Jaquan Williams on the Importance of Involving Diverse Perspectives

As Nasdaq continuously strives to advance economic progress for all, we amplify the voices of our communities who help carve this path forward. Our GLOBE (Global Link of Black Employees) employee resource group brings together employees that have an affinity or interest in Black, African, African-American and West-Indian communities. The network aims to empower the success of employees with initiatives that promote professional advancement; provide networking opportunities; and build mentorship, advocacy, and community outreach efforts.

For Black History Month, we spoke with Jaquan Williams, GLOBE Marketing Lead and Nasdaq Global Employer Brand Manager, about how he aims to drive impact by focusing on one main goal, which involves listening to the several diverse perspectives he experiences as a member of GLOBE.

Tell us about your role at Nasdaq and how you became involved in GLOBE.

At Nasdaq, I am a talent marketer and storyteller. In my role, I help to conceptualize and implement campaigns to build awareness, engagement, consideration and desire to join Nasdaq. It involves a lot of content creation, which allows for showcasing our amazing employees and evolving culture. There's a lot of strategy involved in trying to understand what the talent community is authentically interested in knowing about Nasdaq, while also taking the needs of our business units into consideration when crafting our multi-channel marketing campaigns. There is a huge focus on the need to attract a diverse slate of candidates and we're really excited to be a part of what is, for a lot of job seekers, their first interaction with the Nasdaq brand.

The nature of my role at Nasdaq and my role with GLOBE align in a unique way. The storytelling, marketing and awareness aspects play into both sides. On the one hand, I want to create awareness for Nasdaq as a whole and on the other, I want to create awareness for the beauty of Nasdaq's commitment to diversity and equity.

What’s your favorite memory while being part of the employee network?

As a part of our celebration for Black History Month in 2023, the members of GLOBE submitted videos reflecting on “What Black History Month” means to them. Helping to craft this story, edit and deliver the final product was amazing. The very best part was witnessing the voice and thoughts of so many GLOBE members be amplified across the entire company. And because the video lives forever, this has been a special highlight in my time with GLOBE.

How can people outside of the GLOBE network be a valuable ally to the Black, African, African American and West Indian community?

I love this question because the answer has less to do with how someone can become a valuable ally to GLOBE and more to do with how someone can help to challenge their own biases. We all have biases, both conscious and unconscious, and in a world that presents so much information all the time, it’s hard not to drown in that noise. As a way of saving ourselves, we often default to what we think we know instead of truly “listening” and developing an informed opinion. Becoming a more valuable ally to any network starts with listening and seeking to develop a true understanding of someone’s journey. From there, the solution is simple: create the same space for others that you would demand be created for yourself.

What are your goals as a member of GLOBE?

I think the best goals are singular because they force you to carve out a very specific space for impact. My goal, or rather, my focus as a member of GLOBE, is to be a better member of GLOBE. That means walking it like I talk it. That means networking, listening, learning, leading, following, growing, building, encouraging, inspiring and so much more. Being a better member of GLOBE is about being there for the tribe and helping to really build out the precious space that is this employee network.

How can diversity at every level of the workforce lead to better outcomes?

The data on the power of diversity is everywhere and impossible to ignore. Sometimes I don’t think we focus enough on the poetry or extrinsic aspect of diversity in the workforce. We spend a huge percentage of our waking hours engaged in our form of employment. That means that the culture of the organization has the potential to shape us almost as much as the neighborhoods we grow up in. That’s profound. It’s also a huge reason why the organizations themselves need to have diverse ways of approaching the mission. The availability of diverse perspectives ensures that we not only accomplish our goals, but that we do so efficiently and in a way that benefits everyone—not just the small percentage of people that were privileged enough to be in the room. This way, we continue to advance economic progress for all.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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