Championing Talents in Tech: Sun Life Global Solutions unveils more comprehensive diversity programs for 2024

Sun Life Global Solutions (SLGS) Philippines team and Executives, (First row from left to right) Maria Theresa  Claudio – Associate Director for Governance Risk and Compliance, SLGS Philippines, Pooja Mehtani - General Counsel of SLGS, Tarun Sareen - Managing Director, SLGS, Shiv Ranjan - Head of Technology Management and Transformation, SLGS, Nathalie Bernardo - Vice President and Site Head, SLGS Philippines, Atty. Hannah Anonuevo - Head of Legal, SLGS Philippines, Tony Alonzo – Head of Enterprise Infrastructure Services, SLGS Philippines, (Second row from left to right) Dang Lopez- Head of Human Resources and Communications, SLGS Philippines, Rajeev Bhardwaj –  VP & Chief Human Resources Officer SLGS, Kshitij Kohli – Head of Operations, SLGS Philippines, Criselda Torres-Gomez – Director of SLGS Philippines Canadian Call Center, Ada Mae David – Head of Portfolio Management, SLGS Philippine, Lea Ruiz- Head of Services and Products, SLGS Philippines and Lowell Tortona – Head of Digital Delivery, SLGS Philippines  during the SLGS Quarter 1 Town Hall and Innovation Month Grand Finale.  

Sun Life Global Solutions (SLGS) Philippines, the Global Capability Center (GCC) of the global insurance and asset management leader Sun Life is further championing employees from all backgrounds through its more comprehensive Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) career plan.

Their continuous commitment to empowering talent has been the motivation behind their comprehensive DEI&B programs which are mapped across the complete employee life cycle of Attract, Develop, Engage and Retain. Conceptualized in alignment with the Sun Life DEI strategy, the programs draw on the inputs gathered from various employee feedback platforms to gather employee pulse and feedback across Sun Life. 

ATTRACT through Focused Hiring for Diverse Talent

While gender diversity across SLGS is currently at 55%, the company is committed to growing their gender diversity in tech positions by removing bias in hiring. 

In the past year, the Talent Acquisition team has made huge strides in this direction through awareness campaigns with university partners, training on resume writing, and incorporation of policy changes for removing bias in hiring such as the removal of pictures, gender, age/birthday and parent occupation in candidate resumes. 

Another significant progress that SLGS has made is hiring a PWD resource and continuously learning about hiring persons with disabilities by adopting best practices in the industry. 

DEVELOP with Mentorship Program and Training Roadmap

For current employees, the women’s network “SunStree” serves as a platform for women to help them maximize their potential, creating mentorship programs for women and would-be women leaders. 

SLGS also runs a reverse mentorship program with Millennials and Gen Zs as mentors, and their leaders as mentees. This will be amplified through the implementation of the Allyship Framework, which allows the entire leadership team of SLGS to co-sponsor awareness campaigns on how to be an “ally”. 

To consistently improve on their DEI&B efforts, SLGS has established inclusion networks, which are groups for gender empowerment called Bright Women, Pride (LGBTQ+) and DiverseAbility (Persons with Disability) clubs. Two more were established locally: DEKADA (Inter-generation) and Working Families. To sustain this, SLGS is also inviting their managers to have focus group discussions to align on their inclusivity programs and serve as the voice of their employees. 

ENGAGE AND RETAIN through DEI&B Programs 

SLGS’s celebration of diversity in Tech spans across engaging and retaining employee talent through year-round DEI&B programs. Some of these activities include: the annual celebration of the International Women’s Day (March), a Family Day festivity (May), the yearly Pride Celebration (June), the Inter-generation Month (September), Sikat Awards (October), Singles Day (November), PWD month and Adopt a Child Day (December).

Other notable efforts include the implementation of DEI&B Awards, furthering Inclusion Network Activities and Events including collaboration initiatives with Sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams, and driving Awareness and visibility campaigns on the inclusion networks to boost membership sign-ups.

“Our People uphold our purpose and values. At SLGS, we encourage and develop leadership at every level. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive, caring, empowering and respectful environment, where everyone can harness their full potential and feel belonged. Our diverse workplace inspires creativity, fosters innovation, drives values and creates positive impact. We own the opportunities and power through challenges to do the best work of our lives as well as inspire others,” said Tarun Sareen, Managing Director of Sun Life Global Solutions. 

Sun Life Global Solutions (SLGS) leaders Nathalie Bernardo, Vice President and Site Head of SLGS Philippines (left) and Tarun Sareen, Managing Director of SLGS (right), during the company’s Q1 Town Hall and Innovation Month Grand Finale. 

Nathalie Bernardo, SLGS Philippines Vice President and Site Head, echoed Tarun’s sentiments while highlighting the importance of their DEI&B mission for Sun Life as a company and its employees. “Our goal is for every employee to feel heard and empowered to make a positive impact, for our clients and for the community" she said.

“When we feel that we truly belong in our workplace, we feel more connected, committed, and valued. This is why we want to ensure a psychologically safe environment for everyone, where we bring our whole selves to work, where we are authentic and express our unique perspectives” added Bernardo.

With the company receiving Great Place to Work (GPTW) certification for four consecutive years, SLGS looks forward to being a torch bearer for celebrating its employees from all backgrounds and continuing to embrace their commitment to championing their talents.