We value the contributions of all of our employees. But the contributions of our female staff – who make up 73 percent of our workforce – are vital to the success of our business and the care we provide our members.
During the 27th annual YWCA Academy for Women of Achievement celebration, held Oct. 11 at Nashville’s Music City Center, BlueCross was recognized as 2018’s Corporate Honoree for our inclusive culture, particularly our efforts to support our female employees.
This support is evident in our culture and benefits, from policies such as paid parental leave of absence for childbirth, adoption and foster placements, to our concerted efforts to provide opportunities to help women grow their careers and promote them to leadership positions.
The recognition also highlighted resources such as the Women’s Leadership Network employee resource group and its 600-strong membership.
Voices from our workforce
We asked some of our female employees to reflect on the role BlueCross has played in their lives and career growth.
Amy Andrews, director of strategic planning
“Participating in the Emerging Leaders program was some of the best training I’ve had outside of school.”
“It was very focused on real-world solutions and programs that apply to your day-to-day operations. And it wasn’t a matter of, ‘Hey, I want you to change and be this person.’ It was, ‘I want you to be true to who you are because that’s how you got to this place, and let us enhance that by providing additional skills.”
Lanise Hutchins, program manager
“BlueCross fully supports women by understanding our needs and wants, and providing benefits and services that keep us healthy and help us grow professionally. I was part of the 2013 Corporate Mentoring program. This was an opportunity to meet new people, have networking opportunities with the executive leadership team, and participate in a community project. The mentorship definitely catapulted my career to where it is today.”
“I have the confidence to lead, I’ve developed lifelong friendships with my corporate mentoring group, and I got an opportunity to learn about the different areas of the company.”
“BlueCross also supports my passion for volunteering through Team Blue opportunities.”
Bianca Micheletti, strategic media planner
“I’m originally from Honduras, and as an immigrant in this country, it’s very difficult to start your career if you don’t have previous work experience here. BlueCross gave me that opportunity.”
“My managers supported me and encouraged me to further develop my skills. English is my second language, and even though I’m fully bilingual, I did encounter communication issues. However, BlueCross offers programs that enhance communication skills. I have a professional development coach who has helped me improve my conversation and presentation abilities.”
These perspectives also show how we earned recognition from Forbes as one of its 2018 Best Employers for Women. BlueCross ranks 30th out of 300 organizations on the publication’s inaugural list.
Our inclusive hiring practices, our family-friendly benefits and the diversity of our leadership all played a role in our recognition by Forbes and the YWCA Academy of Women of Achievement. But most importantly, it’s due to the success stories and experiences of the women who help us pursue our mission.
Jesse joined the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee corporate communications team in 2017. A Chattanooga native, he has more than 15 years’ experience in content creation, management, and strategy for consumer audiences, including a six-year stint in health care marketing.