JPMorgan Chase believes that to be a first-class business in a first-class way, the people in the organization must spearhead those efforts. Along with its reputation, the financial-services institution calls its people its most valuable asset. “The single most important benefit I see from diversity at JPMorgan Chase is talent,” says Patricia David, chief diversity officer. “To be able to have a repeatable, scalable, sustainable process for refueling the talent engine has a direct impact on our ability to attract top diverse talent, which has an impact on providing superior service and support to our clients, developing more innovative solutions and expanding into new markets, all of which has a positive impact to the bottom line for our shareholders and employees.” JPMorgan Chase takes the view that creating a winning team and self-sustaining culture takes hard work, and winning comes through discipline, coordination, execution, and passion. A linchpin of this view is diversity. As JPMorgan Chase is a worldwide organization, there is no such thing as a “typical” client. The company believes that to keep thriving and providing clients with the best possible advice, its people need to reflect the world in which it operates.
JPMorgan Chase supports and nurtures diversity and inclusiveness in a number of ways across the organization, highlighted by its commitment to “meritocracy,” where everyone can succeed based on merit. The approach is that no barrier should inhibit an individual from performing to his or her full potential and that different perspectives bring strength and creativity and lead to the best solutions for clients. Management accountability is central to JPMorgan Chase’s diversity efforts. Managers understand they are accountable for making measurable, sustainable progress on diversity goals, and are encouraged to participate in a range of diversity activities, including mentoring, sponsorship roles in employee networks, participation in college recruiting, and sponsorship of “fireside chats” with employee groups. Additionally, compensation of JPMorgan Chase colleagues who have significant management responsibilities is tied to performance against key people objectives, which include recruiting and developing employees through a range of professional experiences.
