Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Silicon Ally we work to ensure all employees, volunteers, job applicants, and clients feel valued and respected. We commit to provide equal opportunity for employment, advancement, and choice in every aspect of our operation. We respect and value diverse experiences and ensure that voices are valued and heard.

These principles mean little without specifics, so here are the ways that we (currently) embody them in our operations.

Structure #

We have a broadly egalitarian structure . This means we don’t differentiate pay, benefits, power or responsibilities between employees. These choices stem from our deep belief in, and commitment to, equity.

Work #

• Employees are trusted to manage their own work.
• Employees set their own working hours.
• When feasible, employees have the flexibility to decide what set of work they want to be responsible for.
• We are asynchronous-first, preferring to operate via non-interruptive (and written) communication as a default. This allows for folks with a broad range of personal responsibilities, geographic locations, accessibility constraints, and diverse communication styles to do their best work and be heard.
• We encourage and practice transparent communication in all interactions.
• We expect employees to practice respect, tolerance, curiosity, and best-faith assumptions.

Hiring #

• We hire (and work) remote-only, enabling a geographically diverse pool of applicants.
• We make additional efforts to solicit applications from underrepresented groups in tech.
• We don’t set minimum qualifications for roles (# of years of experience, degree requirements, etc).
• Job descriptions are short, clear, and include precise salary expectations.
• We review resumes/application materials using blinding tools that try to obscure personal attributes like name, gender, nationality, race, etc.
• We interview candidates using a standardized process + rubric.
• All employees involved in a hiring cycle take a proven unconscious bias training prior to participation in any hiring activity.
• We will make every effort to accommodate schedule, ability, and access to technology during the hiring process.

Project Selection #

When we select projects to work on, we:

• Prefer projects that have the support of the communities they intend to assist.
• Prefer projects that plan to generate quantitative data tracking the project’s equity outcomes.
• Actively explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness in a project.