Companies: "We are looking for someone who adds to our culture!" ... 📸 the culture I bring... 🤣 (I grew up in a single wide trailer with my 9 siblings). "Culture" is often a word used to hire and retain people who fit IN, not stand out. Feeling like I belong anywhere is hard, especially at work. I know many of you can relate. I did join employee resource groups at Reddit, Inc. and found some people I feel like I belong with, even though we all have our differences, too. If you're not at a company who has affinity/resource groups, I have also found awesome (and obvs free) similar groups on... yes, Reddit 😂 Finding/creating belonging for myself in groups inside and outside of work has tremendously improved my mental health and quality of life, taking a little extra time to poke around and find community has been so worth it.
Some of the coolest people on earth can be found in the hood and trailer parks.
It's been 11+ yrs in recruitment and still trying to figure what culture means. Only when hiring teams allow people from different backgrounds, there will be more learning and progress. And what about the Neurodiverse folks who might not be able to pick up the part of fitting in? Is Culture antagonist to diversity and inclusion?
And CULTURE, it seems the hiring managers are wanting the younger generations and where does the middle aged small town moms fit in? I have yet to find a job I can say I have felt at HOME with or fit in with. I currently live in a very poor county, the minimum wage is still only $7.25, which isn't much higher than it was 25 years ago when I started working. I think culture has different meanings to a lot of folks vs. These companies, organizations, or even other employees.
Honestly, this made me giggle. This trailer represents how I feel I stand-out physically in most corporate environments. 😁 Nevertheless, I handle myself professionally, treat others respectfully, and consistently surprise people with my work ethic. Especially those who may have doubts or have already decided that I don't "fit the culture." I also love making friends with those unlikely people who doubted my ability or questioned whether or not I was a culture fit.
Running around barefoot on trailer park gravel builds character! I do not accept the opinions of those who would say otherwise.
TBH I wish we had significantly more folks in tech with this background. Most folks are so far removed from it that they straight up don't understand their end users.
Unless the "culture" includes bringing my full authentic self to work, I wouldn't be able to add to their culture lolol that word gets tossed around too loosley for me 🥴
This is not dissimilar to the first home I remember. It had dark green accents and was in the middle of nowhere. It was only long after I was already an adult that I realized how different this was from other people's experience, and how much it has contributed to who I am today.
Talent Acquisition Leader / Advocate for Hiring Transparency
2wAnd thank you Christina Guckert Jonathan Garcia Sade Ojuola for all you to to foster inclusion and belonging at Reddit 💓