Centene has long embraced a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In fact, you could say that DEI is in our DNA. Since our founding by Elizabeth “Betty” Brinn in 1984, Centene has been committed to providing high-quality, culturally appropriate healthcare solutions to fit the individual needs of our members. At the same time, we have been focused internally on enhancing our inclusive work environment to celebrate the diverse perspectives, ideas, experiences, and cultures of our thousands of employees.
Supporting Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Employee Inclusion Groups
Each of Centene’s interns are encouraged to join one or more of Centene’s employee-led Employee Inclusion Groups (EIGs). These groups are vital not only in helping bring together interns and employees of a similar background, but also in promoting allyship; each EIG is open to everyone, regardless of demographic.
cPRIDE: Centene’s LGBTQ+ Employee Inclusion Group, cPRIDE, supports an inclusive work environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and all other employees within the spectrum of gender and sexuality. The group promotes the ability of all Centene employees to bring their full selves to work, ultimately enhancing employee engagement and retention.
ABILITY: The People with Disabilities & Caregivers Employee Inclusion Group, ABILITY, focuses on education, accessibility, talent enhancement, and community involvement. The group challenges the stereotypes and stigma associated with people with disabilities and expands disability cultural competency.
CENVET: CENVET provides support and resources for employees who have served in the armed forces and those related to a service member. The EIG offers advice and recommendations regarding issues relevant to veterans and military families, while helping Centene further veteran outreach and talent development.
I.N.S.P.I.R.E.: Centene’s Women’s Employee Inclusion Group, I.N.S.P.I.R.E. (Influence. Network. Support. Promote. Include. Recognize. Empower.), aims to help its members meet their professional goals. It leverages targeted development sessions, mentoring, and community engagement to grow women as leaders and prepare them to take on opportunities at all levels of the company.
MOSAIC: Centene’s Multicultural Inclusion Group, MOSAIC, provides peer support for employees of all racial and ethnic backgrounds through networking, mentoring, and coaching. It also promotes education and awareness, and supports employee engagement and retention.
Virtual Internships
Centene's annual Summer Intern Experience is designed to identify and develop a diverse and competitive pool of emerging professionals for potential full-time employment. In 2020 and 2021, Centene mobilized to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing students with a full internship experience from a remote work environment. Nearly 200 interns each year joined teams across the enterprise to address real business challenges, participate in mentoring sessions with People Leaders, attend networking and DEI events with their peers, and take part in workforce development.
Internship Recruitment
Centene’s internship program is committed to recruiting a diverse and inclusive group of early career students. Through active sponsorship of Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) — a conference for LGBTQ+ MBA talent — and The Consortium, an organization that links diverse students, MBA programs, and corporate partners, Centene is able to attract future talent and leaders to the company. To date, 37% of our intern class has been converted to either full-time or part-time positions at Centene.
Learn More
Learn much more about Centene’s inclusive culture and our company’s commitment to DEI by checking out the C-Index, Centene’s annual report on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts:
https://www.centene.com/content/dam/centenedotcom/investor_docs/D&I_Annual_Report_2020_508.pdf