Highlights:
- Diverse organizations are 87% more likely to make better decisions.
- That stat falls off when employees aren’t made to feel included.
RingCentral UK’s new Senior Employee Experience Business Partner David Hooper is in a hurry. You would be, too, if you were responsible for 250 UK employees, as well as staff in Germany, Israel and Australia. As he gets up to speed and learns the ins and outs of RingCentral, one consistent theme emerges – this is a culture that includes people. It’s a quality that gives RingCentral a crucial competitive advantage – and a perfect example of what Pride is all about.
Ready, steady, go.
Is there anything on Earth more awkward than starting a new job? Everyone wants to put their best foot forward, yet almost no one has the slightest idea how. For David, that’s where a culture of inclusion becomes more than a word. “(RingCentral’s culture) is very collaborative. It’s very…joined up. You might have a line manager in a different country, different region, different time zone, but there’s always people locally who can point you in the right direction, or show you how to get what you need. Before you know it, you’ve got that point of reference, and you find yourself starting to coach other people and share the things you know. “
More than words.
The value of diversity is widely recognized and understood, but the importance of achieving inclusion in the workplace is often overlooked. Managing different perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, thinking, and communication styles can be like herding cats, even for the most experienced, empathetic manager. But, given time, inclusion can become the ingredient that makes diversity work – and David sees the two together as an unstoppable force.
“You can’t just say you’re “inclusive.” You have to put the effort in to really let people know – you’re not alone. Otherwise, it’s really easy to default to portraying something you think others are expecting to see, which I think is a massive mistake. I never want people to feel the need to put up barriers or hide their true selves. It’s a waste of energy!”
Move fast. Bring friends.
In a busy culture, time can sometimes be an ally. “It’s almost like you don’t really have the time to think about not being yourself, because it’s so busy,” says David. “There’s always people reaching out, sending messages, emails, video calls— it would be really difficult to not be your true self just purely because of the fast-paced culture. I see it in Employee Resource Groups like the Rainbow Room— messages, videos, links, everyone’s sharing of themselves, and talking about what they’re doing for Pride. It’s really great that you can connect with co-workers across the world, see them being themselves and living their lives, proudly.”
There are various Pride events taking place all over the UK & EMEA up to September 2022, for example,
Israel, Tel Aviv Pride – 10 June
France, Paris Pride – 25 June
UK, London Pride 2 July
Trans Pride London – 9 July
Germany, Berlin Pride – 23 July
Ireland, Belfast Pride – 30 July
UK Black Pride – 14 August
Wales, Cardiff Pride 27-28 August
Culture matters
Between the Great Resignation and the sheer volume of opportunities available in technology, Employee Experience experts like David are in high demand. But RingCentral’s reputation for diversity and inclusion played into his decision to join the company. “I sat on the Global Diversity & Inclusion committee at my last job, but that initiative was a startup – we were just building our reputation. I expected big things from RingCentral, and I wasn’t disappointed. I could see it on Glassdoor and really across the tech community – RingCentral has a fully-grown reputation for diversity and inclusion, and that’s a real advantage in my job. Plus, it’s what Pride is literally about, right?”
Originally published Jun 28, 2022, updated Jun 19, 2024
