Volunteering Around the Country, DEI Committee Discussion Groups, and Educational Opportunities Lead 2022 DEI Priorities
A year ago, our DEI committee was merely a growing seed, but now, we’re starting to sprout up out of the ground as we expand our efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dive into our latest recap to read about our latest discussion group and EnsoData Team Week Stand Up to Cancer 5K Run / Walk Event.
In February of 2022, DEI committee member Connor Sheedy, helped set up our Q1 community support activity during our Team Week event in Tampa, Florida: a 5K run / walk to support Stand Up to Cancer.
In an effort to give back, get active, and have some fun, the team participated in the virtual run event the day before World Cancer Day on February 4th. Even for staff that aren’t runners, walking and cheering on were also encouraged and embraced by our team for the event.
“The riverwalk in Tampa Bay provided a beautiful location for us to get up early, stretch our legs and enjoy the sunshine with our team members, all while giving back,” said Sheedy.
DEI Committee Discussion Group: Bias In the Virtual Workplace
Our DEI committee, encouraged by our Human Resources manager, Angela Becker-Bradley, engaged in another discussion group. Angela shared some great resources with the team on fighting bias in the workplace, including a digital program called “Lean In” that walks through scenarios for small group discussion on a range of different topics.
The committee leaned into one particularly relevant topic for our organization that offers fully remote work: Bias in the Virtual Workplace. First, our team watched the below 12-minute video to learn about the different types of biases that crop up in remote workplaces, specifically common biases women experience.
From zoom etiquette to taking turns to finding new uses for common technical features like the raise hand function for spreading conversation, the session was very informative and insightful for the group, especially for folks to see the unintended consequences of the virtual workplace: zoom call interruptions. See the below discussion topic on interruptions and gender.
As a small group, we found that the program yielded productive conversation, and later this summer, we will be bringing the topic to the company as a whole to guide them through a similar activity.
“I’m a talker, and in virtual settings I don’t have trouble jumping in to share my opinion,” said Steven Miller, Marketing Manager. “However, some of our more restrained and quiet colleagues often get washed out. I can support them by actively asking for additional opinions and drawing attention to others, allowing us to create an environment with more equitable opportunities for everyone.”
If you’d like to dive into the gender equity and equality resources provided by Lean In, you can access their site and get started today. To read more about the efforts for EnsoData’s DEI Committee, try these other content assets:
- EnsoData’s DEI Committee
- The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mission
- Community Enrichment DEI Event: Habitat for Humanity
- Establishing EnsoData’s DEI Committee
Check back regularly on the EnsoData Blog to see our next DEI update!
