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Every year, we select a few of our favorite culture stories from the year to celebrate employee storytelling. One of our favorite employee stories this year comes from Chelsie at Choice Hotels. This story proves Choice’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) through specific stories and benefits.

In this video, Chelsie shares:

“We bring education to our internal communities as well as make sure our benefits are designed to cater to every associate. An example of that is our bathroom stalls that specifically say ‘Self Identified.’ This lets someone who is entering this building know that you get to be who you are, and you get to show up authentically.

We had an associate who was struggling with a decision they were making in their life and they were worried about how their decision would play out. We were able to provide that safe space, encouragement and belonging. We also made sure we had a great plan of action, to make sure the rest of the environment was a safe place.

Choice has shown us over and over again that we can be represented, accepted and appreciated. They show up for us.”

Why do we like it?

Real Proof! 

In a sea of vague corporate DEI statements, this video stands out for its specific examples and stories.  Choice Hotels is committed to diversity, equity and belonging and shows it through their benefits and policies, as well as their stances on social causes and their engaged ERGs.

Organizational Storytelling 

We also like it because it’s a great example of a story that can be used to attract candidates who are searching for socially progressive employers… but also several other audiences. This story is a great addition to an organizational storytelling effort. Organizational storytelling surfaces important cultural moments and corporate decisions that impact people. Then, it uses those stories to engage the audiences interested in your culture. In this case, current and future guests of Choice Hotels could benefit from knowing this story.

Multiple Stakeholders 

We worked with Choice Hotels’ employer brand team on this project. But, this story can be used by lots of other stakeholders whose jobs rely on connecting with an audience, whether that’s employees, candidates, customers, investors, or all of the above. Congrats, Choice Hotels, on being recognized as one of our Stories of the Year!

Want to learn more about organizational storytelling? Download our organizational storytelling guide.  

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