A Conversation with Microsoft’s Charlotte Yarkoni: Diversity and Inclusion in Tech
Diversity and inclusion programs are quite popular among organizations today. Valuing D&I offers different perspectives on teambuilding, encourages fresh ideas, and has been proven to deliver better business results and outcomes overall. Over the last 2 years, we adopted a new set of corporate core values and created an employee value proposition that tells a compelling story about our culture, diversity, and unique offerings.
This mission could not have been possible without the help of our global colleagues across 25 offices on 5 continents! In addition to this effort, leading up to International Women’s Day this year, our Melbourne office raised money for One Girl, a local charity that empowers girls through education, specifically those in Sierra Leone and Uganda. Separate from this being a great cause, employees from all over, even outside of Australia, were excited to contribute to the campaign for a chance to see two of our managers compete in the challenge.
As we build on D&I at AvePoint, let’s first look at what diversity and inclusion are and why they’re often paired together. While diversity means a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences represented within a company, inclusion facilitates the connections between the diverse population and embraces what makes each person unique. Though companies may strive to hire for diversity, those people won’t feel supported within the workplace without inclusion practices in place. It’s vital that they’re paired together.
A few weeks ago I sat down with Charlotte Yarkoni, Microsoft Corporate VP, to discuss the initiatives her team has incubated and adopted to bring them closer together. Check out the video below and learn why D&I is a journey and a lifestyle, and not just a set of policies you can check off and move on from.
At AvePoint, we’re partnering with Microsoft and non-profit organizations, focusing on recruiting for diversity and weaving inclusivity into our key objectives. This post is the first of many where we’ll share more stories about our unique staff and highlight the future of this program. Learn more about our giving initiatives through AvePoint Philanthropy.
What do diversity and inclusion mean to you and your organization?
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With over 20 years of business and technology experience, Dux has driven organizational transformations worldwide with his ability to simplify complex ideas and deliver relevant solutions. He serves as the Chief Brand Officer of AvePoint who has authored the LinkedIn Learning course How to Build Your Personal Brand, the book SharePoint for Project Management, as well as numerous whitepapers and articles. As a public speaker, Dux has delivered engaging, interactive presentations to more than 25,000 people at leading industry events around the world. He also hosts the modern workplace podcast #shifthappens that focuses on how leading organizations navigated their business transformation journey. Dux advocates tirelessly for inclusion, using technology for good, and philanthropic initiatives. Connect with him: http://dux.sy
