Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Sumeet
Director of Professional Services

Describe a time someone or something made you feel included at work.

It's tough for me to answer this question because I feel like inclusion is weaved into the fabric of 1RTI, and nothing stands out because it's normal. But if I think of something...I appreciate that dietary and other concerns are handled without having to ask, e.g. ensuring there are vegetarian or vegan options, or that people who don't drink alcohol aren't left out.

Why is inclusion and belonging personally important to you?

Selfishly — I want to be working with the best people on a cohesive team. I've played team sports all my life, and the best teams didn't have the most talent but did have the best understanding of each other and how we fit together. I carry that with me to the workplace; if everyone feels like they belong, they'll support and bring out the best in each other.

What advice do you have for people who want to help create a more inclusive environment but aren't sure where to start?

On our Professional Services team, we emphasize "seek to understand" when working with customers and other RTI team members. It's a mindset that ensures we are solving the underlying need. The way you understand is by first listening, with a truly open mind and without assumption. So that would be my advice - seek to understand. Listen and learn why your fellow teammates have their perspective. And be sincere, so that people felt comfortable and encouraged to share.

Patty
Senior People & Culture Partner

Why is inclusion and belonging personally important to you?

I think everyone can relate to feeling excluded, or like they didn’t belong somewhere, at some point in time in their life. While a lot of childhood experiences come to mind, as an adult I have also felt that “otherness” when I express an unpopular opinion, or simply if I look different than others in a group setting. But trying to fit in can be exhausting. I feel grateful that at RTI, I can be myself on the People & Culture team, and that being myself contributes to the greater good of the team. I’m also excited to be part of RTI’s DEIB committee to think of ways that inclusion and belonging can be something that is felt by everyone at RTI.

What advice do you have for people who want to help create a more inclusive environment but aren't sure where to start?

The first step is to be mindful of your communication with others. When interacting one-on-one, or in a group meeting, think about how you are relating to others. Are you giving them space to share their opinions without interrupting? Are you validating their perspectives even though they may be different than your own? Are you creating a safe space where mistakes are ok, and out-of-the-box thinking is encouraged? I think people feel included when they feel there is psychological safety to be who they are, and let their voices be heard.

Tom
Sr. Functional Safety Manager

Describe a time someone or something made you feel included at work.

It's hard to identify any single time someone or something made me feel included at RTI. I have never felt not included! From the very first day, every interaction where family has come up as a topic, the introduction of, discussion of, or discussion with my husband has been completely banal. My husband came to several socials at CKO last year and when I introduced him, nobody even skipped a beat, not once. Every conversation continued on with the same questions about how long we've been married, have we been to California before, what do we think of the '49ers etc., just as one would expect with a straight couple. That banality is the essence of acceptance. The fact that I'm married to a man is neither ignored nor emphasized, it just simply isn't a "thing". To me that is ideal acceptance. Acceptance begets inclusion.

Why is inclusion and belonging personally important to you?

Inclusion is required for a team to function. All teams must function for RTI to function. It's important to me that RTI functions. Not to mention that if I felt that I didn't belong or was being excluded due to bias, no amount of money could make me stay, no matter how much I believed in the company's mission.

Fran
Staff Application Engineer

Describe a time someone or something made you feel included at work.

I always felt well supported at RTI. RTI helped with everything related to allowing me to work in the US. Being foreign in the US has been easier thanks to RTI. Once I relocated from Spain to the US, I was just one more in the team, not some one different in the team.

What advice do you have for people who want to help create a more inclusive environment but aren't sure where to start?

Look inside yourself, first. You may have the best intentions towards the people you communicate with, but implicit bias plays in the day-to-day functioning of all of us. This article explains implicit (racial) bias. In my opinion, the first step to attempt to remove bias is to acknowledge it.