Employee Spotlight: Evan, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Talent Partner
What do you do as the Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Talent Partner? I lead efforts to design and execute strategies that increase diversity in all of our talent acquisition pipelines — from interviewing and building partnerships to employer brand marketing. I focus on aligning critical hiring priorities and sourcing on a daily basis to ensure high-quality candidate representation from underrepresented groups. I work with other teams to find talent from underrepresented groups for our new intern program. In addition, I support other initiatives spearheaded by Curology’s Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Taskforce and Employee Resource Groups, and also serve as a liaison between the Office Team, ERGs and Fun Committee to promote events, initiatives, activities, etc.
How has your role evolved since you started? I came in with a military background as a Recruiting Fellow focused on finding & acquiring talent for the User Acquisition team. I was working with them really closely — learning what they do on a day-to-day basis so I could find the right talent for their team. As the Black Lives Matter movement gained global momentum, it was clear that Curology was going to create a team to make impactful changes. I knew that was something I really wanted to be a part of. I expressed my interest in supporting our future Diversity, Equity & Belonging efforts in a role that would merge the recruiting/sourcing skills I had developed previously with the program management experience I had from my time in the military — and here I am!
How would you describe your team? We are so collaborative, helpful, and outgoing. We’re very people-oriented — driven by passion to help every current and future employee at Curology succeed. I feel a real family vibe on the team. Everyone genuinely cares about one another. Being that I’m one of the newest additions to the People & Culture team, I feel like the team’s baby brother! Everyone has a lot of fun, but we work really hard and get a lot of stuff done. It has been such a fun experience so far and I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue to grow with and learn from everyone on the People & Culture team.
What’s your favorite perk from working at Curology? The daily paid lunches. I initially sat in our Hayes Valley office, which I immediately found out is home to a ton of tasty local restaurants and food vendors. Having the opportunity to eat at a different restaurant every day while ultimately supporting local businesses was something I definitely looked forward to. Our daily lunch outings also served as social decompression time. I definitely miss grabbing lunch with the team in Hayes Valley, but we’ve been fortunate enough as a company to still receive stipends for daily lunches while working from home during the pandemic!
What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t in the office? Traveling! I used to do a lot before the pandemic hit, so most of those plans have been pushed to 2021. But during the pandemic, I have become really interested in camping. Getting a change of scenery is so important, even more so right now.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned while working at Curology? The ability to collaborate at a very high tempo. There are so many different goals, priorities and initiatives that teams are working on cross-functionally. They require a ton of collaboration with different stakeholders, yet we consistently find a way to come together and get things done. It’s inspiring to be a part of (even more so now that most of the company is operating remotely), and I’m very appreciative to have the opportunity to fine-tune my skills and continue to learn in such an efficient, synergistic environment.
What’s been your proudest moment at Curology? The transparency in communication that Curology has had over these last several trying months. Starting with the leadership team’s ability to communicate on strategies being adapted while also keeping every employee’s best interest and anxieties in mind (due to the pandemic). It made me so proud to know that I work for a company that genuinely values their employees and promotes a team-first culture. Similarly, I was very appreciative of how Curology and the leadership team vocally supported the Black Lives Matter movement and was transparent with every employee on why and how we as an organization will do our part to make genuine impactful change — internally and externally.
