Doing good and creating positive change is (and has always been) paramount to our philosophy as a company. That’s why we donate 50% of profits to improve sanitation for the most vulnerable populations and do all we can to protect the planet. Still, we are far from perfect.
Before the Black Lives Matter movement was at the centre of global conversations earlier this year, we naively thought not being racist was enough to be an inclusive business. Now, of course, we know better. We must be actively anti-racist or we’re still upholding the same destructive systems that have led to centuries of violence towards and discrimination against indigenous communities and people of colour.
In the first chapter of our journey, we committed to updating you quarterly on how we were creating a more diverse and equitable work environment at Who Gives A Crap. It’s important for us to stay accountable for this work. Social justice is not a fad for us. We’re not just trying to be diverse, we’re trying to be advocates for broader change in our industry and beyond. That all starts with looking inward.
For lasting and sustainable change, we knew that this process couldn’t be exclusive to our Executive or People & Culture teams. Our goal was to create a system that included all of our geos, functions and teams. We didn’t think we’d be able to accomplish that alone, so looked a partner to help guide us.
The big first step
When we began our search for a partner, we found that there were so many players out there doing amazing work. But after a lot of conversations, we were really excited to sign a contract with Collective, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultancy and research lab committed to helping businesses build better (which, by definition, means more diverse) teams.
We love a lot of things about Collective. Most importantly, they bring a people-first approach to their strategy. We have teams all around the world – diversity in Los Angeles looks a lot different than diversity in China, or in Manila, or Melbourne. The team at Collective understood this immediately. They knew that a cookie cutter approach wouldn’t work for us. We needed a global strategy that maintained local relevance.
““But here’s the thing with quantitative data, which is usually what the tech industry focuses on. It can tell you what and who. But it rarely gets to the root of why, which is what drives real, lasting change.””
There’s also a nice cultural connection between us and Collective. We’re both small start-ups with a big appetite for making a difference. Not to mention, we were totally blown away (and inspired!) by Collective’s founder and CEO, Kellie Wagner. Her approach to DEI is provocative and challenging while still being empathetic. We knew that she could push us to do what was best.
What comes next
We’re working with Collective to understand where we are right now – what we’re doing right and what needs improvement. From there, we’ll set goals and establish the right metrics to track those goals. Then, we’ll create a strategy for how to get there.
It sounds easy, right? Of course, it isn’t. But it’s an honour to be partnering with Collective to take these important next steps.
““This type of work, especially the impactful, long-lasting kind, is as messy and complex as we humans are, and it’s about time we embraced that.””
In the meantime, you can expect ongoing transparency from us. We hope you’ll continue to tell us when we get it wrong or when we could’ve done better. Addressing systemic racism isn’t something we can “fix.” Rather, it’s a body of work that will be forever in our DNA and a driver within our values. We look forward to sharing Chapter 3 of this journey next quarter.