The goal of our Diversity, Equity/Fairness, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee at Research Square Company is to build a diverse workforce and to foster a culture in which all people feel included and valued. We want our team members to feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. 

In 2021, we set DEI goals that focused on diversifying our recruitment pipeline, establishing employee resource groups, supporting organization-wide mentorship and career development programs, implementing a standardized DEI training program for all employees, and providing regular updates to the team about these goals.

Here are some key highlights from our journey in 2021.

• We defined DEI best hiring practices and created an action plan for further diversifying candidate recruitment. 
• We connected our team with employee network groups through our partner, Springer Nature, and we continue to grow our involvement with these employee resource groups.
• We recently launched an exciting new mentor program for 2022 to promote equity at the company. The goal of this program: to help employees in all divisions pursue professional growth, goals, and interests at Research Square Company by imparting the expertise of its veterans to those newer employees who wish to advance their careers.
• In addition to DEI training across all levels of the company, we developed a foundational DEI “Inclusive Mindset” course, covering topics ranging from inclusive communication to the creation of safe and welcoming spaces.
• We participated in Springer Nature’s Inclusion Learning Campaign, a two-week online training event that encouraged both individual and collective learning around diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also celebrated the work of Springer Nature’s DEI-focused employee networks, which play a role in driving inclusion at the company.
• We added Juneteenth as a company holiday to honor its remembrance and make a statement that we are dedicated to addressing the structural racial disparities still found in our nation.
• We worked with C4DISC to create an Antiracism Toolkit for Organizations. The toolkit includes recommendations for mitigating antiracism at work, including in remote work environments. 
• We added gender pronouns to our email signatures, allowing our diverse team of colleagues an opportunity to express their gender identity preferences. 
• We added closed captioning to our company meetings to ensure they are accessible to all, including our hearing-impaired and neurodivergent employees.

We are proud of our DEI committee’s long list of accomplishments toward achieving these ambitious goals. 

What’s more, we’re expanding our efforts for 2022 and beyond by

• Reviewing our Career Tracks system from a DEI perspective.
• Continuing to support the expansion of our new mentorship program.
• Evaluating job descriptions from an inclusivity perspective.
• Continuing to improve our diversity through recruitment practices outlined in our action plan.
• Supporting Employee Network Group awareness and  RSC Employee Resource Group development
• Implementing a focus group to uncover new opinions and ideas around inclusivity at Research Square Company.
• Support the company’s corporate social responsibility goals for 2022: 1) organizing philanthropic events in our community; 2) developing initiatives geared toward engaging with underserved groups in the research community; and 3) exploring opportunities to elevate our status as an organization with a focus on continuously improving our social and environmental impact.

Over the past year, we’ve learned to value progress over perfection. We understand that change will not happen overnight and that all of us play a key role when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Building and sustaining a diverse workforce is not the responsibility of one person in an organization but rather a shared responsibility.