Ravelin's ED&I Strategy – building a better workplace

Through our six Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) principles and targeted initiatives, we aim to build on our strengths, improve in key areas, and make meaningful contributions to the broader tech industry.

Our ED&I strategy is guided by six foundational principles designed to ensure we’re not just inclusive on paper but in practice:

1. We will prioritize Ravelino feedback to identify areas where we can do better.

2. We will assume good intentions from Ravelinos when we discuss issues surrounding ED&I, and work to have constructive conversations even if they are difficult.

3. We will strive to understand the ED&I landscape in our industry and be among the best companies that are implementing industry best practices successfully.

4. We will continue to commit resources towards maintaining the inclusive culture we have, as well as approaching new initiatives considerately, with a view to continuously improve.

5. We will hold ourselves accountable to our ED&I commitments, regularly reporting to the Board and the wider company.

6. We will not introduce performative measures that serve as tick-box exercises.

Through company surveys and feedback, we’ve identified areas where Ravelin already excels, and we’re committed to sustaining our progress in these areas:

• Age: With teams spanning a range of ages, we foster a culture of lifelong learning and personal support, ensuring all employees feel valued and equipped for success.

• Religion: Our inclusive culture respects all religious practices, offering prayer rooms and cultural leave allowances to create a supportive environment for employees of all beliefs.

• Neurodiversity: We prioritize an environment where neurodiverse employees feel supported and psychologically safe, with a commitment to reasonable adjustments that empower diverse thinkers.

While we’re proud of our progress, we recognize the need to focus on particular areas where diversity could be stronger:

• Gender balance: With a male-majority team, we’re working to address any gaps in our hiring processes or team structures that could limit gender diversity.

• Ethnic representation: As a white-majority team in the diverse city of London, we are taking steps to reduce institutional bias and improve our recruitment pipeline to better reflect the diversity of our location.

Our approach to measuring ED&I progress is data-driven and realistic, aiming for a balanced view of both employee experience and inclusiveness:

• Employee data: Each year, we conduct a comprehensive ED&I survey to track the impact of our initiatives on our focus areas.

• Inclusiveness: Through biannual engagement surveys, we gather feedback on team unity, work satisfaction, and the company’s social responsibility. Questions such as “Do you feel you are part of a team?” allow us to evaluate our inclusivity efforts meaningfully.

Over the years, we have laid a solid foundation for ED&I at Ravelin through a range of impactful initiatives and ongoing practices:

Company-Wide Commitments

• Set up an ED&I Slack channel for open discussion.

• Established D&I champions

• Established an ED&I committee to drive initiatives forward

• ED&I documentation and resources are available on a public Notion page

Hiring Practices

• Attended diverse hiring events such as Women of Silicon Milkroundabout and WomenHack.

• Developed a hiring strategy document to evaluate team diversity and expand pipelines in underrepresented teams.

• Implemented blind CV reviews, unconscious bias training, and inclusive interview practices to minimize bias.

• Utilize inclusive language in job descriptions, partnered with a wide range of job boards, and collected D&I data on applicants.

Celebrating Diversity Through Events

• Hosted events like LGBTQ+ History Talks and Black History Month celebrations with focus on community-building and education.

• Organized International Women’s Day events with all-women demos and events celebrating women at Ravelin and in the community.

• Celebrated Pride as well as cultural observances, providing inclusive spaces and discussions on these topics.

D&I-Focused Initiatives

• Our accessible office includes dedicated spaces like a prayer room and breast-pumping room.

• Our remote-first policy offers flexibility to employees who may need it.

• Pronoun prompts in Slack and Charlie HR to foster respectful communication.

• We’ve published blog articles on tech accessibility and D&I’s importance in tech, contributing to ongoing conversations in the industry.

• We support parents with return to work programs.

• We offer flexible working for all, allowing flexibility for everything from school runs to just working in a way that suits colleagues' lives day to day.

Ravelin’s ED&I strategy is a blend of introspection, learning, and action. We are committed to refining our practices and setting realistic goals to achieve a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace.

Our work isn’t finished but, with a solid foundation and a commitment to continuous improvement, we’re excited about what the future holds for Ravelin and our team.

Together, we’re building a company where everyone is truly welcome and empowered to succeed.