T-Mobile’s External Diversity and Inclusion Council members say celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month on a companywide level is the right way to honor Latinx employees — past, present and future.

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“Most people know about the Latino population in terms of statistics,” says T-Mobile External Diversity and Inclusion Council member Gilbert Casellas. “There are 58 million of us, with a GDP that’s equivalent to $2.3 trillion, and if we were a separate country we would be the eighth largest country in the world. Fortunately, we’re part of this great country and making it even greater.”

As a way to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, T-Mobile announced it is honoring its Hispanic employees and customers through community giving, events and dialogues that promote Hispanic voices under the central theme of Orgullosos de Nuestro Pasado. Enfrentando el Presente. Impactando el Futuro. — Proud of our Past. Facing the Present. Impacting the Future.

Impacting the future is the keen focus of the company’s <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/meet-the-civil-rights-leaders-joining-t-mobiles-external-diversity-and-inclusion-council">External D&I Council</a>, as their work to advise T-Mobile on its DE&I initiatives now begins.

Casellas, former chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), has put that belief into action with his extensive legal and policy experience as a diversity, equity and inclusion advisor to several major corporations, governmental commissions and universities. He says Hispanic Heritage Month is a reminder to everyone the multifaceted role the Latinx population plays in the success of the country.

“Bring your whole selves to work,” urges Casellas. “Let your voices be heard. As our country and its institutions and businesses become increasingly more diverse, I believe we as Latinos will have a greater role in driving that success.”

For its part, T-Mobile has been recognized as a Best Employer for Latinos in the Nation by Latino Leaders Magazine and named 2018 Corporation of the Year by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Throughout this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, the company’s over 55 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chapters across the country gave their members an opportunity to learn and have meaningful conversations with virtual panel discussions, cultural exchanges and guest speakers that explored the topics of culture, history, representation and equity.

Listening to these voices serves as motivation for fellow council member Sindy Benavides, the Chief Executive Officer of <a href="https://lulac.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LULAC</a>. She says working with T-Mobile’s External D&I Council creates a gold standard for all companies when it comes to engaging their Latinx employees and is a way for her to pay homage to those who came before her.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is a special month to celebrate and honor our ancestors, especially for their mission, their courage, their sacrifice and their love,” says Benavides. “I hope that through the work I do every single day at the League of United Latin America Citizens, the oldest and largest national Latino civil rights organization in the country, that I honor their legacy, their sacrificio , because they gave everything for me.”

Both Casellas and Benavides say they are encouraged as they think about the Hispanic community’s impact at T-Mobile and in the U.S. 

“We have a proud legacy and our future is bright,” says Casellas.

T-Mobile has honored that legacy this Hispanic Heritage Month with donations to organizations that  provide resources for a bright future, including a $10,000 donation to the Latino Community Fund as part of the company’s Community Spotlight program with the Seattle Mariners and by doubling employee donations to <a href="http://www.elcentrodelaraza.org/">El Centro de la Raza</a>, an educational, cultural and social service agency that provides support centering around the Latinx community but not excluding others in need.

“We know that in 2050 we will be 130 million Latinos strong,” says Benavides. “My hope is we as a community understand our power, understand our heritage and understand we come from a united, strong, courageous community with leaders that make up who we are today.”

T-Mobile Newsroom

As a way to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, T-Mobile announced it is honoring its Hispanic employees and customers through community giving, events and dialogues that promote Hispanic voices under the central theme of Orgullosos de Nuestro Pasado. Enfrentando el Presente. Impactando el Futuro. — Proud of our Past. Facing the Present. Impacting the Future.

&quot;We Have a Proud Legacy and Our Future Is Bright!&quot; | T-Mobile Newsroom

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&#8220;We Have a Proud Legacy and Our Future Is Bright!&#8221;

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Elaine Welteroth, former editor-in-chief at Teen Vogue, spoke to T-Mobile employees, offering a simple directive: leave roadmaps to help women follow the trails you’ve blazed.

“There was a whole new blueprint that I was going to be sort of writing for myself as I went along the way, and there were not a lot of role models or blueprints that I could refer to throughout my journey,” Elaine Welteroth reminisced while speaking virtually to some 5,200 employees logged in to T-Mobile’s fourth annual Women’s Summit, which recently took place. “I just remember how important it felt to connect with another black woman leader.”

Welteroth found her way to become the youngest editor-in-chief at a Conde Nast publication when she took the helm of <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/">Teen Vogue</a> in 2017, as chronicled in her 2019 best-selling memoir More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are — but she said finding a mentor who looked like her and shared similar experiences in her career journey was one of the biggest challenges she faced. And as someone who identifies with the Shonda Rhimes-coined acronym F.O.D. (First. Only. Different.), she feels a responsibility to ensure the advice of a mentor who has been there before isn’t so elusive for those next in line.

“I thought, ‘We are doing a disservice to the next generation,’” she continued. “The goal is to be the first but not the last. The responsibility that comes with being a F.O.D. is to create more space for other folks who might not have an opportunity had it not been for you being there.” The summit, hosted by the Women & Allies Network, one of six Employee Resource Groups focused on the company’s <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/building-a-long-lasting-and-impactful-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-plan">Diversity, Equality and Inclusion initiatives</a>, was held on Women’s Equality day, which this year marked 100 years since the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote — even if that right was not immediately available to all women due to discriminatory local laws. The summit tackled subjects focused on understanding the meaning and importance of allyship, intersectionality and inclusionist thinking. The session with Welteroth also included T-Mobile’s Jon Freier, EVP of Consumer Markets, and was moderated by Women & Allies Network Co-Chair Lauren Hayes, Director of Signature Retail Consumer Markets for the company. “We need to be sharing our stories, our tools, in order to empower each other and feel less alone,” Welteroth said definitively when asked what’s next in the journey towards women’s equality. “I thought if I’m going to be held up as a trailblazer for being first then I have work to do beyond the scope of my job description. I have to make sure the work I’m doing lays the groundwork, paves a trail, but also leaves signposts along the way that make it less daunting, less alienating, less confusing and less disempowering for the next young black woman leader who comes behind me.”   But while Welteroth remarked on the importance of recognizing and leveraging women who identify with her experiences as a black female professional in white corporate America as key, she didn’t discount the power that comes along with inviting others without these shared stories and experiences into the dialogue. Her conversations were once relegated to a privately shared understanding, but Welteroth said the next necessary step towards change involves the uncloaking of these truths for public discussion.

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“My coping mechanism throughout my career in media has been to find my tribe, find people who can relate to these experiences of micro-aggression and … what it means to be the only one like you in a room in a corporate environment. We have our off-line chats and we have our group chats … and we support and we hear each other … but I think now there is an opening in the matrix,” said Welteroth. “There is an opportunity for all of us to be a part of these conversations because Black people, women, whatever the marginalized group is, we cannot fix these problems on our own. We need to be working in concert with the majority and the folks in power to actually create the change that we all want to see.”

Armed with a newly created blueprint and ample signage to place along the way, Welteroth made it clear that she is determined to ensure her journey is a key part of that change.

Gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman also presented as one of T-Mobile’s Women’s Summit guest speakers. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/gold-medalist-aly-raisman-on-courage-and-self-compassion" target="_blank">Watch her discuss</a> managing anxiety, believing in yourself and finding courage within.

Media Contacts

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Best-selling author and journalist Elaine Welteroth spoke to T-Mobile employees why being the first Black editor in different, groundbreaking capacities at two Conde Nast publications was a problem, not an accolade.

&quot;Why Forge a New Path if No One Follows?&quot; | T-Mobile Newsroom

&#8220;Why Forge a New Path if No One Follows?&#8221;

Shawna Ryan

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The founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative joined T-Mobile for its Talking with Trailblazers guest-speaker series

Recently, some 4,500 T-Mobile employees tuned in for a livestream conversation between EVP of T-Mobile for Business Mike Katz and Bryan Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the <a href="https://eji.org/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://eji.org/">Equal Justice Initiative</a> (EJI), an organization committed to challenging racial economic justice, ending mass incarceration and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable in our society. He is also notably the author of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/books/review/just-mercy-by-bryan-stevenson.html" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/books/review/just-mercy-by-bryan-stevenson.html">New York Times</a> bestselling memoir Just Mercy, which was adapted into a box office hit starring Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson.

The event was a part of T-Mobile’s ongoing <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/trailblazer-takeaways-ibram-x-kendi-on-being-an-antiracist">Talking with Trailblazers</a> series and took a deep dive into the societal and justice reforms needed in this country.

“I really wanted to use the law to protect people who might not be protected by our political process, who might not be protected by majoritarian outcomes,” the Harvard Law School graduate said of choosing his legal career. “I ended up coming to the Deep South to represent people on death row because I was deeply troubled by the fact that we have a criminal justice system that treats you better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. I was deeply troubled by the fact that people on death row were literally dying for legal representation because there is no right to counsel for the condemned after the initial trial and appeal. It also brought my interest in racial justice and helping the poor together. That's really how I came to being this."

Here are other key takeaways that Stevenson offered during this trenchant, of the moment Talking with Trailblazers event.

If we want to make a difference in the world, we've got to get “proximate.” “I don’t think we should underestimate the power of getting proximate to people who have been mistreated, abused, knocked down, excluded and disfavored. If nothing else, in proximity we can wrap our arms around folks and we can affirm their humanity and affirm their dignity. For me and the staff at EJI, we are fully committed to that proximity even though when you're proximate to someone on death row and you’re standing next to someone who is going to be executed, that will be challenging for you. But we absolutely are persuaded that our ability to be effective is conditioned on our willingness to get proximate … to get close to the people who are directly impacted. If we're concerned about income inequality, we’ve got to get closer to the poor. We've got to get closer to the excluded. If we care about criminal justice reform, we've got to get closer to the incarcerated and the condemned.”

Hopelessness is the enemy of justice. “I often say this, that hopelessness is the enemy of justice and justice prevails where hopelessness persists. Hope is what will get some of us to stand up when others say sit down and will get some of us to speak when others say be quiet, and it becomes a relationship. I'm both worried about the moment we're in with the pandemic and the impact it's having on people in jails and prisons, the impact it's having on the poor and communities of color. But I'm also very hopeful about this moment because I am seeing an energy, I'm seeing a resolve. I'm seeing companies having conversations they haven't had before. That's very exciting to me.

"But ultimately, my hope really comes by looking back at the generations that come before me. I'm the heir of a generation of people in Montgomery, Alabama that did so much more with so much less. I know I'm standing on their shoulders and they found a way to lift people up like me but with half the capacity and resources that I have in terms of material things. I have hope because if we had the will and the determination to overcome chattel slavery and to overcome lynching and terror and overcome segregation, we have to have the will and resolve to overcome these problems of over-incarceration and police violence.”

You can't really be informed until you know history. “This problem of over-incarceration directly intersects with this legacy and history of racial inequality. That's why right now our work is really focusing on both of these areas, because we understand that we have to confront, we have to do something about this long history of bigotry and bias that has been sustained by silence and our collective indifference. The police throughout their history first were organized in communities and one of the primary tasks was catching people who might be runaway slaves. At the very outset, the police identity was aligned with sustaining and continuing and protecting the institution of slavery. After our reconstruction, it was the police who stepped back and allowed mob violence and lawlessness to terrorize black people for a century. When John Lewis and Dr. King and Amelia Boynton went to the Edmund Pettus Bridge dressed in their Sunday best, it was the uniformed police officers that beat and battered and bloodied them. That identity cannot be disconnected from these issues.”

If you want to help, you have to do your homework. “I think if people try to do racial justice and racial equity work, or even diversity and inclusion work, without doing the education, it's almost like saying, ‘I want to be a nurse without learning anything about anatomy or about medicine or about healthcare.’ You can have a passion to help people who are sick, but until you have the knowledge, you're not going to be effective and you may do more harm than good. That's why I really do see this moment as a moment where we have to prioritize the learning, the education, the kind of conversations that really reposition our own understanding about what has to happen.”

We can't ever advance equity and opportunity if we only do the things that are comfortable and convenient. “I’m not interested in talking about slavery and lynching and segregation because I want to punish America for this history. My interest is liberation. But to get there, we're going to have to be willing to do the uncomfortable truth-telling, to do the uncomfortable reimagining, rethinking — reevaluating systems and structures, to do the uncomfortable conversations that allow us to address these issues like they've never been addressed before.

"I've been working with folks in the NBA and I'm super proud of the players and the coaches that are using their platform to get people to see things and to hear things they wouldn't otherwise see. These coaches are actually opening their press conferences by reading from our calendar and I love it because what they're doing is taking advantage of the space they have to advance in understanding. Don't make it the burden of just people of color to address these issues, because that can be exhausting and overwhelming. But all of us have a role to play. I think when we all commit to that we create a better environment for everybody.”

Justice is a constant struggle. “If we are willing to struggle, if we are willing to fight, if we're willing to get proximate, if we're willing to stay hopeful, if we're willing to do uncomfortable things, we can prevail, we can make progress. But if we are not, we will see these problems that are all around us continue to grow and deepen and manifest themselves in even more tragic waves. I would invite everybody to go to our website<a href="http://eji.org/"> eji.org</a> and become a part of that community of active educators that are sharing this information and knowledge.”

Stay tuned for more takeaways from T-Mobile’s Talking with Trailblazers series.

T-Mobile employees tuned in for a livestream conversation with Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), an organization committed to challenging racial economic justice, ending mass incarceration and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable in our society. He is also notably the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Just Mercy, which was adapted into a box office hit starring Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson.

Trailblazer Takeaways: ‘Just Mercy’ Author Bryan Stevenson on Achieving Equal Justice | T-Mobile Newsroom

Trailblazer Takeaways: ‘Just Mercy’ Author Bryan Stevenson on Achieving Equal Justice

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As part of a groundbreaking agreement signed last year, T-Mobile created an external council of leaders representing diverse groups to advise the company. 

Today, T-Mobile unveiled the members of its External Diversity and Inclusion Council. The group was created as part of T-Mobile’s groundbreaking multi-year, $25 million civil rights memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last year with six diversity and civil rights organizations. The council includes a representative from each of the organizations that co-signed the MOU and others from outside T-Mobile who are leaders in their respective communities.

The men and women of the council include some of America’s most accomplished civil rights leaders, representing a wide-range of underrepresented communities. Together with T-Mobile, the council will help identify ways to improve the company’s efforts in focus areas of the MOU such as corporate governance, workforce recruitment and retention, procurement and entrepreneurship, wireless services – including 5G wireless services – for low income consumers, and philanthropy and community investment.

Introducing T-Mobile’s External Diversity and Inclusion Council:

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As part of a groundbreaking agreement signed last year, T-Mobile created an external council of leaders representing diverse groups to advise the company.

Meet the Civil Rights Leaders Joining T-Mobile’s External Diversity and Inclusion Council | T-Mobile Newsroom

Meet the Civil Rights Leaders Joining T-Mobile’s External Diversity and Inclusion Council

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The World Champion Gymnast and Wellness Advocate spoke at T-Mobile’s Women’s Summit about  mental health and tips for succeeding under pressure.

Aly Raisman, team captain of the gold medal winning U.S. Women’s Gymnastics teams in 2012 and 2016, spoke at the 4th annual T-Mobile Women’s Summit about the importance of self-care, believing in yourself and being an ally. “I really think about the power of using your voice and how you may never know who else you inspire by sharing your story,” said Raisman to more than five thousand employees who logged in for the event held on Women’s Equality Day. The summit was hosted by the company’s Women & Allies Network, one of six Employee Resource Groups focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. The event tackled subjects focused on understanding the meaning and importance of allyship, intersectionality and inclusionist thinking.

On finding self-help tools and practices:

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“I’m somebody where if I have anxiety it’s really hard to get it out of my head. So, communicating and venting to somebody is very helpful and just kind of getting it out of my body almost is very beneficial. But also, as you said, anxiety is normal and I think also that being said about having communication and dialogue, I think it is also important to do the work on ourselves to practice self-compassion which is very important and I think practicing self-love is something a lot of people talk about. I think we are often our own worst critic. How we talk to ourselves, a lot of times, we would never talk to our younger self or our best friend or our daughters the way that we talk to ourselves. So, I think just being aware of that and being kind to yourself. I definitely think that how we treat ourselves, and how we often would not say that to somebody else, is something I remind myself of a lot.”

“I think it is a very normal thing to not really know what your next step in life will be. If someone does want to change direction [in their career], communicating with people and having a support group around you is important. Find people that have been in a similar situation that can help guide you and give you advice on what they learned, whether it was something they would have done differently or something that they think you should do. I think talking to people is one of the best ways you can learn but even if you're not talking to somebody, if you can just learn from other people, there's nothing wrong with that. If you decide that you want to do something and then you change your mind, that is okay, that is part of life and so is going down a different path and figuring out what works and what doesn't. I think we are living in a time where we are kind of forgetting that, and trial and error is okay, and if you don't like it, you try something else. So, I think it is important to just do what feels right for you and do what, really makes you happy and what makes you excited in the morning when you wake up.”

“Sometimes people don't know the right things to say. No matter what it is, sometimes I believe the right thing to say is, ‘I don't really know what the right thing to say is, but I just want to let you know I’m here for you and I support you.’ I think that's what makes a bond really strong is letting them know you're here for them and that's also what makes a really good leader. Being able to create a space where people feel comfortable asking questions, people feel comfortable going to you and knowing that you will help them.”

Former Teen Vogue Editor-In-Chief Elaine Welteroth also presented as one of T-Mobile Women’s Summit guest speakers. Stay tuned for more about her discussion on inclusionism at work.

The World Champion Gymnast and Wellness Advocate spoke at T-Mobile’s Women’s Summit about mental health and tips for succeeding under pressure.

Gold Medalist Aly Raisman on Courage and Self-Compassion | T-Mobile Newsroom

Gold Medalist Aly Raisman on Courage and Self-Compassion

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Just like America wouldn’t be the same without its Hispanic community, T-Mobile wouldn’t be the Un-carrier without its Hispanic employees and customers. Or in other words, no hay uno without the other.

During this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place Sept. 15-Oct. 15, T-Mobile is celebrating and honoring the enduring influence of the Hispanic community, past, present and future. With the theme of Orgullosos de Nuestro Pasado. Enfrentando el Presente. Impactando el Futuro. (Proud of our Past. Facing the Present. Impacting the Future.), the Un-carrier will celebrate in a big way with customers and employees alike during HHM through community giving, events and more!

Comunidad/Community

To honor the past and embrace the future, T-Mobile is giving back to two organizations that serve unique needs within the Hispanic and Latino communities near its Bellevue, Wash. headquarters. As part of T-Mobile’s Community Spotlight program with the Seattle Mariners, the company donated $10,000 to the Latino Community Fund initiatives, which cultivates new Hispanic leaders and supports cultural and nonprofit organizations to create a vibrant community in Washington state through civic engagement, healthy families, arts and culture. It is also doubling employee donations to El Centro de la Raza made during the month. El Centro de la Raza drives racial and economic equity efforts focused on Hispanic and minority communities in Seattle.

In another nod toward embracing the future, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/metrobytmobile/">Metro by T-Mobile</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MetroByTMobileLatino/">Metro by T-Mobile Latino</a> are giving a boost to Hispanic/Latino students through a social media giveaway aimed at helping out with school supplies and tuition. Hispanic and Latino students who share their thoughts on what their Hispanic/Latino identity means to them, how they celebrate their culture and how they’ll use the funds for school will have a chance to be chosen for one of 30 $1,000 awards!

T-Mobile is the most diverse major wireless company in the nation and a recognized Best Employer for Diversity and Latinos, so it’s no surprise that Team Magenta is all in during HHM. The Un-carrier’s 55 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion chapters across the country will give their employee members an opportunity to learn and share throughout the month with virtual panel discussions, cultural exchanges and guest speakers that will explore the topics of culture, history, representation and equity. Employees can connect with each other and reflect on their Hispanic heritage and culture, while the T-Mobile DE&I Learning podcast and employee spotlight videos produced by T Studios will circulate on brand social handles, web, YouTube and T-Nation. Employees can use the hashtag #SeguimosUnidos on social throughout the month.

Conexiones/Connections

T-Mobile is known for its exceptional customer service and support of Spanish speakers, but the Un-carrier also has a proud history of connecting customers with voices from the community that are meaningful to them. This HHM, the Un-carrier is proud to expand its partnership this year with Latino influencer and author LeJuan James. LeJuan is a bilingual writer, comedian and filmmaker whose first advertisement with the Un-carrier premiered in August 2020 at the Premios Juventud award show. Now he — and his mamá, too — are excited to share all the new and exciting offers and products that T-Mobile has in store. In the coming months, new content with LeJuan will continue to be shared on T-Mobile and T-Mobile Latino social media and air on Spanish-language channels.

Over the month T-Mobile will also post a content series on its newsroom featuring Hispanic employees and community leaders reflecting on the theme of past, present and future. Featured employees will share their experiences observing HHM, working at T-Mobile and supporting the company’s customers. Featured community leaders will speak to their partnerships with T-Mobile and the commitments the Un-carrier has made to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the Hispanic community and beyond, including the multimillion-dollar <a href="https://nul.org/news/civil-rights-groups-sign-groundbreaking-diversity-agreement-t-mobile-us">memorandum of understanding</a> that the company signed with 6 civil rights organizations as part of its merger with Sprint.

Check out <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/careers/culture-and-benefits/diversity">T-Mobile’s diversity, equity and inclusion website</a> to learn more about how DE&I are part of the Un-carrier DNA during Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond!

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest open all residents of the fifty (50) United States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years of age, identify as Hispanic/Latinx and enrolled in college. 9/15/20-9/18/20. On how to enter and full rules go to www.metrobyt-mobile.com/hhm-contest. Void where prohibited by law. T-Mobile is the sponsor of this offer.

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Just like America wouldn’t be the same without its Hispanic community, T-Mobile wouldn’t be the Un-carrier without its Hispanic employees and customers.

Orgullosos de Nuestro Pasado. Enfrentando el Presente. Impactando el Futuro.: T-Mobile Embraces Past, Present and Future for Hispanic Heritage Month 2020 | T-Mobile Newsroom

Orgullosos de Nuestro Pasado. Enfrentando el Presente. Impactando el Futuro.: T-Mobile Embraces Past, Present and Future for Hispanic Heritage Month 2020

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After a successful pilot launched this past year, the company reups and expands its commitment to a new program for hiring women who have temporarily left the workforce.

“I took a break relatively early in my career, and each time I navigated to an online application, it began with two choices: either ‘I am a recent graduate’ or ‘I am a seasoned professional.’”

That left Emilie Davidson feeling a little out of place. “With no local or recent professional contracts, I applied to dozens of positions each month and heard absolutely nothing back. It was easy to see how women in my situation fell through the cracks of the recruitment system,” Davidson explains. 

Talking through the challenge with Sara Culjan, a friend, fellow mom and business analysis manager at T-Mobile, convinced Davidson to take a new approach to her job search. “Sara really supported me through my return-to-work journey,” says Davidson. “She encouraged me to apply for a few jobs at T-Mobile and helped update my resume to fit the T-Mobile culture. She suggested filling the career gap’s space on my resume with ‘stay-at-home parent’ as my current role, including business jargon-y descriptions of the parenting role.”

Davidson’s effort generated some call backs, and, though no interviews followed after, reworking her resume offered something else: “Writing those descriptions actually helped me see how my time as a stay-at-home parent was practical experience, and surprisingly relevant to many paid jobs.”

Then, a few months after their initial conversations around her career hunt, Culjan forwarded information to Davidson about T-Mobile’s TechX Returnship pilot. The description of the need for the program — “to create more on- and off-ramps in the workforce” — resonated. “I felt like I had taken an exit ramp from the workforce and this created clear direction and some space to get back up to interstate speed.”

The TechX Returnship Program​​ — a partnership with <a href="https://www.reachire.com/">reacHIRE,</a> which helps facilitate paths to leadership roles for women returning to the workforce in technology roles — provides opportunities for women who’ve taken a long professional career break to care for family members, raise children and/or for other personal reasons. Seeking openings to return to the workforce after a significant period of time can prove challenging — but the company knows crucial team members are out there, and taking such a break doesn’t diminish their contributions to T-Mobile’s various teams.

The initial Returnship Pilot, which ran from November 2019 until May 2020, announced six impressive roles, including engineering, project management and analyst positions within T-Mobile's Technology Service Delivery & Operations (TSD&O) organization. 

For just those six roles, the program attracted almost 400 applicants quickly. But the unique pilot offered the opportunity to expand the traditional HR recruitment model, and focus on problem solving and critical thinking over existing skills or platform proficiencies — and hiring managers easily found top talent for their teams.

Managers and mentors were hand-picked for the pilot program based on proven leadership and commitment to other technology career programs. After Returners attended a week-long onboarding and training session to equip them with skills they needed to be successful, managers provided their Returners with challenging projects and plenty of opportunities to build their professional network, plug into relevant training and connect frequently with people in their TSD&O community.

The TechX Returners quickly adapted to the new working environment — with the initial transition back into work, and then having to work remotely due to COVID — and exceeded all expectations on their assignments and projects.

One thing was clear: each Returner ​brought refreshing, exciting and unique perspectives to the business.

“​​The other five women in my cohort are incredible, and it’s just baffling to see so clearly what would have been a huge missed opportunity if we had given up,” Davidson says. “I also look back at the time I had at home with my daughter and see the incredible missed opportunity it would have been if I had not chosen what felt best for my little family at that stage in our lives for fearing the challenge of a comeback.” 

The TechX Returnship’s program has roots in the intersection of T-Mobile's commitment to professional development and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. A few engineers attending a session about returnships at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference as part of the Women & Allies DE&I subgroup, Women in Technology, were inspired to text Brian King, SVP & Chief Operations Officer, Technology. As King  <a href="https://www.cio.com/article/3567348/t-mobiles-returnship-program-aims-to-get-women-back-into-tech.html">recently explained to CIO Magazine,</a> the idea of the TechX Returnship Pilot was born out of this outreach.

“We wanted to learn through the pilot,” King told the magazine. “We wanted to make sure that we have the right managers and mentors and that they were set up to be successful. We now have a formula that works. And we have a formula that we can scale within the rest of technology and make sure that we’ve got the right level of champions within each of the departments.”

When the pilot program concluded this spring, all six Returners successfully landed full-time roles — five within T-Mobile, and one externally — placements the team (understandably) considers a 100 percent success rate.

“T-Mobile has lived up to its reputation for supporting employees and having a wonderful business culture,” says Davidson, who landed a job as a program manager in the Technical Training & Development department. “I am so grateful that ReacHIRE was able to bridge the gap between an eager and qualified workforce and a fantastic company, and would encourage other companies and individuals to participate in the program.”

And thanks to that ​incredible success, TechX is expanding the Returnship program, and now seeking 20 talented Returners for a six-month program that will run from​ November 2, 2020 to May 14, 2021​.

Applications are now open for a wide variety of roles, including project management, product management, software engineering and business analyst positions. Returners will be hired as paid Non-T-Mobile Workers​ (NTW) and will work full-time hours (40 hours per week). Returners may be eligible to receive an employment offer at T-Mobile at the end of the program.

To be eligible for the program, applicants should:

Interested parties can apply <a href="https://www.reachire.com/hiring-partners-partner-brand-tmobile">here</a>.

T-Mobile Offers a Welcome “Returnship” for Women in Tech | T-Mobile Newsroom

T-Mobile Offers a Welcome “Returnship” for Women in Tech

JasonAdams

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The conversation around mental health is happening at major corporations, federal institutions and beyond, helping Americans feel more comfortable about seeking help when they need it.

For too long, the topic of mental health has been cloaked in shame and silence. As someone who’s experienced firsthand the damage done by depression and suicide in his own family, I’m actively working to open up the conversation.

It starts with the Consumer Markets organization I oversee: <a>more than 100,000 frontline employees representing T-Mobile’s most diverse ethnic and gender makeup</a>, serving all types of communities across the country. As their leader, I take their health, safety and wellbeing as my personal responsibility.

The members of my team experience their own challenges and carry their own burdens. This is especially true amid the disruption caused by the unexpected, unprecedented events happening in the world right now. These are historically challenging times, and the struggle to maintain mental wellbeing is not easy. I believe the more we talk about our struggles, the more we lighten our burdens.

Given how much time and energy Americans spend in the working world (virtual or otherwise), it’s important to address mental health in the workplace. My goal is to create a safe space across T-Mobile, where employees, managers and leaders can easily find the help they need to better support their families, friends and colleagues every day — and in the process take care of themselves.

The dangers of ignoring mental health are real. According to <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml">the National Institute of Mental health,</a> America’s suicide rate has increased by 31% since 2001. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among ages 10-34 in the U.S. and the 10th-leading cause of death in general in the U.S., claiming over 45,000 lives each year. Like many mental health conditions, depression and suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background.

But I’m saddened to say they’re particularly prevalent among our most vulnerable populations. LGBTQIA+ youth are three times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people. Veterans are one and a half times more likely to die by suicide than Americans who never served in the military, and for female veterans, the risk factor is 2.2 times more likely. In recent years, self-reported suicide attempts by Black teens increased by 73%. Black children younger than 13 are twice as likely to die by suicide than white children.

Just typing those words breaks my heart. We’re talking about more than statistics. We’re talking about human beings who need help.

Thankfully, as a society, mental health is no longer a taboo topic. And that goes for the workplace — we understand that people can’t just turn their emotions on or off when they show up to work. As a leader, I recognize that my responsibility is to open the dialogue and listen.

To that end, I host regular virtual Town Halls with my 5,000-plus managers to ensure this open-eared approach cascades to every corner of my team. I want to make it as easy as possible for my people to be proactive when they need extra support. T-Mobile also offers a wellbeing program called <a href="http://livemagenta.com/">LiveMagenta,</a> available to all employees and their families 24/7. LiveMagenta is a hub for confidentially accessing mental health resources, whether that’s a life coach, mental health provider or crisis counselor.

We at T-Mobile are not alone in our concern for greater mental health awareness. In fact, just a few weeks ago the Federal Communications Commission approved <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/16/politics/fcc-national-suicide-hotline/index.html">the 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline,</a> a three-digit phone number that anyone in crisis can dial to connect with suicide prevention specialists and mental health counselors. Rolling out over the next two years, 988 is a critical step for our nation. T-Mobile is joining the FCC on this initiative because we know a single phone call can be the difference between life and death.

Experts estimate that replacing the current 10-digit number with a three-digit number will result in millions more Americans reaching out for help. It also reduces the stigma associated with seeking assistance from suicide prevention and mental health services. T-Mobile is proud to partner with the FCC to provide this essential new tool that will ultimately save lives. We applaud Chairman Ajit Pai and the entire FCC for its leadership on this matter.

T-Mobile’s partnership with the FCC on the 988 hotline is just our latest initiative to support mental health at the federal level. Last November, <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/mental-health-pledge">T-Mobile signed</a> the Department of Veterans Affairs’ “Pledge to Prioritize Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace.” With this pledge, we committed to providing our employees — veterans and civilians alike — with the services and resources they need to stay mentally fit.

As T-Mobile has opened the conversation around mental health in the workplace and beyond, the results have been incredible. Once I made myself more accessible to my team, people got in touch to share their stories and their gratitude. It should come as no surprise that T-Mobile employs folks who have considered taking their own lives. If I or any of my staff have provided relief to even one of them, then we’re doing our job as colleagues and human beings.

The more we listen and learn, the better we can support our peers and our employees, and the more we improve our personal wellbeing. Because when it comes to mental health, we can always do better — and we’re just getting started.

We Can — and Should — Talk about Mental Health | T-Mobile Newsroom

We Can — and Should — Talk about Mental Health

Jonathan Zwickel

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https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/we-can-and-should-talk-about-mental-health

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