Power in Numbers: AT&T Employees self-identify with iCount

When we can’t express ourselves, it affects our ability to make a real impact. While our people have an extensive history of building a diverse and inclusive environment, there’s still a long way to go. Many employees – whether at AT&T or at other companies – are still not comfortable self-identifying for reasons that are often complex and difficult to share.

That’s why we started iCount.

iCount gives all of our employees in the U.S. the option to voluntarily self-identify in four categories: race, veteran status, disabilities, gender and sexual orientation. All information submitted is strictly confidential to help everyone feel more comfortable in their ability to bring their authentic self to work. This way, AT&T employees can self-identify on their terms. See how the campaign has grown over the years.

Race/Ethnicity

Over 150,000 AT&T employees participated in iCount in 2019. These employees are dedicated to creating a workplace that promotes and celebrates diversity across all walks of life. Their actions speak louder than their words as they stand for equality and change the course of history. With active involvement from our employee groups, our people continue educating themselves on potential blind spots and how they can best get involved with their communities to enact real change. With a truly diverse workforce, we gain new insights in better supporting our employees and the customers they serve. No matter the background, each person has so much to bring to the team and their careers.

Individuals with Disabilities

Over 220 conditions qualify as a disability. In fact, around 30% of professionals have an unseen disability, and the majority of them keep their status a secret. With increasing awareness and the assistance of ABILITY – our disability focused employee group – nearly 5,000 of our employees have voluntarily self-identified through iCount in 2019. Understanding who works within our teams is especially important when one in four people are believed to have invisible disabilities such as depression, cancer conditions, speech and more. To help encourage more employees to participate, more AT&T leaders have opened up about participating in the program.

LGBTQ+

Our people have a long history of standing with their LGBTQ+ peers to help empower them. Nearly 3,000 employees have self-identified as LGBTQ+ thanks to increased awareness with community outreach programs and employee events led by LEAGUE at AT&T. iCount helps every employee safely and confidentially make their voice heard as a member of our team.

Veterans

Over 12,000 employees have self-identified as veterans through iCount in 2019. Veterans bring valuable experience to the workforce. Their backgrounds often come with an inherent understanding on the value of teamwork and how diverse people can come together to work towards a common goal. For nearly 100 years, our people remained dedicated to supporting military personnel and their families. As challenges that often face veterans come to light – from entering the workforce to battling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, #iCount helps us better understand where we can focus our efforts for our teams.

It’s not enough to only recognize that individual diversity is something that should be recognized and celebrated. It is up to us as a company and team to stand for equality and show we protect the rights of our people. With the help of our employee groups, we aim to keep the momentum growing while encouraging employees to feel comfortable sharing their stories.