Embracing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at MCS

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) are more than just buzzwords. They are more than images posted on social media pages to garner clicks, and they are more than just words printed on a corporate website or the walls of a business to impress customers, vendors and employees. These words are the very definition of a work environment that helps to ensure everyone feels valued, welcomed, and supported.  

These words also represent the heart of one of MCS’s five company values: Nurture. At MCS, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and grow, and we are committed to sharing our time and resources to help make that happen. We believe that supporting DEIB is the right thing to do as a good corporate citizen, and we are also convinced that when employees feel nurtured, connected and heard, they become more engaged and passionate about what they do. When that happens, production and morale are poised to skyrocket.  

That’s why we are strengthening our commitment to our DEI&B initiatives. Led by our Chief Human Resources Officer Marti Diaz, our DEIB efforts are an investment in our people and our future. Here’s a closer look at what we’re doing and why it matters, as well as our plans for the future.  

DEIB at MCS 

“We have always embraced and valued the principles of DEIB. We’re now in the process of creating a more intentional, structured approach to our initiatives and goals,” said Diaz. To assist in this process, a working group of employees from across the company were recruited to help. This group, known as the Shine Brighter Together team, provides feedback, prepares communications, supports programs and initiatives, and looks for new ways to incorporate the principles of DEIB across the organization. 

The team’s first action item was to define MCS’s DEIB mission, which now helps guide our actions around DEIB: 

To be an organization that respects, values, encourages, includes and celebrates all team members, customers, vendor partners and communities.  

We chose these words carefully, because each one matters. 

• Respects: Everyone matters here, and we appreciate and embrace our differences. 
• Values: We recognize that having a diverse team makes us stronger 
• Encourages: We seek to identify and develop diverse leaders and individual contributors by providing insight, direction, encouragement and opportunities to grow 
• Includes: We work to create a place where everyone feels like they belong 
• Celebrates: We make time to celebrate the unique qualities that each person brings to our team 

Why DEIB matters  

It’s no secret that businesses with happier, more engaged employees are more likely to succeed. By ensuring everyone is welcomed, valued and celebrated we allow our employees to bring their full, true selves to work each day. “At the end of the day, MCS is a service business. Providing our customers with the very best service in the business is how we succeed, and we need the very best team in order to accomplish that,” said Diaz.  

With incredibly low unemployment rates, top talent is a hot commodity. We are proud of the safe and nurturing workplace we’ve created at MCS, and employees and candidates tell us they appreciate our efforts to embrace diversity. According to a recent LinkedIn study, 76% of job seekers listed diversity as an important factor when accepting a job offer, and 80% said that they’d like to work for an organization that values DEIB.  

“We think we have a pretty amazing team here at MCS, and we are always looking to add top performers to our team,” said Diaz. “As candidates are looking for their next opportunity, we want them to see MCS as a place where they can contribute in a meaningful way, grow their career, and feel valued for who they truly are.”  

Where we're starting  

We are relentless in our pursuit to be the best, and we have learned that our employees often have the very best insight on how we can improve. We completed our first DEIB employee survey last fall, and that survey helped to define our first action items around DEIB. Our initial focus has been around education, celebration and accountability at all levels of the business.  

“We’ve received great feedback on our first years’ initiatives. Completing our first company-wide DEIB training, hosting on-line and in-person events to talk about our values, and taking every opportunity we can to celebrate our uniqueness has been incredibly rewarding,” said Diaz.  

We’ve also launched our first employee-led resource groups (ERGs)—one for women and one dedicated to multicultural topics. On the vendor side, we’re stepping up our diversity recruiting efforts as well as assisting vendors with minority or women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) registrations.   

The future of DEIB at MCS 

The future is very bright at MCS, and we couldn’t be more excited about growing our DEIB initiatives over the next few years. We envision several potential elements to the program, including a designated leader to spearhead diversity efforts across the organization, online educational resources for employees, the second phase of our employee training and even an employee cookbook highlighting delicious cultural dishes that will be shared by our team members.  

DEIB measures of success 

In addition to improving our overall engagement scores and participation rates in ongoing employee surveys, MCS is focused on increasing the number of women and minorities in leadership roles across the company while continuing to grow our list of MWBE vendors.  

MCS wants to be the employer of choice, a place where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and celebrated – and where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.  

“We want our employees to know that you can bring your whole true self to work here and that you’re going to be embraced for who you are and the wonderful contributions you make” Diaz says. “If you love MCS and the work you do here, we're going to love you right back.” 

Work for MCS 

Want to join a great team that values EVERYONE’S contribution? Visit our careers page to learn more about current opportunities, awesome benefits, and amazing opportunities to grow your career.