OPTIMAE LIFESERVICES announces results of 2025 DEIB employee survey
August 22, 2025 (DES MOINES) – Optimae LifeServices is pleased to announce the results of its 2025 DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) employee survey, an annual, anonymous measurement of the employee-owned organization’s DEIB initiatives. 2025 marks the fourth year that employees have completed the survey.
Of the employees who responded to the survey, 91% said they feel a sense of belonging at Optimae, and 91% said they think Optimae values diversity. Comparatively, recent data reported by employee recognition organization Achievers and business magazine Forbes, respectively, showed that 70% of American workers report not feeling a sense of belonging at work, and 58% of American workers feel their workplace does not value diversity enough.
“DEIB work is significant,” said Sheryl “Sheri” Gill, Optimae LifeServices president. “At Optimae, our culture — and our core values of choice, respect, teamwork and education coupled with our brand promise of ‘At your side. On your side.’ — underscores the importance of embracing a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.”
According to SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management), diversity and inclusion efforts have positive impacts on workplace culture, help ensure equal opportunities and assist in meeting the high demand for attracting and retaining skilled workers. 87% of respondents to Optimae’s 2025 DEIB survey said they feel Optimae is a safe and supportive workplace for underrepresented individuals.
“At Optimae, we are steadfast in our commitment to celebrating every individual from all identity groups and populations. We recognize that everyone deserves to be heard, valued and seen for their authentic self, and to be able to thrive in their uniqueness,” said Holly Stevenson, director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) at Optimae. “The feeling of belonging is difficult to articulate or quantify, yet these survey results unequivocally demonstrate two things — that people want to show up to work unashamedly as their whole selves, and that, at Optimae, people feel encouraged and empowered to do just that.”
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About Optimae LifeServices
Optimae LifeServices Inc. assists individuals with their mental health, visible and invisible disabilities, and other barriers, providing health care and human services for customers living in more than 50 central, southeastern, northeastern and south-central Iowa counties. For more than three decades, we have equipped our customers with supports and services that encourage choice, empowerment and community integration. Our programs include community-based, behavioral health, home health, rehabilitation and residential care services. We advocate for the rights and needs of more than 5,000 Iowans each year, providing the quality of care we would want for our own family.
