For Gradient, Pride Month is about celebrating diversity and inclusion. It’s about ensuring increased visibility of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and ending stigma. It’s about celebrating how far we have come towards equality but also acknowledging how much farther we still need to go.
With a bright pink flamingo at the forefront of our brand, Gradient makes a statement about our uniqueness and our boldness to fearlessly put ourselves out there in our industry. One might think that given a bird as our corporate mascot, it might be “birds of a feather, flock together”, but when it comes to our team, it couldn’t be any further from that!
Gradient is a fully remote company, and while remote work has its challenges, it also presents tremendous opportunities to foster an inclusive and diverse workplace. From day one, we have created a foundation of inclusiveness in order to foster respect and open-mindedness to the differences in our team while celebrating our common interests, which in the end, help to unite us.
One advantage of running a remote organization is our ability to tap into a diverse talent pool. By actively seeking out diverse candidates and creating inclusive hiring practices, we build teams that truly reflect the global society in which we live.
There are so many ways to think about diversity that help lead us to a more robust and inclusive culture that will unlock the full potential of our workforce. Working remotely offers a unique opportunity to build stronger, more innovative teams that celebrate and harness the power of diversity.
After all, acceptance and inclusion are fundamental elements of feeling motivated and performing productively at work.
Creating a sense of belonging is key for remote teams to thrive. We focus on implementing initiatives that promote employee engagement, such as virtual team-building activities and online communities. Encouraging regular video calls and virtual meetings helps team members connect on a personal level, breaking down barriers and fostering relationships. By actively promoting an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity, organizations can create a supportive and empowering environment where every team member feels valued and included.
As a people leader, I feel it is so important that we create a work environment that is both psychologically safe and celebratory for all. We need our teams to bring their whole, authentic selves to work. To offer unique perspectives and experiences that challenge the status quo and prevent us from falling into a habit of uniformity of thought and opinion.
When you take pride in your business being disruptive, you have to work to stay that way! Diverse voices play a role in building that culture.
There's an important quotation that underlies the way we approach this topic: “Diversity & inclusion are about giving value to every human being, no matter our differences.” At Gradient, we value our flockstars and partners. No matter who they are, who they love, or which hockey team they support.
We're proud to celebrate Pride Month and make our support visible to the Channel!