National mortgage lender ranked one of the Best Workplaces for Diversity
In 2017, we ranked 53 for Best Workplaces for Diversity. As a national mortgage lender based in Houston, the most diverse city in our nation, we couldn't be prouder
When we officially gave up using the word "employee" in 2017, we weren't prepared for the impact. Such a small change had profound effects on our company. "We banned the word," Cornerstone Home Lending chairman and CEO Marc Laird explains. Now, we hire team members instead.
Laird says he came to this decision based on our team members' desire to serve, both our borrowers and one another. Changing the word "employee" to "team member" isn't just good for our business as a Houston-based national mortgage lender. For us, it's the right — and the only — thing to do.
Cornerstone ranks 53 among Best Workplaces for Diversity – here's why
Since co-founding Cornerstone in 1988, Laird has seen his company grow as a national home lender with his own eyes. He believes Cornerstone's success isn't just coincidence. It's in the way we hire our talent based solely on their commitment to our company's Core Values – specifically, lending with a servant's heart.
This practice alone has created a company culture of diverse talent unrelated to age, race, or gender. Within each Cornerstone office in 38 states across the U.S. (and the District of Columbia), you'll find one common thread. "We're united in working together for the benefit of our borrowers," Laird says.
Laird shaped this concept based on his idea that drawing from a multitude of different perspectives — and bringing them together in collaboration — will create more opportunities for team members in all roles to enjoy Cornerstone's shared success.
"It's people first, and business second," Cornerstone co-founder, president, and COO Judy Belanger says. Getting input from every demographic represented among team members and putting these new ideas into practice is what helps make Cornerstone a better company, Belanger explains. Cornerstone received recognition for its commitment to diversity when it won the Best Workplaces for Diversity award in 2017, ranked number 53. We've also been ranked a Houston Chronicle Top Workplace for eight years in a row.
Cornerstone diversity by the numbers
"Having a diverse workforce helps our company to attract and retain great talent," Willie French, Cornerstone's senior vice president of human resources, says. "Our exceptional team member satisfaction may explain why 85 percent of our new hires come from referrals from our team members."
To French, it's Cornerstone's diversity, empowerment, inclusion, and meritocracy that remain critical to the company's ongoing journey.
Cornerstone's nearly 2,000 team members have seen changes in diversity like:
70 percent women in the workforce — including 50 percent of the company's eight division presidents.
African-American team members have risen by 93 percent in the last decade.
Asian team members have increased by 33 percent in the last decade.
Millennial team members make up roughly one-third of the workforce, up about 7 percent in the last decade.
Within the C-suite:
43 percent of Cornerstone's executives are women.
14 percent of executives are minorities.
Within the mid-level executive ranks:
67 percent of Cornerstone's mid-level executives are women.
15 percent of mid-level executives are minorities.
Cornerstone's 14-member executive committee is represented by:
5 female executives.
2 Hispanic executives.
2 millennial executives.
As Laird sees it, building diversity within the workforce comes naturally when we hire like-minded talent who share our company vision of serving others. This heart of service is not only reflected within the workplace — it spills into the communities throughout the country where Cornerstone does business. Houston, for example, where Cornerstone's headquarters are located, is now the most diverse city in our nation.
Keeping our foundation as a servant's heart is essential, Laird says, for both Cornerstone's team members and the community members who trust us in their homebuying journey. To find out how we can use your God-given talents in our growing work-family, join our free Cornerstone Talent Network.
