The Why: Srinivasan’s focus on driving diversity initiatives has not only benefited Charter’s culture, but its bottom line and overall performance of the company’s advanced network as well. This year, he led Charter’s Internal Talk for AAPI Heritage Month, which focused on “Diversity at the Top,” and he champions the Supplier Diversity program that increases the number of diverse vendors with which Charter does business.
He Says… “There is greater awareness and appreciation for the business benefits of DEI and how diversity of thought and perspectives improves productivity and innovation.”
What practices should be adopted to make the hiring process more inclusive? I believe that the key is to start the hiring process with a diverse slate of candidates. This can be accomplished by advertising and sourcing candidates through multiple channels in addition to making the job descriptions and application process as inclusive as possible. The other equally important aspect is the interview process, beginning with making shortlisting fair, having a diverse panel, and setting the right tone and asking the right questions during the interview. Ultimately, we want to make sure the entire hiring process is as objective as possible.
Who do you view as a DEI champion and why? I view Rhonda Crichlow, Charter’s Chief Diversity Officer, as a DEI champion both within Charter as well as across our industry. Personally, Rhonda has had the most influence on me in how I think about DEI and more importantly, how I can promote DEI as a business leader to drive positive outcomes. Rhonda champions DEI through creating greater awareness of business benefits, thought-provoking dialogues, executing DEI strategies, and more importantly, recognizing and celebrating success.
How have attitudes about DEI changed since you began your career? I believe that attitudes about DEI have changed significantly for the better and it continues to evolve. I think there is greater awareness and appreciation for the business benefits of DEI and how diversity of thought and perspectives improves productivity and innovation. I also believe that we have significant opportunities to further improve diversity, especially in leadership positions in the engineering and technology domain.
