Diversity & Inclusion: Not Just Buzzwords

As we settle into 2021, we are prioritizing the commitment we made last year to embrace diversity, tackle equity issues, and create inclusive environments in the workplace. And at Poppin HQ, we don’t just want to talk the talk: We're turning intention into action. 

Over the past few months, we divided the Poppin team into subcommittees to address four areas: Recruiting, Events, Training + Education, and Core Values. We’ve aligned on what our improved DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) journey looks like and, while we know this is just the beginning, we’re excited to show you our next steps. 

Recruiting

Different backgrounds and perspectives lead to smarter and more creative teams. In 2021, we aim to: 

• Diversify our candidate pool: By increasing the number of platforms where we post our jobs and leveraging the diversity groups with the recruiting agencies we use, our goal is that a more diverse applicant pool will trickle down to the recruitment funnel. We’ll be able to track the number of candidates we get, how they move through the hiring funnel, and what percentage of people ultimately get the job.

• Enhance recruiting collateral: We’ll be creating and updating any recruitment collateral (for instance, on our careers page and LinkedIn channels) that tells a story about what it’s like to work at Poppin and why diverse candidates should be motivated to apply. We’ll be able to track views of each post. Additionally, our recruiters will be updated on discussion points with candidates to include our DEI values.

• Reduce bias in the interview process: We strive to make sure that unconscious bias doesn’t play a role in the hiring process. We’ll commit to this by increasing the diversity of our applicant pool at each stage of the funnel and do a bi-annual re-training of all hiring managers to make sure it’s top of mind. 

Events

We’re giving our employees more opportunities to feel like they're making a difference in the community, learn more about the world, and feel inspired:

• Donation drives and volunteering: We’re establishing a monthly donation drive calendar and activations, plus showcasing volunteer opportunities. 

• Mentorship program: We’ll be matching up mentees with mentors based on interests, gender identification, career path, and other categories to forge connections and growth within the Poppin community.

• Book club: This quarterly meet up (virtual, for now!) will discuss books focusing on social justice. Plus, we’ll offer ways you can purchase books from POC- and/or women-owned bookstores.

Training + Education

We’re taking it up a notch with better resources and education for our employees:

• Employee training: We’ll be uncovering and confronting bias in the workplace, providing sensitivity/empathy training, and learning how to talk about DEI with your coworkers. 

• Manager training: While open to employees company wide, managers will be specifically required to attend quarterly training on inclusive leadership, how to talk about DEI with their team, managing diversity, leading with empathy, and fostering a diverse team. 

• Guest speakers: Poppin will be bringing in keynote speakers from various backgrounds to bring a fresh perspective on anything from workplace culture to leadership to current events. 

Core Values

Core Values are a big thing here at Poppin, and we're excited to share our new addition to the list! In the coming months, this core value will be incorporated into our website, recruiting materials, and office design (we display decals of our core values on the walls of our offices and showroom). Most importantly, this is now officially part of the standard with which we will hold all employees throughout the course of their time with Poppin:

Embrace Differences
Commit to diversity and inclusion of our colleagues and customers.

This joins our existing 7 Core Values:

Be a Customer Hero
Put the customer first in every decision you make. 

Make the Ordinary Extraordinary
Bring bold ideas that set us apart.

Be Yourself + Create Fun
Bring your real self to the office and make Poppin a fun place to work.

Care + Connect
Join our community with active outreach and respect for all identities.  

Take Ownership + Be Humble
Step in to take responsibility and step back to empower others.

Evolve + Get Smarter
Take on challenges and commit to growing and learning.

Work Scrappy
Work hard and keep that start-up attitude.