywhere, especially the workplace. Gaslighting is a covert form of undermining others so that they doubt what they experience, see or feel. Racial gaslighting spurs self-doubt about racist experiences. It often subtly shifts the dialog from the topic at hand to the speaker and […]

Noe A. Gutierrez - September 10, 2020 - 211 views

Diversity has always mattered to me. But back in 2014, I was one of very few Hispanics working at Cognizant. As a friend and I brainstormed about ways for more diverse talent to find their way to the company, he suggested I join the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC), a professional association for senior business […]

Lance Moncrieffe - August 13, 2020 - 688 views

I’m convinced that the boundaries between us are not our cultural differences at all. What really divides us are the walls of misunderstanding about our differences – and the actions we take based on those misunderstandings.  I can recall with unfortunate clarity the close of my first full year in the workforce: Disbelief. Frustration. Fear. […]

Matthew Lee - July 15, 2020 - 240 views

Self-quarantining in a midtown Manhattan hotel room gave me plenty of time to think. I thought about my family, of course. My doctor advised staying away from them after I’d returned from several weeks of international travel. Amid the solitude, I also reflected on my career – and especially on the mentors who made it […]

Fred Bachhuber - July 7, 2020 - 248 views

July marks the end of Pride festivities, and for too many people, a return to the closet. But the camaraderie and sense of belonging that go along with Pride don’t have to be fleeting. Pride is loved by many for its hoopla. Last year in New York City, five million revelers filled the streets to […]

Becky Schmitt - July 6, 2020 - 1364 views

The pandemic, as well as heightened social unrest spawned by the death of George Floyd, has upended work routines for employees and leaders alike. What hasn’t changed is our need to feel we belong at work. As we power through a “new normal,” I think it’s critical for employees to feel welcome, included, valued and […]

Shameka Young - June 18, 2020 - 349 views

I let out a whoop of excitement when I heard Cognizant would observe Juneteenth as a company holiday for U.S. associates.  Hailing from Texas, where the historic June 19 announcement of slavery’s end occurred in 1865, I’ve celebrated Juneteenth annually since I was a child. Honoring it today as a company holiday feels like part […]

Shelley Tiltman - June 8, 2020 - 703 views

You don’t come out just once – each time you change projects or teams, or start a new job, you come out all over again. And each time can feel just as scary as the one before. I’ve been out since I was 18. Yet when a client or someone outside of my team asks […]

Jennifer Green Godette - June 4, 2020 - 1893 views

As a diversity and inclusion (D&I) leader at Cognizant, I’m always planning for the next big D&I event. June, for instance, is filled with many Pride celebrations, virtual and otherwise. But instead of seeing coverage of upcoming LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations, I’m watching news coverage and having conversations with friends and family members about the senseless deaths of […]

Stephanie Bauer - June 2, 2020 - 367 views

As a woman who has spent much of her career in male-dominated industries, I’ve often received feedback that compares me with the men around me. All too often, this feedback has been geared toward molding me into the predecessor for my role, rather than angling me toward where my potential lies. Some may recognize this […]