Inclusion and Collaboration at Cisco

At Cisco, we have a vision of unleashing the full power and potential of our people from an expanded view of diversity—valuing and embracing a full spectrum of different backgrounds, cultures, affiliations, abilities, work styles, and perspectives

We’re already driving exciting new outcomes—life-changing impacts now possible through the convergence of inclusion, collaboration, and technology. For example, allowing a young girl to continue to go to school while receiving lifesaving cancer treatment, thanks to the innovative use of our collaboration technologies.

Our Connected Disability Awareness Network is also driving inclusion—We have implemented Project Life Changer that combines Cisco’s passion for inclusion and our commitment to finding the best people with an innovative application of our video and collaboration technologies plus accommodations to help people with disabilities transcend location, mobility, and challenges to seamlessly join teams and contribute value

Cisco has always been committed to paying our people fairly and equitably. Our pay parity initiative expands our capabilities—creating new insights through a framework of powerful analytics and targeted strategies to identify the factors that influence fairness and equity. We’ve given pay adjustments to close those minor gaps.

Our commitment to inclusion is widely recognized. We’re especially proud of the many industry distinctions and inclusive leadership awards we received this year, including Diversity Magazine MBA, the National Association of Female Executives Top Companies, Military Friendly® Employer, Working Mother Best Companies for Multicultural Women, Disability Matters, Aon Hewitt’s “Best of the Best,” and Great Places to Work. We scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2016 Corporate Equality Index, and 9 of our executives received individual inclusive leadership awards.

Our U.K. and Ireland (UKI) Inclusion Leadership Team’s focus on generation, disability, sexual orientation, and ethnicity has resulted in Cisco becoming the first IT company in the U.K. to achieve the National Equality Standard certification

Many of our greatest opportunities to attract, develop, and promote our diverse talent come through global strategic engagements with organizations that include the Anita Borg Institute, Hispanic IT Executive Council, IT Senior Management Forum, Disability Matters, Out and Equal, Diversity Best Practices, Simmons, and the Executive Leadership Council (ELC)

Our people are doing amazing things within the I&C Community. Our Connected Disability Awareness Network (CDAN) is expanding awareness around hidden disabilities such as autism, dyslexia, diabetes, and ADHD. Our VETS Employee Resource Organization paid tribute to the Fallen Heroes and the Gold Star parents (those who have lost a son or daughter in war) by hosting a “Remembering Our Fallen” memorial to honor servicewomen and men who have lost their lives in the wars since 9/11 and hosting a reception for their families. Our PRIDE group for LGBTQ employees and their allies flew the rainbow flag at our San Jose headquarters in a show of unity following the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida.

Our Women of Impact (WOI) global event created a unique opportunity to get connected, be empowered, and find inspiration for over 10,500 women and men at 89 live sites across 43 countries as well as via virtual technology