The Juniper Diversity+ Partner Program contributes to delivering economic growth and sustainability in the communities where the company does business. Through the program, Juniper can develop and maintain a more inclusive partner landscape via a continuous commitment to the discovery and development of qualified diverse businesses. “Research from McKinsey shows that diverse teams are more effective and more profitable, something we’ve seen at Juniper as well,” Mackintosh said. “Diverse teams spark innovation, driving us all to think more creatively and approach problems from every angle. In a nutshell, diversity helps fuel the tremendous growth we’re experiencing in the market right now. “We think of our channel partners as extensions of our larger Juniper team, and extending our DEI focus to building a diverse partner roster became a natural priority for us,” he continued. “In building the program, we collaborated with a select group of minority-owned partners to understand their priorities around the Diversity+ program, what their current and future needs are and how we can better support them. The resulting program is just our first step in making sure that our diverse partners have the tools they need to succeed.” Partners Provided Input Mackintosh explained the structure of Diversity+ Partner Program was led by the partners it serves. “Shortly after we decided to build the program, we met with 10 different partners and really listened to them one on one about what their needs were and got their perspective on what they wanted to see in this partner program,” he said. “Interestingly, not a single one of those partners asked for financial incentives. They were focused around building deeper connections – with Juniper, with each other and with their communities through new tools, recognition and investments. Everything included in the final Juniper Diversity+ Program is built based on insights we gained from those partners taking the time to inform us of their priorities and perspectives.” At this time, partners in the Diversity+ must be based in the United States and have a majority (51 percent or more) ownership of women, minorities, veterans, service-disabled persons or people in the LGBTQ+ community or be operating in a historically underutilized business zone. “The Diversity+ Program is specifically designed to support the growth of our diverse partners and increase their visibility within our partner network,” Mackintosh said. “Partners who are not eligible for the program will not be disadvantaged in any way.” Of course, being in the partner program has its benefits, too. Mackintosh ran these down: “Participating partners receive increased visibility, both internally within Juniper’s partner network and externally, through a cadence of activities throughout the year. Program elements include spotlight blog posts on Juniper channels, an enhanced profile within Juniper’s Partner Locater and a badge signifying their status within our partner platform.” Partners also receive PR kits and assistance with paid media strategy to help promote their status within Juniper. Additionally, “Participating partners also receive 1:1 executive mentorship with Juniper to help them continue to grow and feed into our combined channel culture. They are eligible for a new Diversity Partner of the Year award, based on their growth over the past year, key wins they’ve earned and how they’ve contributed to their local community,” Mackintosh added. Not every Juniper partner may want to participate in the Diversity+ program, and some won’t be eligible. Any eligible partner who chooses not to take part can without repercussions. At the same time, having the program may help in recruiting partners. “We know that the best teams are diverse ones,” Mackintosh said, “We also know that to build diverse teams, whether they’re partners or employees, you must invest in them. Diverse talent attracts diverse talent, and we hope that the Diversity+ Partner Program will be a new avenue for Juniper to build the best channel team we possibly can.” While the program only will operate in the United States, for now, Mackintosh said, “In the long-term, we plan to scale the program globally. We’re already developing plans to make the program available in EMEA, but we expect the program to continue to change and evolve as we test and learn.” o CHANNEL MANAGEMENT Source: Anodot ‘2022 State of Cloud Cost Report’ Employees with women managers are more likely to say that their manager has supported and helped them over the past year. Source: McKinsey & Co. 19 31 61 42 29 21 54 36 24 16 28% 36% 33% 28% Actions taken by managers to support employees, by manager’s gender, % of repondents Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Checked in on overall well-being Povided emotional support percentage points Helped make sure workload was manageable Helped navigate work-life challenges Helped take actions to prevent or manage burnout +12 +7 +6 +5 +5 ITDM BDM 38 CHANNELV ISION | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022
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