One of the top goals for many companies in the tech industry is to focus on building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. It is also one of our top goals at VentureFizz in terms of helping to support companies on this important mission.
Companies have different approaches as it relates to how they are addressing their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, so we thought that it would be valuable to profile companies and what they are doing to accomplish their DEI initiatives.
For over 45 years, O’Reilly has provided technology and business training, knowledge, and insight to help companies succeed. Our unique network of experts and innovators share their knowledge and expertise through the company’s SaaS-based training and learning platform. O’Reilly delivers highly topical and comprehensive technology and business learning solutions to millions of users across enterprise, consumer, and university channels.
More than 5,000 companies count on our digital courses and more to guide their teams through the tools and technologies that drive business outcomes. Our live and on-demand courses are organized by skill and role, so your teams can easily find exactly what they need to succeed. Plus, they’ll earn verifiable and shareable badges that use the Open Badges 2.0 standard to show off what they’ve learned.
What is your DEI mission and objectives?
At O’Reilly, we firmly believe that diversity of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds enhances creativity, innovation, and problem-solving capabilities. By valuing and leveraging our differences, we not only create a more enriching workplace but also position ourselves to better understand and meet the needs of our diverse customer base.
Over time, we’ve expanded our commitment to fostering diversity through a range of initiatives. These programs encompass both our internal workforce and external talent as well as members of underrepresented communities within the technology sector at large, through our diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice scholarships. Although we've achieved significant success with our current initiatives, we’re eager to elevate our efforts to a higher level.
We introduced our enhanced diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) program in 2023. The program aims to amplify our culture, which embraces diversity and encourages the full participation and engagement of every individual in our organization. It’s an integral part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment.
Key objectives of our DEIB program include:
- Amplifying awareness: Through training sessions on unconscious bias and inclusive leadership, we help foster inclusive behaviors, diminish biases, and create a safe space for open dialogue and collaboration.
- Enhancing our inclusive culture: Our program develops and implements strategies to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds feel supported and empowered and have an equal opportunity to contribute to their full potential. This includes reviewing recruitment practices, promoting inclusive language, creating initiatives to eliminate barriers that might hinder inclusion, and building relationships with underrepresented groups. We also recently launched an updated career page that showcases the diversity of our organization.
- Strengthening support systems: We’re committed to providing resources and support networks to address the needs of and challenges faced by specific communities within our organization. As part of our DEIB program, we’ve launched employee resource groups (ERGs) and a company-wide mentorship program. These initiatives are designed to foster a stronger sense of belonging and establish platforms for professional growth.
What is O'Reilly doing to attract a more diverse workforce?
O’Reilly continues to grow and add talent across the organization. With team members located in 11 countries, our workforce already encourages a global perspective. To cultivate a more culturally aware and inclusive environment and to strengthen relationships with colleagues, clients, vendors, and partners worldwide, last year we introduced a cross-cultural communication training to a pilot leadership group. Based on the group’s feedback, we plan to offer this training in 2024 as part of our personal and professional development program.
As we mentioned above, we’re committed to providing resources and support networks to address the needs of specific communities within our organization. Our robust DEIB program enhances our inclusive culture by supporting employees from all backgrounds and empowering them to contribute to their full potential. In 2023, as part of the program, we launched a company-wide mentorship program and employee resource groups (ERGs). Through their participation in these initiatives, our employees come together to help promote a more inclusive and respectful workplace.
We also continuously review our recruitment strategies and launch new initiatives to eliminate any barriers that impede inclusivity and belonging. We’ll continue to provide implicit bias training to all hiring managers and interviewers; use gender-neutral language in job descriptions and ensure that those descriptions are results-based; source candidates from diverse backgrounds; and build relationships with underrepresented groups.
Can you share all the different Employee Resource Groups at O'Reilly?
To get things going, we’ve created four initial ERGs:
- InternationalConnect@O’Reilly offers a formalized setting for our global workforce to come together to bridge cultures, foster connections, and promote and celebrate our culturally rich workplace.
- Multicultural@O’Reilly advances and promotes multicultural diversity, enhances the understanding and appreciation of different cultures, and raises awareness of cultural issues and sensitivities.
- Pride@O’Reilly champions LGBTQ+ diversity, equity, and belonging in the workplace and fosters a supportive and inclusive environment where all LGBTQ+ individuals feel empowered to thrive.
- Women@O'Reilly advances and promotes gender equality and representation in the workplace, cultivates an environment of mentorship and support for women's professional growth, and enhances our inclusive culture.
But that’s just the start. We recognize the need for more ERGs in the future and will continue adding new groups as we grow our program.
What other programs do you have to support your DEI initiatives?
Every year, O’Reilly’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) scholarship program awards 500 people from underrepresented groups in tech with free subscriptions to our online curriculum for one year. By providing access to a wide range of content, learning modalities, certifications, and mentorship opportunities within the platform, O’Reilly empowers scholarship recipients to leverage the tools and resources needed to build important technical skills that will accelerate their careers.
As part of their membership, scholarship recipients receive unlimited access to all 5,000 of O’Reilly’s role-based on-demand courses plus popular live events such as the Superstream Series and a full library of O’Reilly books. Recipients also have access to top preparatory materials and practice tests for the most sought-after certifications in the industry as well as interactive labs and sandboxes that offer them the opportunity to experiment with live code in real dev environments. Additionally, recipients will have the opportunity to earn verifiable and shareable digital badges, allowing them to showcase their skills via social media and email.
Applications are now being accepted through April 1. To apply, visit: https://www.oreilly.com/diversity/scholarship-program.html
Do you have any data that you’d like to share that demonstrates your diverse workforce?
O’Reilly aims for diversity within our expert talent pool and our own workforce. In 2023, O’Reilly surpassed our established corporate diversity goal of 40% representation from groups who are underrepresented in the tech industry, achieving 50% representation in new instructors, authors, and speakers. In addition, nearly 70% of our new Superstream Series speakers in 2023 identified as members of underrepresented communities. And of the new hires who joined the company in 2023, 63% identified as members of underrepresented groups.
O’Reilly is a women-led company, and we achieved new gender milestones in the past year: 45% of our executive leadership team are women. And 50% of promoted employees in 2023 were women, compared to just 32% in the prior year.
This year, O’Reilly has set a goal that at least 50% of all new talent and new hires identify as members of underrepresented groups.
Where can I find more information about your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives?
To apply or learn more about O’Reilly’s DEIJ scholarship program, visit: https://www.oreilly.com/diversity/scholarship-program.html. To learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion, visit: https://www.oreilly.com/diversity/.
Hear From Our Employees
"I love working at an organization that, beyond recognizing the holistic value of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, makes a concerted effort to unbiasedly assess gaps and then address them. O’Reilly aimed to enhance our inclusive culture and launched employee resource groups (ERGs) as one of many vehicles to do it. While still in its infancy, the executive buy-in and continuous support from our People team demonstrates commitment not just in word but in action. Outside of ERGs, I appreciate our People team for also finding ways for staff to connect over common interests like ribbon-making—because, especially as a young professional, I never dreamed that I could have a strength over an executive, even if it’s only tying bunny loops.
Activities like these, while low cost, generate a massive ROI that is hard to quantify—driving progress for important tenets like company culture and employee retention. In a world where many navigate the challenges of being silenced, especially as a member of more than one underrepresented community, I find myself both lucky and empowered at O’Reilly. Because we are encouraged to create and take up space, and receive the support to do so."
- Manny Paulino, Sales Enablement Manager, United States
"Our company's DEI initiatives have a positive impact on the work environment and culture by promoting understanding and appreciation for diversity through education. We recognize that employees come from various backgrounds, and that unconscious bias can limit our potential. By completing unconscious bias training, I've seen firsthand how it opens employees' eyes to others' perspectives, making them more valuable. This online training provides a great opportunity to learn and prepare for an increasingly more diverse society."
- Naoko Kaneko, Assistant Accountant, Japan
