At Avalere, we’re always working on how to be genuinely inclusive and to incorporate a diverse set of perspectives into everything we do. It is both a challenge and our goal for better work. 

We’re constantly thinking about how to bring people in to leverage each person’s special talents in the right combination to produce something better for the sum of all those parts. We assemble project and client teams that reflect the client perspective, expertise in different subject matters, project management styles, and different levels of seniority. Creating an environment where people can grow and realize a tremendous amount of value from their work is the surest path to our success.

Collaboration is the magic of multiple people sharing ideas with each other productively. When we work together, we get the best from each other. We strive to create a workplace where people can learn and share their views comfortably, whether we’re deciding on project roles, professional development paths, or recruiting. It’s in the fabric of everything we do.

There is an incredible amount of pride and satisfaction that comes with the excellence that we have represented and continue to pursue.

For me personally, I have appreciated being recognized for my strengths and contributions — more than I recognized in myself — even though my set of circumstances was unlike others.

Working in a different time zone, part time while raising my children, I still felt valued and valuable, and that, I think, is extraordinary: bringing my own self and my values to the workplace and not suffering for it.

Though my progress was gradual for many years, it was all by my own design having to do with my priorities of work-life balance. I was able to push my boundaries and try out things that I was less certain I would be good at and received 100 percent support and confidence in my ability to do that all along the way.

As an associate, I started at Avalere fresh out of college, and I’ve already been given many opportunities. I’ve joined roundtable discussions with some of the top manufacturers, physicians and providers in healthcare. People have welcomed my comments and questions and recognized my dedication, and they appreciate a little bit of a hustle. I’ve gained confidence from having colleagues, who have been in the healthcare industry for many years and clearly want me to succeed. They’ve personally invested in me, not only as a team member, but as a person.  

Our leadership knows our names, they know about us, and it’s not because they have a cheat sheet or read our bio, they’ve taken the time to sit down and talk with us, and that happens across the board. We have a culture that demands excellence and our value of community is practiced daily. We all work hard and are developing real relationships. It’s a team effort and that positive collaboration allowed me to feel welcomed and included.

There are people who I consider lifelong friends now because we’ve been through so much. They’ve been there for me personally and professionally. Last year, when there were numerous public cases of Asian hate and discrimination, I felt hurt, like other Asian Americans. The Avalere community recognized what was going on with many of us and asked how they could help. I had a good cry about it with my manager because she recognized it was a hard time. People gathered around and they listened in a judgement-free zone. My team was flexible during this time and offered to take items on for me because we had cultivated good relationships. They understood there were other drivers in my day-to-day life that were impacting me. 

Because of their support, I felt validated, I felt heard and I felt loved, honestly. It also made me feel that Avalere was a great place to be because I had people who cared about me – not only about the quality of work I delivered, but how I was mentally and physically feeling.

I believe open communication is critical to everyone’s success. I am straightforward, and people know that I deeply care about their experience here. It shows because I see them taking chances and growing and learning the job. I also see a lot of people staying a long time, and I think it’s because there’s a deep culture of respect for each other, and the work is interesting, and contributes to making our healthcare system better. 

Cohesiveness is built when people are open, have fun and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. When I talked openly about mental health and using our company resources, for example, others also shared their experiences, saying that my vulnerability allowed them to open up. It brought everyone even closer together.     

My team knows that I have their back completely, doing whatever it takes to make sure they know they come first. The way I approach management is that I work for my team, they don’t work for me. My role is to support them, remove obstacles. 

We all have a sense that we have this big opportunity in front of us in developing people at Avalere. When we’re at our best, we’re training our employees, moving them up, making sure that they have increasing responsibility, they’re stimulated, and they are growing. Supporting our employees who want to do something to enhance their intellectual capital is key because when one person gets smarter, we all benefit. 

At Avalere, if you’re interested in something, you can go deeper and follow your path. As I go deeper in following my path in my work, I am more personally invested in the work. And describing my interests and my passion to my team translates to building personal relationships with them.  

That’s why I really try to understand where people want to go with their careers, and hopefully offer them the kinds of growth that they want within Avalere.

During my time at Avalere, I’ve had a supportive manager who has served as a strong mentor for my professional and educational goals. We meet regularly for professional development conversations to map out a plan and define key milestones to grow in my role. In the span of two years, I’ve learned many new skills that I can apply through the rest of my career. My manager has done an exceptional job fostering my potential so that I can grow in my role. I’ve also been inspired by the intellectual environment at Avalere and encouraged by manager to pursue my educational goals. I’m concurrently pursuing a Master of Public Health while continuing to work at Avalere. I’m grateful for the opportunity to apply the concepts I’m learning in my program to my day-to-day work at Avalere.

I’ve had excellent and strong mentors at Avalere who have guided me through their understanding of how Avalere works and how to achieve work-life balance. In my time here, I’ve gotten married and adopted two dogs. I am also passionate about serving my community and I volunteer on the leadership committee for a national non-profit organization. Avalere has allowed me to thrive professionally and have a full personal life, as well as a full family life.

I also appreciate how Avalere provides generous time off to employees and encourages employees to recharge. Employees at Avalere, including myself, have the taken the opportunity to go on adventures and travel around the world and to spend time with our families and friends. This demonstrates the vibrant, unique, and dynamic culture at Avalere.

I’m also grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the wider diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) community at Avalere. As co-deputy lead of the Race & Ethnicity Employee Network Group (ENG), I’ve had the opportunity to plan events focused on various themes throughout the year to foster an environment where all our employees feel heard and seen. The Race & Ethnicity ENG represents a supportive community and a safe space for employees to share and celebrate our racial and cultural identities and experiences with each other.