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A north star strategy that includes a focus on teamwork, trust, and transparency

A global telecommunications company that empowers organizations to ignite growth, Lumen Technologies is #12 on this year’s American Opportunity Index and ranks first among all companies in the Communication & Telecom sector. Its performance on the Index reflects a North Star that focuses on the operating principles of teamwork, trust, and transparency.

See the top 100 companies: Top 100 Employers of Choice (americanopportunityindex.org).

Lumen continues to transform as an industry disruptor, and that starts with its greatest asset—its people. In fact, Lumen’s top ranking on the 2023 American Opportunity Index demonstrates its commitment to building its company from the people up. To reach its potential, Lumen is investing in innovative programs and training to equip its employees with the skills they need as the company enters a new era. These skills, which include courage, resilience, and trust building, are forming a culture that empowers its people to enable changes inside the company that will, in turn, ignite growth for its customers. 

The Lumen “North Star” strategy includes a focus on the operating principles of teamwork, trust, and transparency. Lumen has redesigned its talent philosophy and performance management framework and a set of corporate practices to support these new principles, including:

• Embarking on a pay equity journey since 2019 and, in partnership with Syndio, recently rolled out a pay equity platform to identify and address pay equity gaps across Lumen.
• Implementing skills training and practices that support equity, growth opportunities, and a positive work environment.
• Offering robust and inclusive benefits and wellness offerings with benefit premiums that have not increased in price for six years.
• Recognizing and rewarding employees who embrace its new culture and influence their fellow team members to do the same. Lumen has rebranded its recognition program (Lumen Stars) to reflect its vision of the North Star and align it directly to the company’s cultural foundation.
• Launching a company-wide skill building program to drive culture transformation for all 27,000 Lumen employees. Called Dare to Lead, it has been developed in close partnership with research professor and author Brené Brown. Dare to Lead is an empirically based, courage-building program that focuses on developing skills in four areas: Values, Vulnerability, Trust, and Tenacity. The Company has conducted employee book clubs and in-person training (for Vice Presidents and above) and will roll out training to the rest of the company in January 2024.
• Committing to transparency as a trailblazer for diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DIB). In the spirit of transparency, Lumen made diversity data and insights available to leaders, giving them real-time status of progress and opportunities to improve representation and overall inclusion and belonging sentiment. Leaders use this data to determine actions and behaviors needed in their organizations to make meaningful impacts on the overall employee experience. 
• Recognizing that one size does not fit all and instead understanding what matters to employees and aiming for equitable practices that support their success. It is not enough to simply talk about corporate principles and beliefs, but companies must also provide employees with the training and resources they need to uphold them. Lumen is investing in the infrastructure that supports its people, such as fair pay, growth opportunities, and a workplace culture that allows employees to be themselves. By walking the walk and actively supporting employees, Lumen knows it can unlock people and their potential. When you unlock their potential, you grow as a company.

These practices are setting Lumen apart in a competitive labor market. Compared to 2022, Lumen has experienced a threefold increase in job applications. Lumen also knows that investing in its people leads to employees who obsess about customers and their needs. This builds a great and enduring company.

Diverse and inclusive companies also outperform others. Diverse perspectives lead to innovation that benefits current and potential customers, driving increased and consistent revenue. Lumen’s strong talent philosophy has been critical in helping it attract, develop, retain, and maximize the performance of top technology-focused talent, spearheading business growth.

Lumen recognizes its journey as a transformative leader in the industry is powered by its people. By prioritizing the development and well-being of employees, Lumen has cultivated a workplace culture centered on teamwork, trust, and transparency and delighting its customers while exceeding their expectations. This approach has set a new standard for how Lumen can drive growth and innovation.

Through its commitment to pay equity, skill building, and DIB, Lumen is shaping a brighter future for its people and carving a path for sustainable business success. As Lumen continues to transform, it stands as a shining example of how nurturing a company’s internal culture can yield external success and set the stage for a thriving and dynamic future.

See the top 100 companies:  Opportunity index (americanopportunityindex.org)