Bark Media seeks to center equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental principles of our business. We promote the advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion throughout our society and in our world through the communications of our clients—all of whom have positive world missions—always considering and uplifting these principles in the writing, messaging, marketing strategies and platforms we suggest, create and promote.
We also strive to create an open, equitable and fair workplace by valuing and encouraging open communications among all Bark teammates, a transparent management style, and actively seeking to not only welcome all types of people into our workplace but also provide accommodation and resources for all types of people to thrive in our workplace and within our team. We do this by intentionally creating ways for everyone to feel valued and included in our company and through our client work, as well as providing ongoing and regular opportunities for staff to give and receive feedback and to communicate directly with top leadership about their needs, experiences and requests.
We will also seek to continue to grow, listen and learn; commit to investing time, effort and money directly into equity and diversity training; donate time and effort to causes and organizations working within this space; and continually work to seek out, hear and uplift the voices of those who have historically been underrepresented.
Bark Media definitions of diversity, inclusion and equity:
- Diversity is a relational concept. It shows up in the composition of teams and organizations, and it is measured based on a collective whole. In this way, diversity refers to “difference” within a given setting. So while a person is not “diverse,” they may bring a diverse range of experiences, from appearance to thought, likes or dislikes, and identity. Diversity of identity may relate to socialized and visible race, gender identity, religion, nationality, body shape or size, physical abilities or disabilities, age, or sexual orientation, to name a few.
- Inclusion is not a natural consequence of a diverse team or organization. Inclusion is about value. Having a diverse workplace means differences exist, and inclusion takes it forward to ask how everyone, from team members to end-users, can feel valued. Inclusion relates to the quality of the human experience. For example, a diverse workplace acknowledges there may be people who practice their religion or spirituality during the day. In this example, inclusion means creating a space for people to pray, meditate, or observe. By designing this space, we show people they are valued and encourage them to bring more of themselves to the workplace. Inclusion is not a natural consequence of a diverse team or organization; we need to design for it. To do so, we must work with the people we’re designing for – from our team members to our end users – to understand what people need in policies, processes, physical spaces, and products to feel valued and included.
- Equity refers to instituted policies that support diversity and inclusion in a company. Equity recognizes that we are all different, and that’s what makes each one of us great. Rather than blanket policies, equity-led businesses consider individual needs, while also rebalancing structures to account for disadvantages faced by minority groups.
Adapted from: https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/how-to-define-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-work