“It has been common for me in other workplaces to be the only brown person or Indian person,” notes Archana (Archie) Nair, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield internal communications associate.  Archie grew up in India and moved to the United States in 2014. “I’ve always tried to go out of my way to find other people from my culture. I love Bollywood movies, so if I can find someone to talk to about that, or someone who listens to the same music or understands the same sort of cultural references, I always try to seek out those connections.” 

Akshi Agarwal, Excellus BCBS actuarial analyst, shares a similar story having moved to the U.S. from India in 2018. Like Archie, she was also seeking connection to her culture. “It is comforting to find people who look like you and that understand some of the same things that only people from the same culture would understand,” explains Akshi.

Finding that connection

They both found that connection through the Asian Employee Resource Group (ERG), one of 10 Employee Resource Groups at Excellus BCBS under the umbrella of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion department. Akshi heard about the Asian ERG when she first joined the company as an intern. Representatives from each ERG gave presentations explaining what goes on in their respective groups. “The Asian ERG stuck out to me, and I thought I would find some belonging there,” recalls Akshi.  Archie remembers being immediately drawn to the Asian ERG through stories she’d seen on the company’s internal website highlighting various cultural celebrations. “There hadn’t been any other job where I saw a lock screen saying, ‘Happy Holi’.  There are active efforts of recognizing people’s backgrounds and cultures at our organization,” says Archie.

The beginning of a great friendship

The two formed an unexpected friendship during one of the Asian ERG meetings about the celebration of Holi, an ancient Hindu festival also known as the Festival of Colors. In the chat, Archie sent a message recalling as a child how she used to throw water balloons as part of the Holi celebration. Akshi remembers doing this same thing as a child.  The two bonded over this shared experience.  They made plans to meet up at a celebration of the holiday that was happening locally and from there they became great friends.  They often spend their weekends trying out local Indian restaurants, watching movies, and they are even planning a road trip. “It is hard to make friends as an adult,” shares Archie.   “The ERG is a great way to meet others.  It has enhanced my social life for sure.”  Akshi agrees, noting that if someone is part of the Asian ERG, it feels easier for her to reach out to them.

The importance of being represented

Beyond their friendship, the ERG has brought meaning to their lives in other ways. “It is really empowering to see two Asian people lead the meeting,” shares Akshi.  “I feel represented.” The connections that the ERG fosters combined with the company’s recognition of various cultural celebrations and holidays has created a positive experience. “When you don’t see other people like you, it can make you wonder if you are filling a diversity quota. That’s not how I feel at all here,” shares Archie.  “I know everyone respects me and wants me to feel like I belong.”

A resource for continued learning

One of the goals of the Asian ERG is to promote inspiration and awareness of cultures. “It encompasses a lot of different cultures from East and South Asia,” notes Akshi. The group hosts monthly presentations on different topics and cultural celebrations.  “They make the presentations fun, and you hear real life stories of how people celebrate,” she adds.  “There are a lot of things I didn’t know about, like lunar new year. It has been a great resource for continued learning,” says Archie.  Another goal of the Asian ERG is to facilitate professional development. The group brings in guest speakers from other groups throughout the organization, such as Toastmasters.

Just join a meeting

Introducing yourself to new people can be intimidating and challenging for some people.  ERGs offer a safe space and some commonality to help make these connections. “It is easy to make assumptions about what being part of an ERG might be like, just join a meeting and see,” advises Archie. “And don’t be afraid to chime in and talk, you never know, you might meet your next best friend.”

About the Asian ERG

The Asian ERG was established in 2011 with the mission to leverage the diversity of the organization’s employees to improve business performance and make Excellus BCBS a great place to work.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Customer Care supervisor Malerie Serley’s development journey began shortly after joining the company in 2019. “I joined the organization without any knowledge about health insurance,” Malerie explains.  She started as a Customer Care advocate. “The reason I pushed my development was because I knew Excellus BCBS was a great company to work for and I really wanted to begin a career there.”

Desk time made it possible

She was committed to taking on as many learning opportunities as she could while balancing the challenges of a tight schedule helping members on the phone. “I would utilize my desk time as often as I could and any courses that were interactive or offered only at a certain time, I would work directly with my leader to get the time I needed,” shares Malerie.  Excellus BCBS Customer care advocates have one or two hours each week referred to as “desk time” where they are off the phones for training and other development opportunities, but more time can be requested. “We have a workforce management team that does scheduling and forecasting so we know ahead of time what the day is going to look like.  With that information, we know if there is desk time available,” she adds.

She found her way through mentoring

One development opportunity that had a great impact on Malerie was mentoring. “I did a mentoring pilot program. I had a mentor that was a supervisor in the Claims department, and she helped me figure out that I wanted to be a leader.” Mentoring is now available to all employees. “I have an advocate on my team who is currently participating in mentoring. She coordinates with her mentor and then lets me know what time she needs. She then puts in a request through our workforce scheduling tool,” shares Malerie.

The value of connecting with colleagues

Throughout her career, Malerie has requested time for a variety of development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, classes on the company’s internal platform, and interactive sessions.  She encourages others to take advantage of the interactive courses where you can connect with fellow employees virtually.  “I think these courses are good personally and professionally,” says Malerie. “These sessions are a great opportunity to break up your day-to-day routine and push out of your comfort zone, get in front of people and network.”

Some good advice and a little encouragement

Malerie offers this advice to anyone looking to take advantage of development opportunities – “Use your time wisely to see what development resources are available. Check in with your leader to let them know what you are working on with your development. Make sure development is a part of the 1:1 conversation.”

She has always felt encouraged and supported by her leaders, even as she has taken on more robust development opportunities such as the organization’s Enterprise Succession Program (now Enterprise Mobility Program), where individuals are invited to participate in a 7-month long intensive leadership program. “I worked with my supervisor to figure out how much time I would need off the phones to focus on the course and follow up work,” she notes. “Most leaders are willing to make any adaptation to schedules when it comes to those types of development opportunities.”

Finding your career path can sometimes be difficult, especially with so many options available. Malerie recommends taking advantage of shadowing opportunities to explore the many paths available and figure out which direction is right for you. Whether an employee’s goal is to become a leader, move laterally into another area of the company, or build new skills, there are so many development opportunities offered at Excellus BCBS that can help them grown both personally and professionally.

Job opportunities

Are you looking to take the next step in your career and make a difference in others’ lives?

We have the right fit for you. Positions are available in many departments including Customer Care, Operational Excellence, Marketing and Sales, Information Technology, and more. Check us out at careers.excellusbcbs.com. Get to know our people and our values, and grow your relationship with us.  For more information, reach out to Director of Talent Acquisition Jason Helsdon at Jason.Helsdon@excellus.com.

Since the age of 12, type 1 diabetes has been a part of Tayla Riccio’s life, often altering the course of her day and shaping her choices. “I have a rarer form of type 1,” explains Tayla, a customer care advocate at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “My blood sugar can drop for no reason, it just happens.” This sudden onset of symptoms is not only scary, but it can be very severe, even deadly if left untreated.  “I get fuzzy, everything starts to spin, and I can become incoherent. Everything just stops,” she says. These episodes can occur once every couple of months or as frequently as 2 or 3 times a month.

Tayla’s positive, upbeat attitude is contagious, and she loves making her co-workers laugh. But she has definitely faced her fair share of challenges, particularly in the workplace. “Before working at Excellus BCBS, no one really cared,” says Tayla. While working at a previous job in the food service industry, she recalls, “I remember waking up from being on the floor incoherent and wondering what happened.”

The turning point

Things changed for Tayla when she accepted a position as a customer care advocate at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in 2021. During her first one-on-one meeting with her current supervisor, she shared with him that she had type 1 diabetes and might need extended personal time to manage her condition. He was very supportive and helped her understand her options for time away from work and disability accommodations offered by the organization.

“To have a supervisor that has been more than willing to work through the situations that I have and be incredibly open and supportive of this disability is great. I’m not afraid to tell him things,” she says. Her circle of support extends to her teammates and team lead as well. “I don’t feel shy or scared to tell them what is going on.  They have been more than open and more than supportive. I’m so thankful for them. They are not willing to let my disability hold me back from opportunities.”

Staying safe with the help of her team and the Health Plan

Planning for emergency situations is crucial to navigating her medical condition and her team plays an important role in keeping her safe. “If I’m at the point where I’m incoherent and on the verge of passing out, I’ll send an S.O.S. text to my husband and then he’ll in turn notify one of my team leads and they will notify my supervisor.  It is kind of this process that we’ve established,” she shares.

Not only is Tayla an Excellus BCBS employee but she is also a member of the health plan.  Prior to joining the Excellus BCBS team, Tayla was a Medicaid member. “I had gone years without insurance in other states because I didn’t have the money to pay for it.  To be able to have the insurance provided to me and to be able to get what I needed, I was incredibly thankful every time Excellus BCBS was able to cover something,” recalls Tayla. When she became an employee, she was thrilled to know she had an affordable buy-up option that would provide the care she needs to manage her diabetes.

A life-saving experience

“I would say that working here had a hand in saving my life,” Tayla says as she recalls a particularly harrowing experience in June of 2022. “I had an extreme low, it was really, really bad, my blood sugar dropped to 25.”  She notes that blood sugar levels under 65 mg/dL are considered severely low. “I don’t remember a lot of what happened, I ended up being so deep into unconsciousness,” she explains. EMTs attempted to arouse her but she had no reaction, so they determined it was best to take her to the hospital and administer glucose through an I.V.  After a heavy dose of glucose, she became conscious again but needed to spend a total of four days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). “Being in that state, stuck in the hospital, it was really hard,” shares Tayla. “I think if I didn’t have the support I had with Excellus BCBS, I don’t think I would have been okay. Not only having the great insurance provided for the time when I almost lost my life, but to know that I didn’t have the stress behind having to fork out thousands of dollars for an I.C.U. stay.  I’m so thankful for the plan.”

Affordable health insurance and so much more

While having affordable health insurance is important to Tayla, it wasn’t what first attracted her to the position at Excellus BCBS. “I wanted to learn the ins and outs of health insurance and heard that Excellus BCBS was a great company to work for,” she explains.  “Being on Excellus BCBS Medicaid at the time, a lot of the reps I spoke with as a member were pretty great, they seemed genuinely happy at their jobs.” This, coupled with the opportunity to work from home to better accommodate the challenges of her disability, made Excellus BCBS a great choice for Tayla. “Being able to work from home, if I have a low, I can just grab a Gatorade. I have carbs here to bring up my blood sugar,” she explains.  “My neuropathy isn’t acting up because I’m able to sit down. And I have a sit/stand desk for the times when I do need to stand up and move around. I can work more effectively by working from home.”

She was even more confident in her choice of employer when she learned about the benefits offered by the organization. “I assumed that there would be benefits, but when we actually went through the benefits part of my training, I was like ‘oh wow!’. I see the 3 plans, I see this 401K match, all these benefits I didn’t have access to before…the EAP benefits.”

Sharing the support

Connecting with others and finding support has been an important part of Tayla’s journey.  The organization’s culture of “caring about wellbeing” is evident. “My teammates have been incredibly supportive. They check on me. When I’m not my usual self, people know I’m not okay,” she says. Tayla does not shy away from taking the support she has received and paying it forward. As a customer care advocate, some members request to speak with her because of her experience with type 1 diabetes. She can relate and understand what they are going through. “I find that if I’m open about my own medical condition, then maybe someone can benefit from the knowledge that I am willing to share.”

We care about wellbeing  

Tayla’s story illustrates how the culture, values and behaviors of Excellus BCBS can have a tremendous impact on its employees both personally and professionally. Caring about wellbeing, empowering employees to do their best work, and modeling the IDEA mindset created space for Tayla to thrive. The organization’s focus on wellbeing also helps shape their employee Total Rewards philosophy.  The benefits offered by the organization are designed to support employees’ physical, emotional and financial health throughout their life journey so they can be at their very best.

Job opportunities

Are you looking to take the next step in your career and make a difference in others’ lives?

We have the right fit for you. Positions are available in many departments including Customer Care, Operational Excellence, Marketing and Sales, Information Technology, and more. Check us out at careers.excellusbcbs.com. Get to know our people and our values, and grow your relationship with us.  For more information, reach out to Director of Talent Acquisition Jason Helsdon at Jason.Helsdon@excellus.com.

“In our organization, professional development and community engagement are highly valued, and employees have opportunities to expand their knowledge, enhance their leadership and networking skills, and actively contribute to the community.” states Michele Benjamin, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield small group sales consultant in the Southern Tier region.

Michele had always been interested in attending Leadership Tioga sponsored by the Tioga County Chamber. The program’s goal is to develop individuals for future leadership roles, help develop their skills and knowledge of community issues, as well as introduce participants to the services, resources, and issues affecting the area.

While work and family schedules made the commitment difficult in the past, when Michele was approached again last year by a friend to take part in the program, the timing felt right for her both personally and professionally and she enrolled in the 2023 leadership class.  

Because the program aligned with our commitment to employee growth and success, Michele’s attendance fee was covered by our organization. “I am extremely grateful that Excellus BCBS has invested in my professional development by sponsoring my participation in the leadership program,” said Michele.

Michele gained valuable insights into the local community, its resources, and its opportunities. She was able to visit and connect with area businesses in Tioga County and developed a deeper understanding of local business needs and the dynamics of team collaboration.

“This exposure allowed me to broaden my perspective and gain insights into the challenges and opportunities facing our area. We sometimes get so comfortable in our current roles and daily routines that we walk around with blinders on, not realizing the opportunities that exist in our own back yard,” said Michele.

In addition to the local and industry-specific knowledge gained from the leadership program, Michele was also able to strengthen her soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Michele credits these skills to helping further enhance her ability to collaborate effectively with her colleagues and navigate complex challenges in her job.

With her newfound knowledge and skills, Michele has a renewed sense of confidence and a fresh perspective. She has been able to apply the knowledge she gained from the leadership program to her daily tasks, making more informed decisions and contributing to the overall success of the sales team.

At Excellus BCBS we believe your job can bring out the best in you, every day. Learn more about how we empower our employees to grow.

Job Opportunities

Are you looking to take the next step in your career and make a difference in others’ lives?

We have the right fit for you. Positions are available in many departments including Customer Care, Operational Excellence, Marketing and Sales, Information Technology, and more. Check us out at careers.excellusbcbs.com. Get to know our people and our values, and grow your relationship with us.  For more information, reach out to Director of Talent Acquisition Jason Helsdon at Jason.Helsdon@excellus.com.