Talented is committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of caste, ethnicity, nationality, religion, color, sex, origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, gender expression, medical condition, mental illness, socioeconomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, or clothing.

We are dedicated to building an inclusive company with a value-driven culture. This is easier said than done, as it takes active effort to identify and remove hidden biases in our workplace. Inclusivity is important to us because it aligns with our core values of being a great place to work and looking out for each other. We want Talented to be a welcoming place where people can be themselves, and we strive to attract open-minded individuals who are willing to learn and grow.

We also recognize that underrepresented talent often face systemic and structural barriers that impede their ability to perform at their best and grow within an organization. Therefore, we are committed to creating equity for all. Above all, we do not see diversity and inclusion practices as merely optional or charitable endeavours. We believe that they are essential to our product and success. Technologist Nicholas Negroponte perhaps said it best: "Where do new ideas come from? The answer is simple: differences. Creativity comes from unlikely juxtapositions."

For us, embracing diversity and inclusion means

• We strive to promote fairness and equal opportunities for employment and promotion based on qualifications and skills
• We are respectful of the differences between people and their circumstances and do not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected characteristics
• We welcome ideas, opinions, and ways of thinking that may be different from our own (known as cognitive diversity) and prohibit exclusionary behaviors, which may include incivility, bullying and workplace violence, discrimination and isolating individuals and groups who are different
• We foster an inclusive and respectful workplace by assessing our conscious and unconscious biases, removing barriers to inclusion, focusing on systemic equity in our people processes and company procedures for consistency and fairness. Being a supportive ally and standing up for others
• We are mindful of the language we use to communicate so that we don’t exclude non-native speakers in our teams
• We believe the shortcut to thought differentiation is diversity in the form of different personalities, ethnicities, nationalities, backgrounds, kinds of education and lived experiences represented at the table to extend the surface area for every problem we face
• We believe in the competitive advantage of diversity, and bilingual and multilingual brains.

We're always open to your thoughts on how we can create a more equitable workplace. Write to us at [email protected].

Harassment

We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to the protected classes above, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, photography or audio/video recording against reasonable consent, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Harassment does not need to be recognized as unwanted or unwelcome by anyone other than the person being harassed.

Be careful in the words that you choose. Remember that sexist, racist, and other exclusionary jokes can be offensive to those around you. Offensive jokes are not appropriate and will not be tolerated under any circumstance. It’s important we realise that calling attention to differences can feel alienating.

Participants asked to stop any kind of harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately. Employees violating these rules may be sanctioned or removed from employment altogether.

<aside> 💡 Recommended reading:

• Cannes Study Finds Diversity of Experience Is the Most Important Factor in Building Creative Teams
• How Anyone Can Contribute to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
• Inclusion Hacks: 10 ways to minimize gender-bias </aside>

Reporting a violation

If you experience or witness something that violates our Diversity & Inclusion Policy, Code of Conduct, the Social and Interpersonal Code or any other policy, please report it to the HR lead or to a member of the founding team via email or in person, whichever is comfortable. All reports will be reviewed and investigated, and your confidentiality will be fully protected during the investigation.

If an employee is found to have violated our Code of Conduct, it will be permanently documented in their personnel file. Depending on the severity of the offence, and the findings of the investigation, additional responses may include mandatory training, a formal reprimand, or even termination. The reactive measures taken will be shared with the reporting employee after the investigation.