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Independence Blue Cross

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ADDRESS1901 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103

Independence Blue Cross

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ADDRESS1901 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103

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Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. For 85 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve.

e-Interview

In a conversation with Newsweek, Bridgett Hart, vice president, Employee Experience at IBEX, answered the following questions:

1. Can you provide an overview of your company's workplace culture and values, and how they contribute to a positive work environment?

At Independence Blue Cross, we strive to be one of the most admired and innovative companies leading the transformation of health care — now and into the future. This mission and vision guide the work we do and help define what makes Independence special.

Our culture is one of openness, integrity, and respect — where everyone feels appreciated and supported. We value what makes people unique, and we embrace diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Among our thousands of associates, you'll find people who represent practically every possible ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, generation, ability, interest, and background. We believe an inclusive, equitable workplace helps keep us vibrant, innovative, and passionate about what we do. Our diversity broadens our outlook and deepens our understanding, helping us fulfill our mission of enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve.

Our goal is to provide an atmosphere that offers flexibility, stability, and a work-life balance while considering all aspects of their well-being from physical and mental to financial. We are encouraged when we hear that our associates feel like they have a job that matters and that their experience with Independence is meaningful.

2. How does your company promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace? Are there any specific initiatives or programs in place?

Independence Blue Cross respects the diversity of our associates and values a culture of inclusion where everyone feels esteemed and supported. Having Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a corporate value and part of our culture signals to employees that we are relying on them to share their personal experience. We value the individual differences of our associates, including such dimensions as age, education, ethnicity, gender, disability, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and political and religious beliefs.

Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) that support and recognize our diverse workforce. Our varied list of 11 ARGs provide all associates a forum to connect with each other. Whether that be through professional development, networking opportunities, community outreach, or wellness support. These important and popular groups provide opportunities for growth and build on Independence's culture of inclusion.

Our training platform, Independence University, includes a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Institute which offers instructor led classes, on demand learning videos, Stand Up To Stigma videos, and resources. Our mandatory "Inclusive Leadership" training series focuses on several key learning areas, including unconscious bias, allyship, culture of inclusion and emotional intelligence.

3. Are there any professional development and growth opportunities available to employees? How does your company support career advancement?

Supporting our organization's success begins with developing our talented associates. The Independence Associate Career Opportunity site gives our workforce a place to explore new career opportunities as they become available and apply for positions at Independence as well as our affiliate companies. It also allows associates to create a job agent that sends an alert when a position of interest becomes available.

The Finance Rotation Program is an additional tool that provides a career development opportunity for associates of the Finance and Audit Divisions. The 12-month program gives participants experience and knowledge by having them complete a minimum of two rotations in various disciplines within the Finance and Audit divisions. After completing the rotations, participants will partner with leadership and Human Resources to identify potential opportunities within the organization.

We recognize that learning is life-long, and that our associates' growth helps us serve our customers better and helps them thrive as individuals. We are proud to provide access to Independence University. There are classroom courses and online learning, development programs, university partnerships, and more. Associates can grow their skills and advance their career with access to LinkedIn Learning, Headspace, podcasts, and countless videos and articles.

Our Future Blue Leaders ARG, founded in 2011, is a cross- functional resource group for motivated professionals. FBL provides a forum to encourage creative thinking, cultivate professional skills, and develop relationships.

4. What measures does your company take to support employee mental health and well-being?

At Independence Blue Cross, we look at everything through the lens of whole-person health. That is why we offer our associates a suite of programs that focus on their physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being. Our Associate Wellness Program gives associates access to activities and initiatives that are designed to educate and motivate them, while also creating a culture of well-being. Here are a few key examples of what we offer:

5. How does your company ensure transparency and open communication between management and employees, fostering a sense of trust and belonging?

At Independence, we use a self-appraisal system to help make mid- and year-end performance discussions more interactive, empowering, and effective. Associates have an opportunity to review their annual goals, rate themselves, and summarize their achievements for the year. They can also nominate colleagues who can provide their manager with feedback on their performance or ask for quick, anonymous feedback from colleagues.

Our annual associate survey – which is both voluntary and confidential – allows us to collect feedback from our workforce. This, in turn, enables us to identify the areas where we are strong, target the things that we can improve, and track our progress over time.

6. How does your company celebrate and recognize employee achievements and milestones?

Our STARS Recognition Program makes it easy for our associates to recognize and reward each other. The program allows for various levels of recognition, including:

Independence's service anniversary luncheons, hosted by our CEO and other members of the executive leadership team, recognize associates with work anniversaries of five years and more. Recognizing and celebrating these service anniversary milestones allows us to acknowledge each other's successes and strengthens coworker relationships.

7. How do you recognize employees and ensure they are compensated fairly as they grow with your company?

Our associates are our biggest and most important asset, helping to connect our work to our mission. The Independence Blue Cross compensation program enables flexible pay administration, career growth opportunities for all associates, and ensures that we have the ability to attract, retain, and motivate associates who possess the skills, knowledge, and core values that align with our corporate strategy.

Our compensation and recognition programs are designed to promote a culture of growth, increase associate engagement, and help us inspire, motivate, and reward associates who demonstrate the behaviors and contributions that are most important to our success. Key elements include:

8. How does your company encourage and support employee engagement and empowerment?

Since 2001, our Blue Crew volunteer program has been a hallmark of our commitment to enhance the well-being of our region and a testament to all that we can accomplish together. The Blue Crew is emblematic of the power of corporate citizenship at Independence, allowing our volunteers to take the networking, team building, and leadership skills they develop and use them to make Independence and our region a better place to live and work. Blue Crew volunteers engage in both hybrid and in-person volunteer efforts, both in our building and in the community.

In 2022, more than 1,000 Blue Crew volunteers donated in excess of 3,365 hours of time benefiting 48 nonprofit organizations in our region. Associates engaged in an additional 3,426 hours of independent volunteer time outside of Blue Crew events. As well, the Blue Crew Gives 2022 charitable giving campaign raised more than $1.1 million for regional nonprofit organizations through associate donations and a company matching gifts program.

Our MATCH (Mentoring Associates to Career Heights) program allows associates to get one-on-one professional guidance from a trusted coworker. They also have the option to join a small-group MATCH Mentoring Circle facilitated by a mentor who guides and encourages conversations on topics like navigating organizational culture, conflict resolution, productivity, and self-care.

9. What types of employee benefits and perks does your company offer? How do these contribute to overall job satisfaction?

In addition to a competitive salary, our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage, paid vacation and holidays, flex vacation option, 401(k) including company match with immediate vesting, paid time off for volunteering, tuition assistance, short- and long-term disability coverage, life, accidental death, and travel accident insurance, adoption assistance, and flexible spending accounts.

Our compensation package also includes things to help our associates maintain a greater quality of life, including career development; onsite fitness center and discounted membership rates at participating facilities; bike share discounts; rewards and recognition program; and nutrition counseling.

10. How does your company handle feedback and suggestions from employees? Is there a system in place for employees to voice their concerns or ideas?

We know that our associates are critical to our success. Gathering feedback from them enables us to identify strengths, target areas for improvement, and measure our progress over time.

Our annual employee survey is voluntary and completely confidential. The survey is administered by an external firm with expertise in employee engagement surveys. Results are provided to the company as summaries only, such as company-wide or department scores, and there is no personally identifying information shared back with the company. Associates are welcome to take the survey on a work computer or a home or mobile device.

Key findings from the survey are then shared with associates, as well as with company leadership. We believe this helps us identify strengths and target areas for improvement so that we can grow and improve as an employer. Survey results in previous years have enabled us to make significant improvements to the associate experience.

We are encouraged by associate feedback like this: "I feel listened to, valued, and appreciated. My management and leadership team has been open to understanding, valuing, and really listening to some of the concerns I've had as well as the concerns of other people on my team."

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