Equity

We are committed to ensuring that all employees have access to opportunities, and we've heightened our rigor and focus on strengthening equitable processes and policies across ��. Our goal is to identify and eliminate barriers that may prevent historically excluded groups from reaching their full potential.

Learn more below about meaningful improvements we've made when it comes to reducing bias in our recruiting practices, expanding learning and development opportunities, and creating pathways to leadership roles.

Talent Acquisition & Recruiting

�� does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expressions, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or any other basis protected by law.

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Over the past year, our recruiting teams have focused on executing a five-tenet strategy to ensure that our hiring practices provide a more equitable process for all applicants. The five tenets are:

Equitable Practices

Ensuring equitable and consistent interview processes from application through candidate selection

Talent Pipelines

Diversifying our sourcing, and strengthening partnerships focused on recruiting candidates from historically marginalized groups

Education & Training

Collaborating with the Learning & Development team to provide interview training to reduce the unconscious bias of interviewers

Data, Measurement & Visibility

Leveraging our PeopleFirst data platform and other measurement tools to provide visibility into our progress and opportunities

Diverse Representation in Recruiting

Inwardly focusing on the representation of our team to lessen our blind spots and broaden our perspectives

Another key component of our recruiting strategy includes the Rise Program. This three-year program is designed to develop top-performing HBCU students into future leaders at ��. Selected candidates join a cohort of students beginning their sophomore year for an interactive, creative program run by �� that develops a strong foundation for digital marketing, analytics, business, and leadership skills. The program also helps students expand their networks and match with mentors at all levels of the organization. During the summers, the students intern in various roles at ��, with the goal of working full-time at the company upon graduation.

We've had a successful inaugural year for the Rise Program, hiring 15 students from nine different HBCUs (i.e. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Virginia State University, Howard University, Claflin University, and Bennett College). We’re looking forward to the expansion of this program in year two.

Whether through professional organizations, colleges and universities, or other entry points, we are committed to creating equitable opportunities for all.

We've also partnered with organizations to reach, engage, and attract top talent from underrepresented groups. Last year we partnered with the National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Asian American Journalists, Black in HR, Road to Hire, and The Boyd Initiative. This year we have extended our relationships to include Out in Tech, Blacks in Tech, and Women Who Code.

Executive Mentorship Program

Since launching in 2021, the Executive Mentorship Program has supported 58 ��ers from underrepresented backgrounds across the company's U.S. office locations. With the goal to continue improving the company's diversity in leadership by accelerating the development of underrepresented talent, this program also aims to deepen �� executives' awareness of issues faced by underrepresented employees and strengthen their experience with coaching across differences.

While participating in the program, mentees develop a 1:1 relationship with a senior executive and receive personal coaching, leadership development, technical training, and the chance to expand their professional network.

DEI Education & Training

Education is a powerful tool for increasing foundational awareness to drive more inclusive behaviors and encourage active allyship - but we know that DEI Education as a standalone solution isn't enough. When education is paired with an intentional focus on equitable practices – that's where change happens. At ��, our approach to DE&I Education is to provide intentional opportunities for learning that are embedded into our daily interactions.

Performance Management & L&D

Within our Learning & Development focus, we’ve invested in two of our core programs:

INTERNAL TECH ACADEMY

The Internal Tech Academy (ITA) is a competitive, seven-month program that trains employees in software development or data engineering. Since its start in 2016, 66 graduates have joined the ranks of �� Tech.

PATH FORWARD

2022 marks ��’s third year partnering with Path Forward, a returnship program for women who took a break in their career for caregiving. Through this program, ten women engineers returned to the workforce and are thriving at ��.

26% of women engineers working at �� in 2021 graduated from the ITA or Path Forward program.