DEI in tech products and servicesĪn area that Cassandra and the DEI team are also interested in is DEI f rom a product and services perspective. Their overall goal being to “create a workplace where people feel like they don’t need to change anything about their identity to belong”. These trainings encourage conversation s ab out complex and emotional topics, working against unconscious bias, myths and misconceptions about DEI. In the meantime, they have develop ed their own DEI F undamentals training, and they’re busy rolling it out in several locations. From the results of surveys, the organization is now building a global DEI strategy. At Reaktor, a scientific approach is being taken by using data and insights to help the topic forward. “You need to look at your company culture before you start hiring people from diverse background s ”, Cassandra emphasizes. Inclusion first, is a principle Reaktor swears by. This needs to change, starting at the inner practices of companies. Not only is the industry missing out on perspectives when lacking gender balance, women are at the same time missing out on promising career opportunities with more equity and better salary. Formalising the work gives Reaktor’s DEI team the opportunity to give DEI the focus it deserves.Ĭassandra mentions how “it’s hard to be what you can’t see”, meaning that we all need to have a more representative workforce in order to attract a more diverse group of people to the tech industry. After several local initiatives in New York, Amsterdam, and Finland were launched, leadership in the Helsinki HQ decided to make DEI a fundamental part of the entire business, which is how Cassandra’s new function was established. Having been one of the initiators of DEI work in Amsterdam, Cassandra has seen the formalization up close. However, the DEI work has only been formalized in the past couple of years. From grassroots initiatives to a formalised teamĭEI is not new to Reaktor, as various initiatives have been going on throughout the organization for a long time. Cassandra has played a crucial part in this, and shares Reaktor’s story with us in this interview. With a workforce of around 700 people globally, Reaktor has spent the past several years implem en ting DEI initiatives and are currently rolling out various programs aimed at increasing the diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of the organization. This global software and technology consultancy company works with clients all over the world, helping to solve critical business problems. For this article, we interviewed Cassandra Shapiro, global head of DEI at Reaktor. As part of our Role Model Campaign, centred around International Women’s Day 2023, we interviewed companies that are making an effort to ensure diversity and inclusion within their organization.
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