As we head into the heat of summer, we are reflecting on Pride month, Juneteenth, our country’s birthday, and the importance of continuing to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the year. In this post, we are highlighting specific actions and partnerships supporting LGBTQ+ inclusivity and more that we are focused on here at Interfolio.
Partnership with Out in Tech
Out in Tech (OIT) is a nonprofit organization that unites the LGBTQ+ tech community. Brooklyn Wright, Out in Tech’s Director of Partnerships, stated in a recent webinar, “[Out in Tech’s] mission is to create opportunities for you, our 40,000 members, to advance your careers, grow your networks, and leverage tech for social change.”
Interfolio, along with 35 other founding corporate partners, joined Out in Tech’s Qorporate program in 2019 with the goal of promoting diversity, equity, and belonging within the tech industry. As a part of this partnership, Interfolio, both as an organization and as individual volunteers, participates in networking and social events, career fairs, and mentorship programs. Additionally, we enjoyed co-hosting in-person networking and panel events at Interfolio’s Washington D.C. office before the pandemic. And, we do plan to lead and engage with the community once things safely open up to continue these efforts.
We also support and amplify OIT events, including their June “Celebrating Troublemakers” virtual discussion, where executives at many well-known corporations like Disney, PayPal, and Converse stressed the importance of disrupting systems even in uncomfortable situations. Edwin Aoki, VP, CTO of Blockchain, Crypto, and Digital Currencies at PayPal, shared this takeaway in the event: “If we can use our platform and our voice to start that overdue conversation about justice and inclusion, I think those are the best things that we, as large companies, can really bring to the floor.”
Increasing Inclusivity in Recruiting
One of the ways in which Interfolio has increased transparency and communication is through our commitment to our core values.
To highlight, we have collaborated to codify these values across our organization and are working to develop structures to infuse these values into our day-to-day interactions, both internally and externally. We wanted to also provide some insight on recent initiatives and actions to support these values, particularly Strength through Diversity and Trust through Transparency.
Within our recruiting program, we recognize that it is essential to create an environment that is welcoming to all candidates and new hires. One of the most vital ways to do this is being a safe place for people to come as their authentic selves. From the moment someone applies for an Interfolio position, our recruiting team works to properly address each candidate, with a focus on inclusion from the outset. Similarly, we have audited and updated our job descriptions to make them more inclusive for all audiences, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender.
Creating a Culture of DEI at Interfolio
Internally at Interfolio, we are committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion through a number of initiatives. In order to truly create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture among our staff, partners, and clients, we’ve prioritized listening and reflecting. But most importantly, we want to foster a company culture that isn’t afraid to change, grow, and improve. We have spent many hours collecting feedback from staff, truly listening to the feedback, while at the same time moving quickly towards solutions. To move this work forward, we put together a cross-functional task force of internal staff to focus on these organizational health initiatives. You can read about some of the early outcomes from this work here, including an internal workshop series designed to:
- Increase inclusion across the client’s teams and overall organization
- Combat and create awareness of unconscious and implicit bias
- Provide education surrounding the benefits of workplace diversity and equity
- Improve communication and foster an environment of allyship and belonging
- Prevent future harassment and discrimination incidents
- Influence positive changes in workplace culture
- Educate attendees on what to do should harassment or discrimination occur
The 4-part workshop series is hosted by a third party that specializes in DEI training.
Year-round, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. While we know we have work to do and acknowledge that it takes focus, effort, and ultimately embracing the change, we look forward to building awareness, learning a lot, and giving opportunities both internally and externally for growth. We hope you’ll continue to check back in with us to see what more we’ll have to share. Thanks for sharing this journey with us.