Racial Equity: Right Team

We are committed to ensuring our organization–at all levels–reflects the diversity of the broader community, with a critical mass of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous colleagues in the U.S., and with a critical mass of colleagues from all castes in our India office. We believe this is key to creating an inclusive community and avoiding othering. Focusing on these communities helps us address persistent, systemic inequities and be proximate to the communities that our clients serve.

We seek to support and appreciate all our team members and clients for the breadth of their identities.

Our “right team” strategy focuses on three dimensions: recruiting, retention, and community.

Three team members collaborating around a laptop

Recruiting

In the past few years, we have taken critical steps toward our commitment to increase the number of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous colleagues in our U.S. offices and colleagues from all our castes in our India office.  Currently, 20-percent of Bridgespan staff identify as Black, Latinx, or Indigenous.

We continue to refine our recruiting, selection, and hiring processes to mitigate unconscious bias. Additionally, we interview candidates on their experience and expertise in confronting issues of structural discrimination and inequity.

To support our mission to increase the representation of diverse talent, we collaborate with The Consortium and MLT, in addition to attending recruiting conferences and events focused on Black, Latinx, and Indigenous hiring.

Retention

We want to ensure that all colleagues feel equally welcome to remain and succeed at Bridgespan. We monitor our overall retention rates and those of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous staff to identify if members of particular groups depart more frequently, and we use these data to help us address any gaps that emerge.
As part of our retention efforts, we also have a mentorship program for incoming Black, Latinx, and Indigenous staff to promote a stronger professional development experience. DEI Mentors are experienced leaders and managers who take on a hybrid role of mentor and advocate.

While we always strive to improve, we are proud of our track record. A few highlights include:

  • 75-percent of colleagues of color who have been at Bridgespan for six months to two years agree there are supports in place to encourage their growth and long-term success
  • Of new hires with tenure less than six months, 100-percent agree there is someone at Bridgespan who cares about their success and is looking out for them

A group of people in an alleyway

Community

We are committed to building community, relationships, and support among our colleagues from underrepresented backgrounds.

Community Dialogues: Many of our colleagues participate in Community Dialogues, a voluntary 10-week program that invites staff from all levels to talk about issues of identity and how it affects their personal and professional lives.

Annual retreats: We host an annual API, BABs, and LATBA summit that coincides with the annual Bain & Company BABs and LATBA summit and biannual BGLAD summit to provide an opportunity for members of affinity groups to come together to build community and learn from one another. Additionally, our leadership meets annually with all staff of color at Bridgespan to understand their felt experience.

Identity-based affinity groups: We offer affinity groups for staff in each of Bridgespan’s offices and at all levels of the firm. These forums provide opportunities to build community and receive mentorship be mentored and support from peers. Click here to learn more about our affinity groups.

Women at Bridgespan
Women at Bridgespan (W@B) identifies, celebrates, and continues to provide an environment where women thrive. W@B welcomes all people who identify with women’s spaces, including cis and transwomen and non-binary femmes. W@B has several priorities:

  • Explore the unique challenges women face professionally and personally
  • Advocate for the individual and collective needs of women
  • Continue to advance Bridgespan’s racial and global equity goals by incorporating an intersectional approach to gender and race
  • Elevating women of color to leadership positions within Bridgespan

Mobility at Bridgespan

Mobility at Bridgespan (M@B) is a community forum for Bridgespan staff to engage with topics related to and the lived experience of economic and social mobility globally. The group works toward this vision through three priorities:

  • Staff Retention: Providing mentoring, programming, and institutional support for staff who come from underprivileged socio-economic backgrounds and/or have experienced financial hardship
  • Staff Recruitment: Pursuing outreach opportunities to encourage individuals with low-income backgrounds to apply to Bridgespan and supporting candidates with additional coaching given our understanding of the systemic barriers faced by candidates who have experienced financial hardship or have low-income backgrounds
  • Ongoing Learning: Applying insights and research about social mobility to improve how Bridgespan supports its employees, conducts its operations, and engages its clients

More about Our Affinity Groups

API supports the experience and retention of Asians, Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and staff with Middle Eastern backgrounds at Bridgespan through community building, opportunities for mentorship, and partnership with the firm’s other affinity groups.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected]. 

BABs mission is to support the recruitment, retention, and development of Black/African American staff members at Bridgespan.
BABs:

  • Recruits and supports high potential Black candidates in the hiring process;
  • Holds local office and cross office events to foster connection within the group and with the broader office;
  • Provides a cross-office mentor program to support staff retention and development;
  • Holds a periodic conference with BABs members from Bain and Bridgespan to foster connections, share best practices, review our progress, and set our priorities; and
  • Communicates with Bain and Bridgespan leadership to advise them on policies to ensure an inclusive work environment.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

The mission of BGLAD is to support the recruitment and retention of talented gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender colleagues at Bain and Bridgespan.
BGLAD:

  • Recruits and supports high potential LGBTQ candidates in the hiring process;
  • Holds local office and cross office events to foster connection within the group and with the broader office;
  • Provides a cross-office mentor program to support staff retention and development;
  • Holds a periodic conference with BGLAD members from Bain and Bridgespan to foster connections, share best practices, review our progress, and set our priorities;
  • Communicates with Bain and Bridgespan leadership to advise them on LGBTQ policies and ensure a comfortable work environment; and
  • Promotes overall awareness of LGBTQ issues across our organization.

We have active members of BGLAD in each of Bridgespan's three offices and at all levels of the firm. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

LATBA's mission is to support the recruitment, retention, and development of Latinx/Hispanic staff members at Bridgespan.
LATBA:

  • Recruits and supports high potential Latinx candidates in the hiring process;
  • Holds local office and cross office events to foster connection within the group and with the broader office;
  • Provides a cross-office mentor program to support staff retention and development;
  • Holds a periodic conference with LATBA members from Bain and Bridgespan to foster connections, share best practices, review our progress, and set our priorities; and
  • Communicates with Bain and Bridgespan leadership to advise them on policies to ensure an inclusive work environment.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

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