Together Is Our Future
Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Learning (IDEAL) was established in 2015 with the mission to accelerate the advancement of women and increase diversity in the workplace at Alaska Communications.
Since then our mission has expanded to include all employees. Now our focus is on the professional development and advancement of our employees, creating a united and diverse workforce, and making Alaska Communications a great place to work through enhanced employee engagement. We strive to create a culture of cohesion, building relationships that remove barriers.
IDEAL GOALS
Every year our IDEAL committee sets forth on new goals that take us another step closer to achieving our mission. In IDEAL, we plan to focus on:
- Improving Alaska Communications' ability to attract, develop, promote and retain talent
- Developing partnerships, sponsorships, and involvement within the community
- Educating youth on careers in telecom and technology
- Continue training to help employees learn how to identify and counteract unconscious bias
- Enhancing employee's professional growth through mentorships, providing information on career coaching, paths, and role models
- Cultivating company-wide leadership competencies that reflect Alaska Communications' values.
WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED
Since our program started in 2015, we have made a difference in our workplace by accomplishing the following:
- Launching our monthly Speaker Series, where our employees can connect firsthand with community thought leaders
- Starting a company-wide Mentorship Program with now over 40 mentors/mentees
- Hosted Unconscious Bias Training with POPE Consulting
- Established Wellness Rooms throughout our work spaces to give employees an opportunity to relax, rest and decompress
- Created Expectant Mother Parking Spaces to improve the safety and care of our employees
- Started our Community Sponsorship Program, supporting causes related to diversity and professional development
Thought Leaders from Our Communities Speaker Series
Each month, we invite thought leaders from our communities to share personal and professional insights with our employees at the Speaker Series event. In the last few years, we have hosted over 40 speakers including some of the most influential leaders in our cities and state.
Interested in being a part of the conversation? This event is open online to the public and we'd love to have you join in on the conversation! Know someone with a fantastic story to share? Send them our way to present at one of these lunches!
Attend or present at one of our Speaker Series events.
Driving Change and Support Within our Community Community Involvement
IDEAL strives to drive change and support within our community. We have and continue to sponsor non-profit organizations including Anchorage Athena Society, Girl Scouts of Alaska, American Heart Association – Go Red for Women, STAR Alaska, and YWCA Alaska.
A Focus on Improvement Mentorship
As part of its efforts to promote professional development and employee retention, IDEAL supports a mentorship program open to all employees. The impacts are clear: mentorship motivates, advances, and results in improved work-life satisfaction.
Ask mentors what they derive through participation, and they'll likely tell you it's the satisfaction derived in helping co-workers build and strengthen foundations for greater personal and professional success. Mentors discover that by giving, they are in fact the greater recipients.
Strengthening Ourselves and Our Communities Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity invites new perspectives that foster creativity, innovation, and problem solving. Studies have shown that companies who embrace diversity in their workforce benefit from higher employee engagement, reduced turnover, and greater profitability. In 2019, IDEAL hosted POPE Consulting to teach Alaska Communications employees about unconscious bias and the value of diversity and inclusivity.
Today,IDEAL is committed to leading the conversation around unconscious bias, diversity and inclusivity, driving change and awareness within Alaska Communications and our communities.
Achieve Bigger and Better Evolving the Workplace
For Alaska Communications, IDEAL champions efforts to inform and empower our workforce to achieve bigger and better, and to actualize the potential within each of our employees.
IDEAL spearheads efforts to attract professionals both locally and globally to help improve our hiring results, advance better decision making and leadership, and to position Alaska Communications as a desirable employer and responsible corporate community member.