ERGs at Guidewire: Generating Visibility with ABLE

At Guidewire, we have a whole host of employee resource groups for colleagues to get involved with. Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are employee-led groups made up of volunteer individuals who represent common interests, experiences, backgrounds, or demographics (e.g. race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, military status, religion, abilities, age, etc.). Today's blog gives us an insight into the inception and launch of our newest ERG, ABLE (also referred to as ABLEguide). 

What is ABLE? 

ABLE is the latest ERG at Guidewire. ABLEguide seeks to help employees with visible or invisible disabilities, caretakers or those who want to be an ally. 

“Our mission is to advocate awareness and inclusion for people with disabilities or mental health concerns at Guidewire. It is also our mission to provide a safe space to enable people with visible or invisible disabilities, supported by allies, to articulate their stories to be heard and understood.”

Feeling Seen with ABLE  

As part of Guidewire’s evolving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion journey, our ERGs have been a critical and tangible way to create an inclusive community driven directly by our employees. The recent global pandemic heightened awareness for all of us on the importance of creating a safe space for discussing mental health concerns and supporting each other as a group. Creating ABLEguide reflects a global commitment at Guidewire to open and honest dialogue around mental health and support. As ABLE grows, it is our intent that Guidewire will welcome, accommodate, and retain people with visible or invisible disabilities, giving current and future employees a more meaningful connection in the Guidewire community. 

Navigating Authenticity and Vulnerability  

Having just launched ABLE, we are early on our journey to see how it resonates with our employees. Coinciding with National Disability Employment Awareness month (USA) last October, we held two virtual events in partnership with Disability:IN. These events discussed the future of work amid the pandemic and advancing disability inclusion across the marketplace. Our employees learned about how the workforce is evolving and how industries are adopting new ways to provide an inclusive place of work.  

Early indications from our employees show that they are willing to be their honest and authentic selves, and feel comfortable with that vulnerability within our Guidewire community.  

We have more initiatives and events in the pipeline this year to facilitate conversations around disability and mental health in the workplace, and we're excited to watch the ABLE community grow across the organization globally. 

Discover more with Guidewire’s ERGs 

Interested in hearing more about Guidewire’s Diversity and Inclusion groups? Learn about our employee resource groups on our culture page: https://careers.guidewire.com/diversity  

Feeling inspired? We’re hiring across the globe, click here for more: https://careers.guidewire.com/jobs