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.
CarGurus is a multinational, online automotive platform. They use proprietary technology, search algorithms, and data analytics to empower consumers and dealers with the flexibility to choose their own journey through a powerful online destination for car shopping, buying, selling, sourcing, marketing, and more. CarGurus' strong values and commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) shape their company culture, guide how they engage with their partners and communities, and inform all business decisions they make. This is essential to their ability to bring trust, transparency, and personalization to the vehicle shopping experience.
Why does CarGurus include “Belonging” alongside Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?
We believe that being diverse, equitable, and inclusive at CarGurus is not enough. We want our Gurus to experience true belonging–to know they are valued, seen, and heard in our community as their authentic selves each day. To cultivate belonging, we lean into our core value of transparency, sharing updates on our business and people in monthly “Welcome, Ask Me Anything” (WAMA) sessions with our CEO, quarterly leadership-led Town Halls, and regular department All-Hands gatherings. We solicit employee feedback year-round and apply the findings to our action plans in real-time. We ensure Gurus’ contributions are celebrated through ongoing Slack shoutouts, peer-to-peer “Bonusly” rewards, and quarterly Values and Leadership Capabilities awards. These activities are complemented by small (but huge!) touches in our offices, programming, and policies that collectively help Gurus from all backgrounds confidently contribute to our culture and continuously grow in their careers.
Please provide a high-level statement supporting your DEIB mission and objectives.
Our mission is to give people the power to reach their destination–whatever that destination may be. To do this, we foster a community in which our employees and leaders, consumers and dealers, and various business partners reflect the world around us. We are committed to creating a workplace in which everyone has equitable opportunities to grow, contribute, and develop regardless of identity, ability, or background. We strive to foster a culture of belonging through which we embrace and celebrate each person’s unique story and perspective. We want Gurus to feel empowered to come to work as they are–and to help them thrive when they do.
Can you share all the different Employee Resource Groups and communities at CarGurus?
CarGurus’ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) help us bring our DEIB commitments to life. To enable and champion their impact, each ERG has an executive sponsor to regularly consult for guidance and advocacy. We’re among just a few companies that compensate ERG leaders for the time and energy they contribute to creating safe spaces in which people can gather for social, structural, and professional support. Each ERG hosts various learning, celebratory, and community outreach sessions throughout the year while engaging in ongoing dialogue on Slack and spontaneous meetups. Our 8 ERGs are CareGivers@CarGurus, AAPI@CarGurus, AccessAbility@CarGurus (for neurodiverse and disabled employees), CarGurus Salutes Service (for veterans and those with service backgrounds), LGBTQ+@CarGurus, Parents@CarGurus, POC@CarGurus, and Women@CarGurus (which includes our Women In Tech and Women in Sales communities). Anyone can join as a member or ally. We also have dozens of groups that connect through shared interests in everything from fitness, board games, scotch, environmental sustainability, reading, cars, and more.
What other programs do you have to support your DEIB initiatives?
DEIB is woven into the fabric of everything we do at CarGurus, and includes large-scale initiatives and small touches that invite inclusion for all. Here is a partial list of ways we help all Gurus feel welcome, seen, and heard:
- Our DEIB team works closely with our Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development (L&D), and Employee Engagement teams, as well as our Executive Team, to bring our values to life company-wide. Their work is complemented by efforts from our DEIB Council, a cross-functional group of employees that provides broad perspective on inclusion and equity in our written policies, event plans, communications, physical spaces, and more.
- DEIB learning and unlearning opportunities abound through trainings, workshops, guest speakers and panels, book clubs, cultural celebrations, field trips, and more. All employees have access to LinkedIn Learning. Our Elevate mentorship program connects employees from marginalized groups with experienced leaders for personal and professional development, mutual learning, and networking.
- Our flexible hybrid model empowers Gurus to work with their managers to integrate their personal needs and work/team responsibilities, while our inclusive benefits recognize many definitions of health, wellness, and family and include gender-affirming services, reproductive healthcare, and gender-agnostic family formation support.
- All Gurus can nominate a non-profit organization for a grant as part of our Charitable Giving program; we supplement this with year-round ad hoc donations. Additionally, our volunteer Service Week complements ERGs’ ongoing outreach efforts by matching Gurus with non-profit organizations to help people and communities in need.
- We spread awareness about various holidays and festivals that impact employees year-round such as Ramadan, Yom Kippur, and Diwali, and actively celebrate heritage months celebrating Black, Women, AAPI, Hispanic & Latiné, and LGBTQIA+ culture. In 2021, we added Juneteenth to our annual holiday calendar. Our daily (free!) lunch service includes a range of options representing the many cuisines in our local communities.
- In the office, pronoun stickers are available to display on clothing, laptops, and notebooks. Our nursing parents’ rooms provide a private, spa-like setting for nursing Gurus; we also have gender-inclusive restrooms. We regularly partner with BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women-owned businesses and contractors, for in-office events and programming and other business needs.
- And much more!
Do you have any data that you’d like to share that demonstrates your diverse workforce? And what is CarGurus doing to attract and support this workforce?
Understanding the composition of our employee community helps us nurture an inclusive workplace and focus our efforts where they can make the biggest impact. To this end, in 2023 we expanded the ways employees could self identify in key areas: LGBTQIA+, race and ethnicity, and disability, and encouraged them to update their information via a company-wide “Count Me In” campaign.
Through these efforts, we found that in 2023, approximately 36% of all employees identified as women and non-binary and 64% of employees identified as male. Of the more than 86% of employees in the United States who opted to note their race and ethnicity, approximately 35% identified as Black, Indigenous, or other People of Color (BIPOC) and 65% identified as White. Around 80% of employees chose to identify as members of other groups: approximately 5.2% of employees identified as LGBTQIA+, 2.3% as veterans or service members, and 1% as having disabilities.
While we are encouraged by the progress we’ve made in diversifying our workforce, we are committed to doing more. Attracting employees from different backgrounds and lived experiences is of the utmost importance to CarGurus. Our Talent Acquisition team along with our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), Learning and Development (L&D), and Employee Engagement teams collaborate to provide inclusive and equitable experiences to candidates and employees while staying ahead of emerging issues that may disproportionately impact marginalized groups. When it comes to hiring specifically, our approach includes mandatory unconscious bias training for recruiters and managers, sourcing and event partnerships with diversity-focused organizations, a structured interview process, and diverse interview panels. Our job descriptions showcase our flexible hybrid model, which enables Gurus to work with their managers to build the best rhythm for them. They also invite people to apply even if they don’t “check all the boxes” because we know people’s individual strengths will make us all better. To learn about our open roles, visit www.careers.cargurus.com.
Where can I find more information about your Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives?
Stay up-to-date with CarGurus’ DEIB initiatives and other company news on our LinkedIn page and follow @cargurusculture on Instagram to get a behind-the-scenes look into daily life at CG.
Hear From Our Employees
"DEIB is a mindset that is woven into so much of what we do, extending well beyond siloed initiatives. It's exciting to know that, as much momentum as we have today, there’s a broad feeling here that we’ve only just begun." - Jason Trevisan, CEO
“CarGurus’ messaging around DEIB was part of what attracted me to my role, and I've witnessed that messaging play out in real actions.” - Employee survey feedback
"I’ve never been in a job where I was able to talk openly about what other opportunities were available within. My mentor challenged me with questions about my career path that ultimately helped me focus on what I really wanted or didn't want in my next role." - Elevate women’s mentorship program participant
