Highlights from Thumbtack’s Global Inclusion & Belonging Week
A Celebration of Thumbtackers’ Collective Power
At Thumbtack, we’re committed to building a connected, engaging and inclusive culture where our employees can bring their whole selves to work. This includes providing employees with the resources they need to help us continue to foster a culture of growth. As we close out April, we’re looking back at some of the highlights from our annual Global Inclusion & Belonging Week. The week, dedicated to programming centered around content and resources, harnessed Thumbtackers’ collective power as allies and celebrated our unique perspectives and differences.
Throughout the week of April 10th, we kicked off global programming that included 5 panel conversations that covered the following topics:
Diversity: “Strength in Unity” — Collective and institutional steps to foster belonging and inclusive excellence featuring Leadership Coach, Lynnette Phillips, and Thumbtack host Tavon Barnswell.
Equity: “Allyship to Advocacy” — How you can use allyship and advocacy to actively support people from marginalized groups and take action in service of a cause featuring Accessibility & Inclusion Champion, Angela Young, and Thumbtack hosts Jark Cruz & Trinidad Infante.
Inclusion: “The Business of Empathy” — The importance of empathy in business and why it’s a skill that managers and leaders need featuring Global Engagement, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant, Helena McAllister, and Thumbtack hosts Marissa Scully & Dang Caacoy
Belonging: “How Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) Create an Inclusive Culture” — How Thumbtack’s ERGs create a culture of inclusion and belonging, while offering a safe and supportive environment with Thumbtack hosts Tyler Bailey & JD Norton. Our ERG panelists included: Dione Gardner (NOBLEtacks), Trinidad Infante (Vamos), Jamie Sanduk & Trish Cajutol (Access), Ambles Kwok (Apactacks), Rebecca Fitzsimmons (Tackvets), Jess Deblois & Dusti Ondryas (Proudtacks), Jhoana May Lingon-Ferareza & Miranda Brock (Parents), and Jen Marquez & Kim Corcoran (Women).
Parents of Autistic and Neurodiverse Children — In celebration of National Autism Month, we heard insights from Autism Spectrum Disorder Instructor, Christopher Poe, and Thumbtackers’ Erinn Hertwick, Lindsay Rice and Noella Gonzalez.
So, what were our Thumbtackers’ key takeaways from Global Inclusion and Belonging Week? Get to know three Thumbtackers, Jim Ibanez, Olivia Whiteside, and Pinky Gordo as they highlight their key learnings from our week-long event.
Jim Ibanez (he/him) Recruiter with Thumbtack for 3 years and 6 months Location: The Philippines
Thumbtack’s culture is authentic to the very core. What you see and hear from the testimonials you can find anywhere are so true, and even way better when you’re already part of the team. The beauty of our culture is that we empower our teams to be more self-aware, leading to a community where people are humble enough to continuously be better as individuals and as a team.
My favorite event was “Belonging: How ERGs Create an Inclusive Culture.” I’ve been an active ally of every ERG we have for the Philippines team, and I know the value of what we’re advocating for. It was a very insightful conversation in the sense that more Thumbtackers became aware of what being a part of an ERG means. It was great to see my colleagues volunteering to offer support and cultivate a safe environment through these groups. In our local culture, this kind of advocacy is sometimes shrugged off, and I feel strongly hopeful that, as a team, we can break the barriers of discrimination — starting from our workplace and moving upwards.
Olivia Whiteside (she/her) Trust & Safety Lead Specialist with Thumbtack for 2 years Location: Georgia
Thumbtack’s culture is authentic. There is a genuine sense of belonging not only for employees but also for the local professionals that we support. Everyone and anyone is welcome and there is a space for us all. We are a unique set of people that all have something to share and grow from.
My favorite event was “Inclusion: The Business of Empathy.”Empathy is so important. It is the foundation of connection, and it is essential to understand what it is and how to use it to leverage your ability to understand the “why” in many situations. It helps build a level of trust and understanding in a world that is really so cold and self-centered. We thrive on connection as humans, and bringing that quality to connect with other humans while helping or teaching is so important — it promotes understanding. Helena’s presentation made me think about ways to exercise empathy daily, not only professionally but also personally. Let’s say I have a lot to do!
Pinky Gordo (she/her) Executive Assistant III with Thumbtack for 3 years Location: The Philippines
Thumbtack’s culture is inclusive. Thumbtack supports people’s differences and has created an autonomous environment. I don’t exactly mean one of self-governance, but an environment where people are given the chance to make decisions and feel supported in those choices. Our culture is also engaging; employees feel invested at work and find it interesting.
My favorite event was also “Inclusion: The Business of Empathy.” Working for a global company, it’s important to have an understanding of cultures that are different from your own — it’s an opportunity to build relationships and share your own culture as well. Empathy builds connection, it allows you to support one another’s well-being and in return, it drives innovation. Most importantly, empathy begins with you! Be conversational and step out of your comfort zone. Make an effort to get to know someone and make it a consistent behavior. If it makes them feel good, then maybe they’ll start doing it themselves and continue to spread empathy.
Global Inclusion and Belonging Week is one of the many ways in which we foster a culture of connection, inclusivity and engagement at Thumbtack. Throughout the week, we found that Thumbtackers took away both insights and resources to support their personal and professional development as well as a sense of unity and connectedness. We look forward to even more resources and programming throughout 2023.
Learn more about our ongoing commitment to making Thumbtack a home for community and belonging here at thumbtack.com/careers.
Originally published at https://medium.com on April 27, 2023.
