Beaumont Health System becomes Affirmative Action Employer

The system pursued becoming an Affirmative Action employer, in part to meet the eligibility requirements for federally funded grants for the Research Institute, which is an important part of Beaumont’s strategic plan. 

“For years, Beaumont has followed Equal Employment Opportunity standards, and diversity and inclusion initiatives have been part of our culture,” says Lauren Hill, director, Diversity. “Now, we will follow more structured guidelines and to document our diversity and inclusion actions and processes. We will maintain two Affirmative Action Plans for each business unit. The Affirmative Action Plans specifically address the employment of women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities.”

In addition to the plans, the organization will increase the number of places it posts open position announcements to include career sites that focus on diversity, veterans and disabled individuals. “As an Affirmative Action employer, our goal is to identify areas of under-represented protected groups, develop a recruitment plan to diversify our candidate pool, and post all positions, including director-level and above,” says Jay Holden, senior vice president and chief human resources officer. 

Beaumont will also participate in community outreach activities targeted toward women, minorities, veterans and people with disabilities. 

As part of Affirmative Action planning, Beaumont will gather data on the current employee population, specifically asking about veteran and disability status. Employees will receive an email asking them to log into Employee self service to answer the short questionnaire. Participation is voluntary. The email will include forms specifically outlining the data being collected an will be sent out within the next week. 

“Some of the benefits to being an Affirmative Action employer include eligibility for federal contracts, broader community outreach and increased awareness,” says Lauren. “Being a diverse and inclusive workplace makes for a stronger organization. Hopefully, this will help us extend our reach even further into the communities we serve.”