All areas of business at Altice have grown and thrived under Goei’s guidance, and the $200 million acquisition of digital news network Cheddar has brought a unified focus to the company’s news division and positioned Altice USA as a global leader of local and digital-first news. The company was named Cablefax: The Magazine’s “MSO of the Year” in 2019, a recognition of its shift from consolidation to innovation. Under Goei’s leadership, Altice USA stock shot up nearly 50% this year. He’s also created a lot of excitement over the company’s wireless launch through its MVNO with Sprint. Goei knows the diversity of cultures and people at Altice USA is a huge factor in its success. “We live in an incredible time of advancement in all areas of the business world,” he says. “But we need to invest more top thinking into solving the challenges we face with hiring diversity—the same type of prioritization and thinking we put into product development or technology or engineering.”
Can you share a successful diversity program at your company or one you’ve observed at another company or organization?
For us at Altice USA, the launch of our employee Affinity Groups has been remarkably successful when you consider the early, but meaningful impact that their work is having on our employees and overall culture. To have our people feel comfortable sharing personal stories, feelings and ideas with colleagues across the country is a great thing for not just those individuals, but for our collective. In fact, it is largely thanks to our Affinity Groups that we have enhanced our maternity policy and rolled out new benefits for transgender reassignment surgery, among many others. These groups are making us a better company, and it’s why we continue to greatly value their work.
How can diversity be better incorporated into the recruiting process?
Recruiting and HR partners can only do so much. The responsibility for one’s team ultimately lies with managers. More leaders need to not only fully embrace the benefits to the business that come with having a diverse team, but take more ownership and initiative in helping to identify, attract and retain diverse talent. The recruiting process has a negative stigma but I believe it should be seen as an opportunity to think differently and welcome people who bring perspectives that challenge us.
What questions is the industry not yet asking in its efforts to be more diverse and inclusive that it should be?
Why aren’t we making more and faster progress on these issues? That’s the question in my mind. We live in an incredible time of advancement in all areas of the business world. But we need to invest more top thinking into solving the challenges we face with hiring diversity — the same type of prioritization and thinking we put into product development or technology or engineering.
