Each May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, recognizing the achievements and diversity of AAPI people. AAPI encompasses cultures across 75 countries in Asia and Pacific islands, including 25.7 million Americans.
Our AAPI employee resource group (ERG) plays a large part in advocating and showcasing their cultures to other members of our Paycom team.
Advancing innovation and conversation
To pay honor to the visionaries and trailblazers who have shaped AAPI history and continue to influence the future, the theme of this year’s AAPI Heritage Month, as chosen by The Federal Asian Pacific American Council, is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation.”
Hieu (he/him), a campus recruiter at our Grapevine, Texas, office, thinks the theme can inspire successful careers.
“With this year’s theme being about those who have shaped AAPI history and having an influence on the future, I think the most important things you can do to cultivate a successful career would be to allow your voice to be heard and gaining influence within your team/department,” said Hieu.
Through our Better Conversations series, our team shares experiences, stories and topics often avoided in the workplace. Conversations like these, where we all learn from each other and our lived experiences, are important to Paycom’s mission and our company culture. This creates a space that encourages healthy dialogue and allows employees to discover shared values.
Bringing people together
The AAPI ERG offers support to Asian and Pacific Islander employees and is an essential outlet for them to share and create a more inclusive workplace and community at Paycom.
Hieu enjoys getting to meet and interact with new team members.
“My favorite thing about it so far is that I have been able to network with those in the company who I would never have spoken to before,” said Hieu.
It also provides the opportunity to work, engage and network with those outside the workplace, like being a part of local groups, such as the Greater Oklahoma City Asian Chamber of Commerce, as well as national communities. In doing so, they present a platform for Paycom employees to learn and enjoy the culture of Asia and Pacific Islands.
Hieu is thankful for the chance to contribute as a part of the AAPI community, especially in the tech world.
“It involves facing both opportunities and challenges, including the opportunity to contribute to innovation and the challenge of addressing diversity and inclusion issues within the industry,” he said.
Giving and growth in the community
Hieu has enjoyed seeing the ERGs continue to grow.
“The AAPI ERG is still growing and has so much potential to make an impact on Paycom’s AAPI community as well as the local communities,” he said.
Two significant ways ERGs create positive gains for individuals and benefit local communities is through volunteering and philanthropy. There’s no better example of our values than to connect through causes we care about and to invest in the people and places that make our communities home. That is why Paycom donates both time and money to numerous nonprofits in many communities.
To learn more, read about our ERG and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives!
And if you want to be part of a company that values and supports its diverse team, learn more about our company culture here.
