How To Nurture & Support DEIB Communities
Being an HR professional means always being focussed on how to best work with our people to help our business succeed. We are working in the field that seeks to find and operate within the sweet spot where our people can thrive and grow, and as a result our business can thrive and grow too.
No matter which branch of HR we specialise in, this is always an essential piece to what we do and how we operate. In the EDI (Equity, Diversity & Impact) team the element of engaging our band members goes a layer deeper. We know that we can not drive change with our team and our team alone. And even if we could, would we really be driving change in the right place? No. We need input from across the organisation and to work together with our band members, to make sure the work we are doing is inclusive, and impactful in the ways that matter.
We are a centre of excellence whose purpose is to champion an inclusion mindset, amplify diverse voices, and ensure fairness for all. Our EDI commitment is dedicated to fostering a thriving culture where everyone feels genuinely seen and heard. We understand that cultural change is a journey that requires unwavering commitment, especially during challenging times. Our goal is to make a measurable impact that transcends good intentions and delivers meaningful impact to our company’s objectives. Moreover, we aim to empower our leaders to lead with an inclusion mindset, fostering excellence, innovation, growth and belonging for our team members, creators, and communities.
The EDI team is made up of DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging) and Social Impact experts and a very important extension of our team are the DEIB Communities which serve as voices and allies to the broad spectrum of identities across Spotify. When our communities thrive, our business thrives too.
Our DEIB Communities
At Spotify, we have 18 DEIB Communities (traditionally known as ERGs), led by our band members, and 60 Heart & Soul Ambassadors, around the globe. They provide a vital space for people to share their experiences, support each other, develop leadership and help Spotify better understand their needs. Some examples of these DEIB Communities are ‘SPACE’ which supports those who identify as the Asian community, ‘BLK’ which champions allyship, education, and cultural awareness for Black Spotifiers, and ‘Parents’ which connects current and soon-to-be caregivers.
The DEIB Communities are organised into 4 subgroups: 1. Belonging Groups, 2. Affinity Networks, 3. remix Chapters, and 4. Heart & Soul Ambassadors.
- Belonging Groups: These align to the company’s local and global DEIB strategic areas of focus (e.g. ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual identity). Working in partnership with DEIB for accelerating diversity, infusing inclusion & amplifying belonging internally.
- Affinity Networks: These networks are dedicated to fostering community between individuals with similar interests. These include our faith based groups and the purpose is to provide safe places and connection through social engagements.
- Remix Chapters: These communities are geographic. They are open to all band members in the country/office/location who are interested in creating employee engagement activities.
- Heart & Soul Ambassadors: Our ambassadors are selected Spotifiers who advocate for mental health, support band members and activate mental health initiatives for the country/location they are present in.
Having this structure allows us to hone in and support the different types of Communities in the ways that matter most to them.
Building, Nurturing and Supporting the DEIB Communities
We rely on the DEIB Communities for their input and to provide a network of support and belonging across the organisation – reaching into places a centre of excellence team could not be as present. And so that they can do this work for the benefit of all of us, there is some support we must provide to the leaders and members of each of these groups too.
We need to make sure we find the right people, we need to onboard them to being a DEIB Community lead, and we need to recognise them and the extra work they are doing. Essentially, our goal as an EDI team is to empower all DEIB Communities to do their best work. Therefore, we have built our support framework around four pillars: 1. Ways of Working, 2. Alignment & Support, 3. Development & Growth, 4. Recognition.
- Ways of Working
We provide our communities with guardrails and frameworks in a one-stop-shop Community Handbook. This is where any member can find information that will set them up to do their best work. It’s really important that they can find efficient ways of working – we don’t want our communities to spend their time figuring out how to do things, or where to find what they need. Therefore, they’ll find an array of guides in the Community Handbook. It covers an array of things from outlining the roles and responsibilities of leading a DEIB Community, to how to run initiatives for their community, and even how to communicate in the relevant places to increase engagement.
- Alignment & Support
We’ve set up a support model where each community is supported by a dedicated DEIB Partner from the DEIB Team. The DEIB Partner supports the community through monthly syncs, coaching and guidance on how to navigate driving the most impact at Spotify.
- Development & Growth
Being a Community lead is a great way for our band members to grow and develop their skills. We see Spotifiers applying to become a Community lead because they want to find new ways to grow, expand their network and further support the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work at Spotify. Normally, each leader dedicates 2-4 hours per week alongside their day-to-day job, so it’s quite a commitment, with a lot of pay off in terms of the things they learn and the additional network they gain throughout the company. We support them to develop through regular learning moments where they can develop skills that are needed to thrive.
- Recognition
As we mentioned, the 2-4 hours per week, alongside their day-to-day job is quite a commitment, and whilst there are many benefits in terms of development and growth, we also don’t want them to go unrecognised for this extra work. The role they are playing and the impact they are having at Spotify is so, so important – and we make sure they know how much it means to us, and that their fellow band-members can recognise their achievements and impacts. Whenever a new lead is selected, we give them recognition to their manager (who also has approved the role) and their HRBP. We encourage the manager to weave their role into existing continuous 1:1s and development talks. We recommend they ask about it, how it’s going, how time management is going, and how they can support their team member’s growth.
The DEIB Communities’ dedication to creating a culture that can bring a sense of belonging to each and every one of us, is undeniable. The whole band can feel the impact they have and we can say with absolute conviction that HR provides the guidance and the framework and our DEIB Communities breathe life into our strategy, and add unparalleled value to our business.
We are so proud of having such a committed and passionate network, and we’re also incredibly proud of building a culture that not only allows for this kind of passion, growth and development, but one that encourages it too. This approach wouldn’t work without us having already established a learning and growth culture, where managers can actively support a team member’s growth, even outside of their day-to-day role.
