As we transition from Q3 to Q4, we owe our clients and community an update on our commitments toward social change (see Vol 1 and Vol 2). One important change we committed to last year was to make our hiring data public. In doing so, we keep ourselves accountable for increasing Black and POC representation across the board in order to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive advertising industry.
Today, we’re making our 2021 hiring data public:
Results are based on self-reported data from 22 of our CLEVER employees (100% of our staff as of July 2021). Note, this does not reflect the demographics of our influencer network.
When we first published our hiring data to become a part of the #CommitToChange initiative led by 600 & Rising, part of our commitment was to create a company where all employees can be their most empowered, authentic, and exceptional selves. We have changed in many ways, including welcoming 7 new employees; 2 of whom are non-Black POC and 5 of whom are Black. We are thrilled to have so much incredible talent on our team who have all committed to our anti-racism journey.
With that said, we recognize we still have work to do in dismantling white supremacy and patriarchy in every aspect of our business. It’s not just about hiring diverse talent—which we will continue to prioritize. We are committed to empowering and investing in the talent on our team, because equity, inclusion, and belonging are necessary to co-create a work culture we are all proud of.
In addition to sharing our hiring data, we continue to work on our commitments (below) and will hold ourselves accountable:
- Engaging with a DEI consultancy on DEI coaching and leadership training to make sure diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism work is at the forefront of everything we do
- Planning an upcoming Town Hall in mid-August to continue to foster the relationship with our members
- Started our community on Facebook to provide another layer of transparency between us and our network members
- Participated in #StopAsianHate Virtual Day of Action on March 26. Donated to AAPI Women Lead and the #ImReadyMovement, raising visibility around self-identified AAPI women, celebrating the leadership and power of AAPI women
- Committed to partnering with various creators throughout the year to honor and amplify historically excluded points of view in the influencer marketing industry. These partnerships are intended to provide insight into how the influencer industry can support our diverse communities throughout the year
- Launched our first AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Heritage Month blog series which honors and amplifies AAPI creators in the influencer marketing space
- Highlighted LGBTQ+ creators during Pride Month in June on our blog
- Partnered with Horizons Foundation for the fifth year in a row to amplify Give OUT Day during the month of Pride. Lead a Twitter Party to encourage donations to participating organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Made donations on behalf of our Twitter party winners to Diversity Center of Oklahoma, GLSEN Omaha, Salt Lake Community College Foundation, API Equality-LA, PFLAG Oklahoma City, SAGE, and United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance
- Our DEI Working Group engaged in webinars and training and are working closely with our leadership team in ongoing efforts to update our standard operating procedures to make sure they align with DEI best practices
We know that the commitment to anti-racism and inclusion at work and in our personal lives never ends, and we are grateful for the continual feedback we receive from our members and clients. We will continue to send quarterly updates about our ongoing actions toward social change.
The CLEVER Team