Value investing redefined

The Oakmark family of mutual funds is an extension of Harris Associates’ value-focused approach to investing. For more about our selection of funds, visit Oakmark.com.

The Oakmark Funds

111 South Wacker Drive, Suite 4600
Chicago, Illinois 60606
1-800-OAKMARK (625-6275)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion At Harris

Our Vision
Harris Associates is committed to bringing together individuals whose diverse backgrounds, opinions and perspectives maximize our expertise in finding value and delivering an excellent client experience. Inclusion is embedded in the culture of collaboration, curiosity and openness.

Our Mission
People are Harris’ most valuable asset. The collective sum of employees’ individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent represent a significant part of not just the firm’s culture, but its reputation and success. Harris embraces differences in experience and background and welcomes diversity of opinions and thought when making decisions. As such, it is committed to cultivating, fostering and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
The DEI Council was established in January 2019 and is responsible for identifying opportunities to develop, promote and integrate DEI principles throughout the organization. The Council, chaired by the firm’s president, is composed of a diverse group of employees who all share a commitment to and passion for DEI. New members are periodically selected through a formal application process, which is open to all employees.

Chris Keller portrait

People are the lifeblood of our organization, and principles of respect, teamwork and open debate have permeated our firm culture since its inception in 1976. With those tenets in mind, the DEI Council helps Harris be a stimulating, inclusive and diverse place to work.

Chris Keller, President and DEI Council Chair

Initiatives

Harris’ most valuable asset is its people—and the firm’s continued success is dependent on accessing the best individuals in the marketplace. The firm’s talent acquisition strategy illustrates its commitment to increasing diversity and fostering an inclusive workplace, which positively impacts the value provided to clients.

To support the firm’s pay-for-performance compensation philosophy, Harris conducts annual compensation reviews to assess pay equity, including, but not limited to, reviewing this information by age, gender and race/ethnicity. It takes into account a number of factors that are part of the “bottom-up” review: job factors, external conditions and peer data, which all form part of our review of year-end compensation awards before they are finalized.

The DEI Council invites employees to build employee resource groups (ERGs) to foster inclusive communities around shared identities or experiences. ERGs develop goals and strategies independently and can use a variety of methods to cultivate advocacy, community, inclusion, education and cultural competency.

Harris currently has three ERGs:

  • Valuable Minds – promoting positive mental health activities
  • Harris Women’s Network – fostering the professional development and advancement of women at Harris
  • Jewish Employee Resource Group – celebrating and sharing Jewish core values, experiences, and creating an environment for non-Jewish employees to learn about Judaism

The firm looks forward to more grassroots ERGs coming together to strengthen its inclusive culture.

Embedding DEI within Harris’ learning and development processes allows the firm to better support its newest hires, provide greater transparency to learning opportunities and available career paths, and increase overall awareness for those who are continuously developing leadership and managerial skills. Some examples include:

  • Harris Customized Training Plan
  • Harris Mentoring Program

In addition, the DEI Council supplements Harris’ learning and development programs with unique, customized trainings and events through a partnership with Paradigm Reach, a consultancy that specializes in implementing data-driven DEI strategies. Harris’ People team has been leading the effort to incorporate Paradigm modules into team development programs with the integration of micro-learnings on DEI topics.

Harris encourages employees to participate in meaningful volunteer activities. One of the ways it does so is through the Days of Service, which are quarterly outings meant to broaden volunteer offerings within the firm. Employees are further incentivized to participate with paid volunteer time off (VTO).

  • Mercy Home (Q1): Youth Tutoring and Job Skills Seminar
  • Habitat for Humanity (Q2): New Construction or Remodel Build Site
  • Lincoln Park Zoo (Q3): Gardening at the Zoo and Nature Boardwalk
  • Greater Chicago Food Depository (Q4): Food Repack Session
Two women in a meeting.

Setting a foundation by defining DEI

DIVERSITY
Diversity is the amalgamation of qualities that makes every individual unique: characteristics, experiences, cultures, perspectives and cognitive approaches.

EQUITY
Equity is ensuring that policies and processes are impartial and fair and provide just outcomes that acknowledge and respect every employee’s unique individual needs and goals.

INCLUSION
Inclusion is fostering an environment where each individual feels welcomed, respected, valued, supported and encouraged to bring their authentic self to work.

Inclusive Culture

As Harris Associates works to increase diversity, the firm’s inclusive culture is essential to enable employees to provide their unique perspectives and collaborate to drive better decision-making and deliver an excellent client experience.

Core Competencies

Inclusion is one of seven core competencies considered during the performance management process. Expectations for all core competencies increase as employees progress in their careers.

Employee Experience Group

The Employee Experience Group (EEG) is an employee-led team that advises executive leadership and works closely with senior management to provide input into the firm’s engagement efforts. Members are committed to identifying, recommending and implementing improvements to the firm’s culture.

DEI Council Observations Program

Harris Associates’ annual observations and celebrations create awareness and offer education to recognize diverse groups within the firm.

Two men working and in discussions at a desk.

Interested in joining us?

We invite you to explore our open positions. If you don’t see one that fits your skills and interests, join our talent community through the Discover Your Potential section. By registering, you’ll receive notifications when opportunities that match your background and career goals become available.

Please contact Human Resources if you need assistance.