May 2024
In recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we would like to highlight our newest Employee Resource Group (ERG). ESL employees recently launched the Society of Asian & Pacific Islander Employees for Networking, Collaborating, and Engaging (SAPIENCE).
Learn more in the Q&A below with ESL employees Sumayia Islam (chair), Community Impact Coordinator, and Bhim Dhakal (co-chair), Mortgage Origination and Sales Associate.
What is an Employee Resource Group?
Employee Resource Groups at ESL are part of our workplace culture. They help foster professional development and learning through mentoring, networking, open dialogue, and the exchange of ideas. Even though the title may say a specific group, ERGs at ESL are open to all ESL employees.
Why was it important to establish the Society of Asian & Pacific Islander Employees for Networking, Collaborating, and Engaging?
We talked about wanting to share different aspects of our culture and our different experiences. There is so much diversity within the Asian culture. Our hope is to provide a space for professional development where we share similarities and differences, and how we can be inclusive and considerate of the diversity within our group. We want people to feel connected and to be able to educate one another about our lived experiences.
What has your experience at ESL been like?
Sumayia: We have really supportive leadership here at ESL. I have personally never been in a workplace environment where the core values really resonate like they do here. The company culture is so great. The fact that ESL is responsive to employee feedback makes such a difference. It’s just incredible how employees have a voice here, and that ESL really seeks it out.
Bhim: My favorite thing about ESL is the people. Everyone is very welcoming and open minded. Senior managers always listen. The culture evolves every year with feedback through our Voice of the Customer portal where anyone can provide feedback. Work life balance has been an enormous benefit, and ESL’s commitment to give back to the community is impressive.
If you’d like to learn more about joining our unique team, please visit esl.org/careers.
