A desire to help people inspired Paula Miller to pursue a career in healthcare, first as a registered nurse and then in medical equipment sales. While working in sales, Miller realized she wanted to make a bigger impact on her company—and took it upon herself to do just that.
“I wanted to shift the organization’s culture and improve the work lives of employees,” she recalls.
Her idea? To establish an employee resource group (ERG) at the company. “This helped me build leadership skills and confidence,” she says, “and it opened doors to other areas of the organization, where I could discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the impact of ERGs.”
What began as an internal side project turned into a long-term career in DEI—work she continued at her company in an official capacity for many years. Today, Miller is the Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the healthtech company iRhythm Technologies.
“I didn’t follow a straight path to arrive in DEI, which enables me to bring a diverse perspective to my role,” she says. “I can help elevate the voices of those not typically heard and I can work across the organization as a force multiplier to positively impact our culture.”
Here, she shares why ERGs are so important, how iRhythm is working to attract more diverse candidates, and the biggest misconception about working in DEI.
What led to your job at iRhythm Technologies? How did you know the company would be a good fit?
After working at the same company for nearly 20 years, it was time for a break. I took six months to rediscover myself, connect with family and friends, and catch up on rest that I did not realize I needed. I loved working in the DEI space and knew I would continue that path when I returned to the workforce.
I knew iRhythm would be a good fit when the six-month gap in my work history was not a hindrance. Rather, the people I met understood and applauded my decision to take a break. I felt comfortable sharing my story, and quickly learned that a supportive culture is the norm at iRhythm Technologies. Future coworkers reached out to welcome me weeks before I started, and the new hire onboarding process was designed and delivered in a way that immediately connected me to the organization and provided avenues for networking and relationship building.
What are some of your short- and long-term goals as the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging?
One of my short-term goals is to establish more ERGs, which provide a point of connection for employees and enhance the organization’s culture through education and cultural awareness. We recently launched two more, increasing our number of ERGs to three. Our plan is to launch one more closer to the end of 2023.
A long-term goal is to make steady progress against our three-year DEI strategic plan by implementing initiatives aimed at raising awareness, promoting continuous learning, and supporting a values-driven culture. I believe a successful DEI program is one that is embedded throughout all functions and levels of an organization and is driven by the convergence of many opinions, skill sets, and life experiences. Therefore, it is important that we focus on elements that impact the diversity of our workforce.
In addition, we must provide DEI education and training in psychologically safe spaces and measure our employees’ willingness to recommend the education and training to others. Measuring for impact will help to inform our work as we develop and implement initiatives to illustrate our commitment to DEI and advance us past lip service.
It is a privilege for me to do the work of DEI, and I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure each employee at iRhythm Technologies feels supported, respected, and heard.
How does iRhythm Technologies hire with diversity in mind?
Hiring begins with partnerships between talent acquisition specialists and hiring managers. The teams work together to discuss skills and qualifications for roles, draft job descriptions, and identify sources of talent. Work streams established by the talent acquisition team help to ensure a DEI lens is applied to each stage of the recruitment, interview, and hiring and onboarding processes.
One component of the DEI strategic plan focuses on diversity in hiring, including reviewing interview guides, recruiting from underrepresented groups, ensuring diverse interview slates and panels, and reviewing job descriptions to attract more diverse candidates. In addition to these efforts—which help us identify areas of opportunity for continuous improvement—we will also be doing more to leverage the power of social media to strengthen our brand in the market in the near future.
You joined the company about six months ago. What is a recent accomplishment you’re most proud of?
A recent accomplishment is the development and implementation of our three-year DEI strategic plan, which took into consideration the most recent employee engagement survey, focus group sessions, and 1:1 interview sessions. I have been on an internal roadshow of sorts to present the plan and earn buy-in from our leadership team and key stakeholders. It has been well received and initiatives are underway to help embed DEI throughout our organization.
In addition to the DEI strategic plan, I am proud of the successful rebranding of our DEI steering committee. Now called iBelong, the committee works alongside the global DEI Council to execute iRhythm’s vision toward improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices. We welcome the participation of all employees in whatever extra time or capacity they may have. The goal of iBelong is to closely align with employees and bring forward initiatives and programming that will spark others to action and allyship.
What skills from your past experiences do you still call on today in your DEI work?
Direct patient care involves the collaboration of multidisciplinary teams to treat acute illness or chronic disease. In the DEI space, a cross-functional approach is also necessary to embed DEI throughout all areas and levels of the organization.
Sales involves establishing partnerships, gaining trust, and providing solutions to positively impact workflow and patient outcomes. DEI work is no different as it involves partnering across the organization to educate, raise awareness, and promote a culture founded on respect. In that process, there must be a commitment to transparency and a cross-facilitation of connections to strengthen relationships and expand knowledge and skills.
What advice do you have for those who want to work within DEI? What can they do to gain experience?
DEI is a practice. Everything may not go as planned immediately out of the gate. It is a journey of continuous improvement with no end goal, so don’t try to solve everything at once. Focus on a few things, do them well, and assess for impact. You may have the best thought-out plan and still miss the mark, so don’t underestimate the importance of assessing for impact.
What is one misconception about DEI and how would you respond to it?
That DEI is only about planning awareness month events and social gatherings. While there is a fun component to DEI work, overall it entails applying a DEI lens to everything we do. It is key to remember that DEI is embedded beyond processes, policies, and day-to-day interactions and also ensures diverse representation, elevation of voices not normally heard, and promotion of fair practices.
My response to the misconception about DEI work being a nice-to-have would be to explain that it is about welcoming everyone to the table, providing a safe space for them to be authentic, and ensuring they have tools needed to succeed. DEI work is intentional about education, collaboration, and continuous improvement, which results in increased employee engagement, productivity, and retention.
Switching gears a bit: How do you find work-life balance? What do you do for fun outside of work?
I have come to realize there is no work-life balance but a work-life blend. Work is not separate and apart from life. Rather, it is an integral component of who we are since the average person will spend one-third of their life at work. Coworkers know my dogs, Winston and Wesley, and they can briefly glance at my background during a Zoom meeting and know that I am fond of houseplants.
Off camera, in addition to caring for my houseplants, I enjoy cooking and exploring nature trails with my husband and our dogs. South Carolina has 47 state parks, and we are well on our way to earning our ranger badges by exploring them all. Our next big plan is to purchase an RV and venture even further.
What’s something most people would be surprised to know about you?
I recently became a grandmother! When I speak about my family, I refer to my daughters as girls. However, my “girls” are 28, 25, and 23 years old, and I have a son-in-law as well. My grandson is a joy! It is still a new and strange feeling, but I am sure I will settle into grandparenthood quickly.