Why Is VALORguide Important To You?
How VALORguide Will Build Connection Through Community
Navigating What's Next for VALORguide
ERGs at Guidewire: United Through VALORguide
Guidewire recently celebrated the launch our newest employee resource group (ERG), VALORguide. VALORguide was created as a space for military members and veterans, as well as their friends and families, to gather and support each other. ERGs at Guidewire are employee-led groups made up of volunteer individuals who have common interests, experiences, backgrounds, or demographics (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, military status, religion, abilities, age, etc.).
Read about how Justin and Ivo hope VALORguide will create a sense of community and provide connection opportunities for its members, both personally and professionally.
Justin: Being from a family where many of my family members including my father, brothers and friends were enrolled in the military, I feel the obligation to support and serve those that serve us. I look forward to growing our Veteran ERG ecosystem, providing growth (personal and professional), and opportunities while strengthening the culture of Guidewire.
Those that have served in the military or have supported a service member have unique life experiences where relatability leads to comfortability. The veteran employee resource group will provide channels that enhance the employee experience and further galvanize our community.
Ivo: I wanted to give back to other veterans by mentoring and paying it forward, just like how veteranetwork helped me with mentoring, knowledge transfers, tailored preparations, tech up-skilling and gaining confidence to take exams.
Veterans also understand the value of team work and fostering this trait will be a priority as we collaborate more and break down silos.
Justin: We have been fortunate enough to lead a number of career counselling and technology advancement mentorships for other Guidewire ERGs already. Aside from the certifications and promotions attained from these exercises, we've experienced a multitude of new relationships that likely wouldn't have existed otherwise. The Veteran ERG will continue to expand on these opportunities and build connections within Guidewire.
Ivo: This ERG will help employees by building awareness among colleagues, professional growth, networking opportunities, and by advocating that we are a veteran friendly company.
Veterans bring key skills from past service, such as resilience, the ability to handle a wide range of challenges, patience, focus, and humility under pressure. The ability to connect with other employees by sharing stories, experiences, and our journeys creates a sense of community and enhances a sense of belonging.
Justin: I believe the VALORguide will provide a place where compassion will be offered to all participants. We look forward to positively impacting the careers and lives of many, while making a responsible use of Guidewire's precious resources.
We recently held our launch event for VALORguide which our CEO, Mike Rosenbaum kicked off. He shared experiences from his time in the military, and this was followed by a panel with five employees representing our global military workforce. We truly started on a high note!
I am overjoyed with the opportunity to lead the Veteran ERG, and I take this position very seriously. My vision is to not only support my fellow VALORguide leaders, volunteers and ecosystem, but also to enhance the other ERGs using this platform.
Ivo: We'll make our impact through educating and creating additional resources that align with company and individual goals. These career growth opportunities will positively affect veterans, which also cascades to the veterans' families and networks. These small, subtle hops will ripple positively as we work to continually improve our contributions and experiences here.