Diversity is the work we do to identify underrepresented groups and bring them into the workplace, and inclusion is how we make everyone on the team feel.
We see inclusion as the ongoing, conscious effort to celebrate difference and welcome people of differing backgrounds and life experiences, whether they’re current or prospective teammates, partners, or customers.
Inclusion is about creating an environment where our teammates can feel welcome, and experience a sense of belonging.
[Some things we do to achieve this]
One metaphor that sums it up nicely: “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”
Now that we’ve defined diversity and inclusion a bit; we invite you to help us achieve it.
Buffer’s core values include listening with a goal of understanding, a focus on doing the right thing and an emphasis on constant self-improvement.
You seek first to understand, then to be understood.
As we apply these concepts to our work and to the world around us, it’s been exciting to discover that these are the very attitudes that can help our team create a more diverse and inclusive Buffer.
1. Share your authentic self: Share of yourself and your perspective as honestly as you can as we work to create a place where perspectives flow freely and empathy builds.
2. Educate yourself about diversity: Lot of options here and here!
3. Challenge yourself: We each bring our own biases and experiences with us, and these influence how we approach conversations and tasks. Acknowledge that we all took different paths to get here and work to challenge our own thoughts about the work we do.
4. Ask for feedback: By learning from one another, we can improve the language we use and the actions we take. Here are a few questions you can ask to generate feedback from others: