Edward Jones Reestablishes BRIDGE Program to Attract and Retain Diverse Talent

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial services firm Edward Jones today announced the launch of a firm-wide initiative to attract, develop and retain diverse financial advisors. The program, called BRIDGE, is part of Edward Jones' push to become a more diverse and inclusive firm and provides mentorship and coaching opportunities for both new and veteran financial advisors within the firm to augment their professional careers.

BRIDGE, coupled with the launch of WINGS?or Women's Initiative for New Growth Strategies?follows a recent pledge made by Edward Jones Managing Partner Jim Weddle who was part of a group of more than 150 CEOs to sign the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion in June, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. By signing the commitment, Weddle and other CEOs pledged to take action to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected and where best practices can be shared across organizations in an effort to create a diverse and inclusive work environment.

"We believe that an inclusive group of associates is the best way to serve the varied and individual needs of our clients and will ultimately help those clients work toward their long-term financial goals," said Monica Giuseffi, principal of Financial Advisor Inclusion and Diversity at Edward Jones. "A growing amount of research shows a direct correlation between diverse and inclusive workplace environments and strong business outcomes. Therefore, it was extremely important for us at Edward Jones to deploy a robust nationwide program to attract the best diverse talent to reflect the communities we serve. By empowering each of the regions we operate in with BRIDGE leaders who strive for diversity, we ensure not only the attraction, but the retention of the best diverse talent."

The reestablished BRIDGE program looks to attract and develop confident, high performing individuals who strive to make a difference in their clients' lives and develop strong relationships in the community. It includes Edward Jones' Early Success Coach Program which pairs new hires with an experienced Financial Advisor who offers the support needed for each advisor to become successful at the firm. The Cross Cultural Development Program, a component of BRIDGE, helps diverse Financial Advisors address cultural challenges and build successful businesses within their communities.

BRIDGE is a national initiative that is deployed in a personalized and tailored way in each of the regions Edward Jones serves through designated BRIDGE leaders and diverse inclusion specialists. BRIDGE Leaders are empowered to affect change and influence others to drive for results through the support and execution of six proven strategies including mentorship, coaching, complimentary sourcing strategies, diversity summits, collaboration with Edward Jones' talent acquisition department and external community partnerships.

With BRIDGE, Edward Jones hopes to steadily increase the number of diverse talent joining the firm as financial advisors. For more information about BRIDGE and Edward Jones' diversity-focused initiatives, visit here.

About Edward Jones 

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the investments offered to the location of branch offices, caters to individual investors. The 15,000-plus financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients and care for $1 trillion in assets under management. Visit  http://www.edwardjones.com or the recruiting website at www.careers.edwardjones.com.  Member SIPC.

SOURCE Edward Jones