The Story Behind Our First Diversity Report

Two years ago, in the midst of the global pandemic, another public health crisis was suddenly thrown into the spotlight: systemic injustice and racism. While this was by no means a new issue, the mistreatment and exclusion of marginalized people became a national conversation with a greater sense of urgency than ever before. 

At Salesloft, we recognized that we had a responsibility to play a more active role in combating injustice. We started by looking at our own policies, values, and company culture through the lens of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). Today, after two years of hard work toward our DE&I goals, we’ve assembled our first ever 2022 Diversity Report. This report is a peak behind the curtain at our progress, where we still need to take action, and our continued journey toward making Salesloft a more inclusive workplace. 

We don’t just want to talk the talk.  We’re here to walk the walk. 

Salesloft is a global operation. The opening of our offices in Europe and Singapore means we can’t just be the global leader in engagement - we have to be the global leader in inclusion, too. 

Here are our top priorities stemming from the results of the report. 

Cement Leadership Commitment 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion must come from the top. If our leaders don’t reflect our mission of creating a culture of trust, vulnerability, and radical candor, then how can we expect those values to reverberate throughout our organization? 

Moving forward, we’re going to continue our leadership DE&I training, sponsor and participate in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and engage in leadership roles in our communities. Leaders hold the power to increase DE&I ownership, awareness, and participation through self-reflection and education on issues pertaining to equity. Our executives meet regularly with ERG leaders to keep their fingers on the pulse of our progress. 

Salesloft executive and senior leadership teams hold themselves accountable for the creation and maintenance of an inclusive culture. Leaders increase DEI ownership, awareness, and participation through self-reflection and education of equity concerns. They meet with ERG leaders to understand where we may fall short of our intentions and need to make changes. 

Extend Our Networks

The 2022 Diversity Report revealed we still have work to do to diversify our employee base. In addition to creating opportunities for the advancement of women and people of color (POC) into leadership roles, we’re working to establish partnerships within our community to educate ourselves, attract diverse talent and customers, and influence our industry as a whole. Community organizations like Technologists of Color are instrumental in creating more diversity in the tech industry. We’ll continue working with them to build our diverse candidate pipeline. 

We’re also participating  in the MAC Atlanta Racial Equity Initiative, a  multi-year effort that brings Atlanta-based businesses together to address systemic racism, inequity, and immobility.

Furthermore, in February 2022 we implemented our Supplier Diversity Program to ensure we’re working with a diverse network of suppliers. We plan to continue building out this program moving forward. 

Counteract Unconscious Biases

Our commitment to ensuring equity for employees throughout their entire employment lifecycle will continue as well. We know that promoting a culture of inclusion doesn’t stop at diversifying our employee demographics. We need to lessen the effects of unconscious  bias on marginalized groups by seeking out experiences, learning from and having contact with others, and reflecting on our processes and policies. 

That’s why we plan to conduct regular audits to identify potential areas of bias in pay equity, promotions, and terminations. We’re going to grow inclusive mentorship and internship opportunities and infuse diversity into the life cycle of Lofter touch points. This includes policies, practices, and new skills. 

We also plan to keep building out our LoftUp employee referral program, which promotes diversity by rewarding existing Lofters who introduce more women and people of color into the hiring pipeline.

Educate Ourselves 

All of the aforementioned efforts are impossible without the proper education. Inclusion is a manifestation of an organization’s culture and relationships. Promoting transparency, accountability, and an environment of “team over self” must be an ongoing endeavor. 

In addition to enhancing our ERG programs, we’ll provide inclusive leadership training to all our people leaders and unconscious bias training for every single Lofter on staff. Cultivating individual growth and responsibility via often tough conversations allows us to hold ourselves accountable. 

Within Salesloft’s organization and beyond, we’re striving to grow our collective emotional intelligence so we may increase our empathy for others, reduce our own defensiveness, and be more accepting and appreciative of our differences. 

Interested in reading the full 2022 Diversity Report? You can access it here.