Archive for category: Career opportunities
We took a deeper dive into this question and asked Vanguard crew members who participated in the MBA Leadership Development Program to recap their experience and share what initially attracted them to Vanguard and what keeps them feeling fulfilled in their roles. In this final installment of a three-part series, we highlight the experience of Antonia S.
What was the biggest thing that drew you to Vanguard as you were seeking full-time opportunities?
Company culture and development opportunities are two very important attributes of a post-MBA employer. While recruiting in business school, I was determined to work at a company where employees felt like they were being cared for and actively being developed into their best selves. After 7-8 pre-Super Day information interviews, it was clear that these were genuinely the top reasons crew and leaders not only came to Vanguard, but also why they stay.
Vanguard’s MBA Leadership Development Program is rotational in nature, and also unique in that they solicit the business to understand where the needs are for MBA talent. So one experience can be different from another. What teams were you able to support during your 15 month rotation?
My first rotation in the MBA Leadership Development Program was in Organizational Consulting Services, followed by a rotation in Enterprise Advice, and then our Retail Investor Group. I launched on the Enterprise New Ways of Working team.
What were some roles/responsibilities that your day-to-day consisted of?
In my first rotation, I served as Organizational Effectiveness Consultant on our Organization Consulting Services team. During this rotation, I had a bird’s eye view of what was going on across all 11 of our divisions from an organizational strategy and design perspective. As a result, I had the opportunity to influence organization strategy, design, in-take processes, and training in change management.
Next, I served as an Advice Strategist on our Enterprise Advice – FAS Use Case team in my second rotation. It was in this rotation that I really accelerated my overall investment management acumen, specifically in the financial planning space. Additionally, it was there that I was introduced to the methodology of New Ways of Working. This rotation was also a stretch opportunity for me as I was the only woman of color on my team, did not have extensive technology experience, and the team was headquartered away from Malvern’s main campus.
In my final rotation, I served as a Business Project Manager on our Retail Investor Group’s Blueprint Transformation team. This rotation was unique because the entire team was working from each of our US offices. Consequently, I spent the majority of my time working remotely with crew from our domestic sites implementing strategies around New Ways of Working.
What was the most significant project you worked on?
As I launched into our Project Management Office team for Enterprise New Ways of Working, we were evaluating a new vendor that would provide a tool that gives the enterprise easier access to team intelligence and information. I was able to take this initiative through all phases: research, pilot, testing, and ultimately deploying it into all divisions. I remember how rewarding it felt when the feedback came in from our testing phase, and crew were really enjoying using it. This was an enterprise-wide shift, so to leave an imprint at that scale will always be something I remember.
What was the most impactful takeaway from the rotational program?
Relationship management. This was crucial to understand and build expertise in. Honing my relationship management skills allowed me to get my job done more efficiently, whether I was responsible for building a team, getting a message across to the enterprise, or just checking in with someone. It has allowed for continuous, open, and honest feedback throughout my career at Vanguard, and it has given me access to having a seat at the table to make decisions.
What was the biggest challenge you faced?
For me, it was tackling the infamous ‘imposter syndrome.’ As a career switcher entering into a rotation program, I was truly excited by all of the opportunities I could take part in, so much that I always selected roles that were completely new to me with the hope of developing new skills and experiences. With the steep learning curves that come with each new rotation, you can imagine the frequency and intensity of self-doubt that hit every time. Fortunately, between and post each rotation, participants are given ample time to reflect and engage with their managers and mentors. It was through these intentional engagements that I was able to better recognize and track my personal progress. Additionally, it did not hurt to have great peers and mentors who were also intentional in providing meaningful feedback on my progress and strengths.
What is keeping you fulfilled in your current role at Vanguard?
The Man in the Mirror effect – based on the famous song, which essentially says: If you want the world to be different, if you want it to be a better place, the change needs to start with you—the person in the mirror. In this case, Vanguard is the man/person/organization in the mirror right now. We have been making great strides to change pertinent aspects of our businesses, products, services and culture to continue taking a stand for all investors, giving them the best chance for investment success and doing it in the most inclusive way possible.
One of my most recent memorable experiences was during our company-wide ‘real talk’ sessions hosted by the Vanguard Black Professional Network (VBPN) this past year. Our real talk sessions included topics ranging from social justice reform to white fragility to micro-aggressions in the workplace. In my entire 10+ year professional career, I had never had the opportunity to take part in such triggering, yet vulnerable conversations as these at work. VBPN provided safe and productive environments for members of the Vanguard community to talk about race, social economic status, family background and mental health, all during one of the most traumatic periods of our country’s history. Importantly, these conversations have not stopped there—they have effectively transcended managerial, team, department, and divisional level conversations. Just this past February, our Chief Investment Officer, Greg Davis, emphasized a need for the entire investment management community to do the work required to make our industry a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone. From the most junior crew to the c-suite, it is clear that, while we have a ways to go, Vanguard is making an intentional effort to make this industry a more inclusive place. As a Black woman and leader at Vanguard, this is something that I truly value.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone considering joining either our MBA internship or full-time rotational program?
Do the personal reflection work to truly understand the following question: Why Vanguard? Don’t limit your reflection to what you can give or get out of the rotation program, but focus on the impact you can have near and far, local and globally, at an organization such as Vanguard. Think about the community and environments you thrive in most. As a participant in our Leadership Development Rotation Program, you will have access to various people and resources to help you shape and chart the next course in your professional journey.
If you are interested in learning more or applying to our MBA Leadership Development – Internship opportunities, please visit our MBA page.
Interested in exploring our internship opportunities? Click here.
What advice do you have for students or entry-level candidates who are interested in Vanguard?
Make connections as often as you can. You never know when someone will be able to help you in the future, and hopefully you will be able to do the same for them. Making a positive impact on your peers goes a long way! – Christopher L.
Connect and message recruiters on LinkedIn! When I discovered the Emerging Leader Development Program (ELDP), I messaged the current ELDP cadre and nearly every recruiter on LinkedIn. Not all of them saw my message—but many did. They were so helpful and even recommended the College to Corporate Internship that I hadn’t known about. – Ryan M.
Be interested, be humble, and be authentic. – David D.
My favorite advice during my recruitment process with Vanguard was two-pronged. One was the fundamental principle of the fiduciary mission: It’s always all about the client. Our purpose is to help clients in any way they need. The second often goes hand in hand with the first: Absorb as much information as possible from as many resources as you can. A huge, unique part of Vanguard as an institution is the wealth of information available to this wonderful peer community of financial advisors. These resources are meant to help advisors help other advisors, and in turn, to help those advisors help clients. – Mattia A.
If you’re interested in Vanguard, I would definitely recommend reaching out to any of the crew! Everyone here is welcoming and willing to talk with you. They’re all super understanding and candid about their experiences, which is very beneficial when you are trying to find a firm out of college. – Rebecca C.
If you’re interested in Vanguard, reach out to crew members whose jobs you’re interested in! Almost everyone here will be eager to set time aside to tell you about their job and give you tips about working at Vanguard. – Ethan R.
Apply early! Reach out to Vanguard employees to build relationship and a network even before you need a job. – Julia K.
Summarize your journey to Vanguard.
The main thing that attracted me to Vanguard is the culture. The idea of putting others first is present both internally and externally—making sure that our clients as well as our colleagues are provided with the resources they need to be successful. – Christopher L.
I was attracted to Vanguard because of how my family and I have been treated as clients. I want to work for a company that cares for the people it serves and has a strong sense of obligation to those it serves. – Ryan M.
I was primarily drawn to Vanguard because its reputation and mission are unmatched within the financial services industry. Since 1975, our leaders have made every major and minor decision with the best interests of our investors at the forefront. – David D.
For as long as I’ve envisioned my career path, I’ve been passionate about people and about investments. Vanguard has gifted me the opportunity to learn to help the average investor figure out how to send their kids to college, to retire, and to achieve their personal idea of optimal return on life —with a minor in portfolio implementation. 🙂 – Mattia A.
Vanguard came to an event at my school, and the people were so kind and welcoming. They talked about the positive culture and inclusivity at the firm as well as the focus on community, so I knew I had to apply. – Rebecca C.
In my freshman year of college, I met a crew member and he spoke so highly of Vanguard that I scheduled a visit to the Malvern campus for a career trip. That day I learned all about Vanguard’s culture and people and concluded that I wanted to work there. – Ethan R.
During my freshman year of college, I was given the opportunity to attend an Explore Day. During that experience I met with so many wonderful crew who had only good things to say about Vanguard. – Julia K.
We took a deeper dive into this question and asked Vanguard crew members who participated in the MBA Leadership Development Program to recap their experience and share what initially attracted them to Vanguard and what keeps them feeling fulfilled in their roles. In this second installment of a three-part series, we highlight the experience of Jun Oh Y.
What was the biggest thing that drew you to Vanguard as you were seeking full-time opportunities?
I knew that Vanguard was the right next step for my career when I saw how they treated their crew members. My previous work experience at large financial service firms prior to business school taught me that emphasizing the employee experience in writing and having it embedded in the organization are two different things. With Vanguard, I experienced first-hand the level of support and investment Vanguard was making toward its crew members during my internship, and when it came time to decide where to head after business school, the decision came easily.
Vanguard’s MBA Leadership Development Program is rotational in nature, and also unique in that they solicit the business to understand where the needs are for MBA talent. So one experience can be different from another. What teams were you able to support during your 15 month rotation?
My MBA rotation experience was broad, dynamic, and fulfilling. I couldn’t have asked for a better overall experience. My three rotations were with: Enterprise Advice, Corporate Strategy, and Investment Risk.
What were some roles/responsibilities that your day-to-day consisted of?
While rotating through Enterprise Advice, I worked in Advice Product Strategy and Management, in the financial planning product sleeve. This rotation focused on exploring the applicability of a new scenario planning tool and building a model to better estimate end client usage of our advice products. With a good mix of a broad new subject matter and quantitative analysis, my first rotation helped lay the groundwork for my Vanguard journey.
I further expanded my understanding of Vanguard in my second rotation in Corporate Strategy, where I worked with various teams across the enterprise and divisional level in Data and Analytics, International, our Institutional Investor Group, and Business Development. My second rotation was quite dynamic in coverage and helped me better understand the business, along with our biggest priorities.
To round out my experience, my third rotation was closer to investments in the Risk Management Group, where I was tasked with re-vamping our Reasonably Anticipated Trade Size methodology in our Liquidity Risk Management program.
What was the most significant project you worked on?
When I was working on re-vamping our Reasonably Anticipated Trade Size methodology in our Liquidity Risk Management program, the new methodology was to impact the liquidity classifications across our hundreds of funds and had downstream impact in regulatory reporting as well as how we would look at liquidity risk going forward. Having the chance to contribute to such a highly visible and impactful program was very fulfilling.
What was the most impactful takeaway from the rotational program?
The most impactful takeaway is that we are expected to ask a lot of questions and bring our diverse opinions to the table. The program was designed to bring outside talent in. I believe those in the program should consider the rotations as an opportunity to develop these skills and bring it to their launch roles.
What was the biggest challenge you faced?
Switching between different project methodologies by balancing execution and upfront planning were a challenge. Given the expedited timeline of the rotational program, I initially tried to define an exact scope and specific internal milestones for every engagement. However, with the iterative nature of the larger projects, I came to realize that the flexibility of an agile methodology with consistent involvement from cross functional teams would produce a better, more efficient outcome. Fortunately, the opportunities to practice this skill – identifying which types of projects would most benefit from these two opposing approaches— and becoming proficient in it, ultimately helped me secure my current launch role.
What is keeping you fulfilled in your current role at Vanguard?
The two things that keep me at Vanguard are the people and Vanguard’s attitude toward development. When I was rotating in Enterprise Advice, a fellow crew member mentioned how “unconditional positive regard” helps him work through differences of opinion in meetings. This concept of acceptance and support regardless of opinion, with the acknowledgement that we are all on the same team, neatly summarizes my interactions with my colleagues. It is so refreshing to see how everyone in the room is working toward the common goal, without pretext. Along with such an amiable work environment, Vanguard’s support for learning and development, both in and outside of work, sets it apart. The various support networks and resources we have available helped me further expand not only my subject matter expertise, but also made me feel more like a member of the broader Vanguard family.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone considering joining either our MBA internship or full-time rotational program?
Take full advantage of the MBA program network! We have quite a few folks that have gone through the program before us with wonderful nuggets of wisdom to share. I learned a tremendous amount from them and made some great friends in the process.
If you are interested in learning more or applying to our MBA Leadership Development – Internship opportunities, please visit our MBA page .
Please check out our first installment of this series to learn about Chantee’s experience with Vanguard’s MBA Internship Program.
A look at internal recruiting
Internal roles are posted to our enterprise career site, and recruiters facilitate the process by ensuring all applicants are reviewed and calibrated, and that candidates interviewed receive feedback. Further, recruiters consult interview teams on the importance of diversity, awareness of unconscious bias, and why strong interview feedback is critical for career mobility. Our Talent Acquisition team fills more than 2,500 job opportunities a year through crew mobility and advancement.
“In my role as an internal recruiter, I am fortunate to experience firsthand the myriad of career opportunities available to Vanguard crew. Playing a part of the career development process is such a gratifying and meaningful aspect of my job. Vanguard truly encourages and supports career mobility and I am proud to contribute to that effort.” – Kris C., Recruiter
“The managers whom I’ve interviewed with have been very receptive to follow up conversations about my interviews and how and where I can improve. These conversations are the best way for me to fully understand and learn where my opportunities for growth are. Interview feedback has been incredibly helpful and has allowed me to land the job I’m applying for.” – Sam R., Internal candidate
Development opportunities through Crew Resource Groups
My team has a front row seat to observe crew investing in their professional development through enterprise resources and supports them in taking actions that will enable them to advance in their careers. Crew participate in our Crew Resource Groups (CRGs), such as Leadership and Engagement for Asian Professionals (LEAP), Open Professional Engagement Network (OPEN), Hispanic/Latinx Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA), Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS), and Vanguard Black Professional Network (VBPN), as well as our Vets Connect group, to receive 1-on-1 mentoring, coaching, and business training. Crew leverage CRG opportunities to support their Vanguard and local communities and grow professionally.
“I am a member of the Vanguard Black Professional Network (VBPN), one of the many crew resource groups available that fosters inclusivity and career progression. Through VBPN, I was assigned a mentor, a senior leader who helped me increase my networking opportunities. Through her guidance, I was able to navigate interviews and land my current role. There are a lot of CRG collaborations across the different groups, which creates a broader network for crew mobility.” – Agnes E., CRG mentee
“I joined multiple CRGs soon after beginning my Vanguard career. I quickly discovered that the mentorship programs are a wonderful way for new employees to forge long-term bonds with more tenured employees. I was grateful to be partnered with a mentor in VBPN and a mentor in WILS. Both mentors have been instrumental in my career growth and have provided thoughtful guidance, support and friendship throughout my time at Vanguard.” – Tammarra W., CRG mentor
Our annual Career Expo
In addition to the opportunities mentioned above, the internal recruiting team recently partnered with our CRG community to host Vanguard’s third annual internal Career Expo, which went 100% virtual for the first time in 2020. The expo featured ways to fuel your career during a season of change with over 60 virtual booths. During the event, crew were invited to build business acumen, network virtually, and develop skills in relation to career mobility. Over 2,700 crew registered to attend the Vanguard Career Expo and enjoyed learning about job opportunities, as well as Vanguard upskilling resources.
“The Global Risk & Security (GR&S) division has gone through a transformation over the past two years in order to ensure that the risk management support we provide to our various business lines keeps up with the dynamic and evolving industry in which we operate, and that we continue to protect and steward client assets. The career expo provided a fantastic opportunity for me as a leader to share insights into the work happening every day in GR&S, the shifting risk landscape, and how our crew are partnering with the businesses to meet strategic goals. Crew were able to attend overview sessions to learn more about the division and identify potential career areas of interest. We are always looking to hire talented crew into GR&S!” – Marissa B., Business lead
Resources for enhancing your skills
As for upskilling resources, Vanguard recently introduced Degreed to crew. Degreed is Vanguard’s learning experience platform and is a “one stop learning shop” that fits into the flow of normal work. With Degreed, crew get smarter in skills aligned to their career path with seamless integration of articles, books, videos, and courses to build needed skills for professional growth and expertise. Degreed is one of many Vanguard tools used to support crew in achieve their personal and professional goals.
“I really like how Degreed integrates a lot of sources and platforms (Harvard publishing podcasts, articles from industry publications, etc.). I already had followed the Harvard Business Review (HBR) Women at Work podcast, so having it in the learning system to check off as a learning task was awesome. Additionally, it allows crew to consider the other learnings that they may already be doing outside the traditional learning platforms.” – Jasmine T., Crew user of Degreed
“Vanguard is dedicated to providing a variety of development opportunities for crew at all levels. From industry certifications and advanced degree programs, to training classes and job rotations, I have personally benefitted from the development offerings. As a business leader who recently transitioned to a new domain, Degreed provided a roadmap for me as I worked to quickly increase acumen in my new role through internal thought leadership, external podcasts and articles, and traditional training classes.” – Marissa B., Leader user of Degreed
Come launch a career at Vanguard and meet my team in your advancement journey!
– Chelsea M.
Want to learn more? Take a few moments and watch this video where five crew talk through their career progression at Vanguard.
I graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2002 with a Computer Engineering degree. The Institute was very close to Wall Street, and upon graduation, many of my classmates received offers from top Wall Street firms and investment banks. I too fell into the allure of working on Wall Street. I received a few offers from some of the top firms in New York—and I also received one from Vanguard, who was making it a priority to recruit from my school at the time. However, this was when the dot-com bubble burst and most of the Wall Street firms rescinded their offers for all of my classmates including me. Vanguard was the only firm that honored their commitment and did not rescind their offer. I am thankful to this day. At Vanguard, I have the opportunity to do what I always dreamt of doing and much, much more at a firm where doing right by clients and crew is the guiding principle. I joined Vanguard as a software engineer and never looked back. At the time, all I wanted to do was to apply what I had learned in school to real life problems, but didn’t have much thought about where I applied them. As time went on, I realized how fortunate I was to be at Vanguard, whose main mission was to help people all over the world reach their financial dreams. Knowing you’re doing well for others is incredibly rewarding. I got the best of both worlds: I could apply my passion in technology and apply it at a company whose mission is to lift people up. I also got to work on our trading systems, sales systems, mobility (iOS) systems, customer relationship management systems and so on, all while learning about and applying analytics to everything we did.
From a career perspective, Vanguard invested in my professional development. Today, I’m the Head of AI & Machine Learning for Enterprise Advice. focused on artificial intelligence and data science. About 7 years ago, with the advent of big data technology and infrastructure, I started to focus on advanced analytics and data science exclusively. I saw an opportunity to use data science and artificial intelligence to provide better, more personalized, and smarter services to our investors.
Vanguard now wants to do for financial advice what we did for Exchange Traded Funds and mutual funds: make top notch, holistic advice accessible to anyone who needs it at an incredibly low price. That’s where my team comes in. I now help lead our advanced analytics and artificial intelligence team for Vanguard’s advice program. My department is comprised of data engineers, data scientists and artificial intelligence and machine learning scientists who collaborate closely with our investment experts and economists. And they come from diverse educational backgrounds—some have computer science or engineering backgrounds, while others studied physics or statistics.
In order to create highly personalized advice experiences, we seek to incorporate behavioral economics to better personalize the advice needed. To that end we are utilizing artificial intelligence and other data science techniques on a variety of financial advice projects. Our goal is to create experiences and services that will help more people than ever before reach their financial goals. My team is directly empowering Vanguard’s mission and I personally feel inspired every day to come to work. Being able to learn about cutting edge technology in artificial intelligence and data science and use it to help as many people as possible is extremely rewarding.
Investing is complex, and sometimes, it’s a challenge for people to know how to make wise investment and financial decisions. Vanguard is committed to giving investors all over the world a fair shake, and is investing in services—such as advice—to do so. I am passionate about trail blazing artificial intelligence and machine learning at Vanguard, which is enabling us to fulfill our mission and help millions of people all over the world reach financial independence.
Now, who will join us on this noble mission?
-Amir A.
To view opportunities available on Amir’s team, please click here.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our Data & Analytics and Information Technology & Security career opportunities.
I was accustomed to attending lectures at the University of Wisconsin where the number of females in the room, even in a class of two-hundred-fifty, could often be counted on two hands. My university had over forty-five-thousand students and computer science was the largest major, of which women made up only 13% of the total. Women were even less represented in my computer engineering courses. I was excited to make valuable connections with women at the conference in Orlando, Florida.
Surprisingly, my first connection happened on my flight in. I sat next to a woman from Australia who was also attending the conference. After talking with her for a while I discovered she had been a software engineer for over ten years! It was a great start. When I arrived, I was surprised to see that the conference was the exact opposite of my college experience. I was in awe of the sheer number of women who filled up the seven-million square foot conference center. The conference had events for everyone including a three-day career fair, keynote speakers, and breakout sessions to learn about specific technologies. During the career fair portion, I met Vanguard and immediately felt the enthusiasm from the women at the table. This ultimately led to me accepting an offer to join the firm.
Here are my key takeaways from the conference:
1. Empowerment from women supporting women
Before attending this event, I couldn’t imagine the concept of more than twenty-thousand like-minded women coming together to celebrate technology. I hadn’t met such a strong support group since my undergraduate studies, when I joined a computer science club for women. I learned a lot from the women I met in those safe and supportive environments. It feels empowering to hear about both the positive and negative experiences of women navigating their own careers in the technology industry.
2. Taking chances can pay off
Talking to a new company can be daunting, especially when walking into a session where unfamiliar people are discussing foreign concepts. It can even be scary to try and get tickets for the Grace Hopper Celebration! Although it can be unnerving, it is important to take chances and learn as much as possible in those busy three days. I have found that some of the most uncomfortable moments I put myself in were rewarded through the people I met and the opportunities I received.
3. There is a lot of room to have fun in computer science
It’s called the Grace Hopper Celebration, after all! The three day event was truly festive and left me with a smile across my face the entire time. I was surrounded by friendly people, fun events and exclusive, company-hosted social gatherings. Some of my favorite parts worth noting include eating crepes under a Ferris wheel, testing out virtual reality games, and printing out my Snapchat bitmoji on a tote bag. There are many chances to connect with others and share experiences.
I am proud to work at a company that prioritizes diversity and inclusion in their recruitment strategy. Vanguard’s commitment to maintaining a diverse and competent team of engineers is apparent in the environment I’ve worked in since joining the staff one year ago. Not only are women accepted here, they are given an opportunity to excel and drive others to succeed as well. I have been fortunate to be led and challenged by two female technical managers during my tenure.
Being a visible female role model in the technology field is a very important aspect of my career. I find so much meaning in establishing relationships that empower other young women to pursue the field of their choice. I think it is invaluable to have someone to look up to who was once on the same path that you are paving. Vanguard has really motivated me by giving me the opportunity to serve as a role model to other women in the industry. I am very excited to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration again this year, to represent all the women in Vanguard technology and to meet other talented women, as well.
-Jessica T.
Gavin C., Head of Design in CXD:
My career at Vanguard has been a unique journey. I started as a user experience (UX) designer in 2001 and then left to pursue a graduate degree full-time in 2003. After graduate school, I spent 10+ years working for myself as well as teaching design and digital strategy at a few universities. I came back to Vanguard in 2014 to help evolve the UX practices within the firm. Since returning, I am often asked two questions – Why did you come back, and what is it like being a designer at Vanguard?
Jason L., Senior Product Manager in CXD:
I have been a Journey Owner at Vanguard for three years. When I was offered the job initially, I had no idea what to expect, and neither did anyone else. I was the first to assume this role, and one of the scariest (read: exciting) things about taking the job was not really knowing what I was getting into. So my hope is that I can help answer the question: What is it like being a Journey Owner at Vanguard?
Mark D., Senior Scrum Master in CXD:
Before I joined Vanguard in late 2018 as a scrum master for a Client Experience lab team, I spent many years working with more traditional, enterprise-agile software development teams – typically seven to nine people comprised of one product owner, five to seven full stack developers, and one scrum master. Upon joining Vanguard, it felt a bit overwhelming to have the additional expertise on each team for disciplines like client research, user experience design, content writing, and data analytics. It didn’t take long, however, for me to begin appreciating the simplicity, power and effectiveness of this one-team approach.
Rehana V., Software Engineering Manager in CXD:
If you’re anything like me, you were drawn to technology and software development because of the problem-solving nature of the work; the opportunity to piece together a puzzle that starts off as an idea and ends with a tangible product. You yearn for those moments when you think you’ve hit a brick wall with no path forward, only to have an epiphany at the remotest of hours that just might work. Now take all of that, the challenge and adrenaline of breaking through that brick wall, and make it core to what you do day in and day out, not just when your fingers are on the keyboard. Within the Client Experience and Digital (CXD) group, developers, strategists, designers, scrum masters, business SMEs, data analysts, and researchers come together to form product teams working to offer best-in-class web experiences to our investors.
Interested in reading more about our CXD team? Click here for Jane M.’s story.
I approached VBPN and HOLA in 2019 with the idea of hosting an event together after discussing the idea with our Diversity and Inclusion team. I worked closely with the CRG talent attraction leads, Dionne M. from VBPN and Lynnette D. from HOLA. Both women were a pleasure to partner with, and I enjoyed getting to know them on a more personal level during our many thirty-minute checkpoints.
March 18th was set to be the first event across the sites, but as COVID-19 became more prominent in our communities, Vanguard quickly shifted to a work from home environment. We had over 170+ crew registered for the event, and I was determined to not let them down. Just two months later, we reorganized the event to a virtual environment, with even more sign-ups than the first time!
The event brought forth dozens of questions submitted by attendees and candid responses from the PAS panelists. I was so appreciative of the transparent answers which addressed minorities in the industry and demystifying bias in the advisor role. Additional topics of discussion included a day in the life of an advisor, the skills and experience necessary to become an advisor, and the Certified Financial Planner certificate process. Attendees provided positive feedback on the event, expressing, “I enjoyed hearing about the experiences of crew members in PAS as well as what Vanguard is looking for in new advisors. Also, I enjoyed hearing members of the CRGs speak to the importance of creating more diversityat Vanguard.”
The most rewarding part of this experience was the parity created between VBPN, HOLA, and PAS crew. With recent events across country, we can recognize the biases and injustice that still exists. During this event, we created a space for crew to bring their authentic selves and be equally represented at Vanguard, a true testament that our organization is focused on creating a diverse and inclusive environment – something that has felt distant in present-day society. PAS is committed to strengthening our partnerships with the crew resource groups at Vanguard and I look forward to similar events in the months to come.
-Janae F.
Valerie F. attended our standard Vanguard orientation, but was transitioned to remote work after just two days in the office.
My manager told me, “I need you to be prepared to work at home.” A big aspect that really helped was being able to understand how to get the appropriate technology access needed for me to do my job virtually. I was able to get everything set up on my mobile device and for this reason, I was able to work from home immediately.
A few other items are worth noting. My manager was already prepared for the situation and had everything ready for me. All department resources were available online, which put me at ease. I was also able to network with my team and others, while they showed me the ropes virtually. I can call anyone, anytime on my laptop.
The situation was a little different for Mike M., who was one of the first crew members to go through a new onboarding process. He had originally received the typical new hire information, but instructions changed along with our new ways of working.
About a week after I received my job offer from Vanguard, the global environment changed. I was wondering what the impact would be and whether or not I would still be able to onboard as planned. I continued to receive normal communications and completed all steps in the pre-hire process.
I did, however, participate in a unique onboarding experience, where new crew came onto campus in small groups at designated times, and practiced social distancing throughout their two-hour orientation. We were provided with the equipment and information needed for a virtual set-up, and then returned home.
As a member of the IT department, Mike went through an IT-specific onboarding program the following day—all virtual.
Hiring manager Nima P. also felt that the onboarding experience was seamless.
Vanguard made it easy for me and my peers. Although I was unable to be on campus to welcome my new crew member, I talked to him the day before orientation. I told him once he was set up, to make sure everything worked before leaving campus. The day of, we spoke on the phone once he had all he needed before heading home. It was perfect.
Valerie and Mike feel integrated into their new teams and have been able to work productively from home.
Mike M.: From my experience, with the level of collaboration and inclusion, this new way of working does not appear to be an issue for crew. Vanguard places a real emphasis on ensuring employees feel connected.
Valerie F.: The team I’m working with has been very accommodating. They regularly check in on me. It’s really great. We meet virtually often and look for ways to drive engagement, collaboration and business results. To me, it doesn’t seem virtual because we see each other regularly. It feels normal.
Valerie also had some advice for those who are encountering this new work environment.
Keep actively learning. Broaden your network. Just because we’re virtual doesn’t mean you can’t talk to people on your floor. I had a video conference with someone that sits two desks over from me, and I’m looking forward to meeting him/her in person. To anyone looking to work at Vanguard, the company goes so far to make sure its clients are taken care of, but also does this with their crew. It’s amazing how much work we’ve been able to accomplish. I’ll look back years from now and think that it was pretty amazing.
Since interviewing these individuals, Vanguard has moved to a 100% virtual onboarding model for the foreseeable future.