The distinguished award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Bazaarvoice. This year, 94% of our Australian employees said we’re a Great Place to Work. This certification is all thanks to our team culture, collaboration, and leadership. 

I’ve been at Bazaarvoice for almost 12 years, so I’ve known for quite some time that we’re a Great Place to Work. I’m honored and proud that we’ve finally had that certified on a national stage. While the last year and a half has been difficult due to the pandemic, I’m so appreciative that the strong office culture we’ve fostered in Sydney was able to help us all through some of the toughest times in both our personal and professional lives. I’ve been floored by the support, empathy, resilience, and positivity that BV’ers have shown. 

I’m happy to say that the love and appreciation I have for our team and office in Sydney is echoed by my colleagues. According to a survey:

• 98% of us agreed that our work environment is friendly and welcoming, and we can have fun and enjoy each others’ company
• 96% said they felt a sense of camaraderie with each other
• 94% said that they enjoy their colleagues and feel as though they can be themselves at work, and can count on their coworkers
• 94% said that they agree that there is a sense of ‘family’ and ‘team’ in the workplace 

Great Place to Work certifications are recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike, and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognizing outstanding employee experience. 

We’re so happy that our employees have agreed that we deserve this certification. It’s all thanks to their hard work, dedication, and positivity. Because, just like our company values state, we’re stronger together.

I started at Bazaarvoice almost eight months ago. Even though I began in the midst of the pandemic, I immediately recognized that it was a Great Place to Work. I was welcomed with open arms and I’ve been delighted by the support, compassion, eagerness, and resilience that our team members have shown during this time. Although the last year and a half has brought us some of the hardest trials of our lifetimes, I’m glad to have found my home at  Bazaarvoice.

It’s very reassuring and comforting to know that my colleagues feel the same way that I do. In order to become certified as a Great Place to Work, a large number of Bazaarvoice employees in the UK took a survey about our work culture. 

• 95% of us agreed that our work environment is friendly and welcoming, and we can have fun and enjoy each others’ company 
• 93% said they felt a sense of camaraderie with each other
• 92% said that they enjoy their colleagues and feel as though they can be themselves at work, and can count on their coworkers
• 91% agreed that there is a sense of ‘family’ and ‘team’ in the workplace 

Great Place to Work certification is recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognizing outstanding employee experience. One of our company’s core values is ‘stronger together’, and I think that this award is a perfect personification of the way we live out that value. 

We’re so thrilled that our employees have agreed that we deserve this recognition, and there is no way we would have received it without all of their dedication to our community, culture, and success.

Racism and cultural intolerance have no place at Bazaarvoice. We will continue to create safe spaces and open up dialogue to ensure that we continue to uplift all our colleagues. We also strongly believe in doing our part to speak out against injustice and racism in all its forms. While Anti-Asian hate crimes and attacks have been on the rise over the past year all over the globe, the Asian community has faced discrimination and persecution for far longer, and it is past time that we denounce this issue that has gone unacknowledged for too long. 

To help #StopAsianHate, Bazaarvoice will be making a monetary donation to support Asian communities. We will also be working closely with our Diversity Equity, & Inclusion leaders and other allies to provide more resources for employees to take action, donate, educate themselves, and inspire real change. We’ve provided resources below, as a starting point: 

AAPI Women Lead

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Equality Labs

NAPAWF – National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum

Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA)

18 Million Rising

PBS series on Asian Americans

Now more than ever it is important that we listen and learn. We will continue our ongoing employee-led ‘Uncomfortable Conversations’ series to empower and educate all of our employees. Through this series over the last year, our employees from underrepresented communities have shared their stories and experiences with their colleagues through panel discussions. We will also run internal workshops as part of our DE&I efforts to enable us all to become better allies and help unpack unconscious bias.

Lastly, we encourage everyone to take the time to check in on your friends, family, and colleagues. Also, simply having conversations with those around you and recognizing that the issue exists helps enormously. Together, we can drive change. 

Thanks for listening,
Keith

*According to data compiled by California State University’s Centre for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

One of our core values, and one of my favorites, is generosity. We strive to share, give without expectations, and connect to our communities – be them Austin, Texas, or Vilnius, Lithuania. As part of this core value, every year, we host our b:generous week, a full week (and now even longer than a week!) dedicated to volunteerism across each of our offices all over the world. Employees are given the choice of a variety of local nonprofits to which to dedicate their time. 

This year, we’ve had our largest and most successful b:generous week yet. After all was said and done, we: 

• Volunteered over 1,800 hours 

• Donated approximately 200 lbs of items 

• Worked with 35 nonprofits 

• Donated/raised $30,000 (10k by employees, 20k by Bazaarvoice)

Employees participated in everything from constructing homes with Habitat for Humanity, socializing with seniors at AGE of Central Texas, planting crops with the Central Texas Food Bank and Urban Roots, landscaping with Rebuilding Together Austin and id verde UK, packing Love Packs with Another World Belfast, helping to train future guide dogs at Guide Dogs Paris, raising money for the Kids’ Cancer Project in Australia and much, much more. 

Although the company specifically sets aside this week for us to volunteer, we encourage employees to spread generosity every other week of the year as well, and many BVers dedicate a substantial amount of their time to various nonprofit organizations in their communities. Here are just a few examples of our employees doing their part around the world: 

Young Women’s Trust

Emily Hancock, who is part of our People & Talent team in our London office, organizes a group of her coworkers to volunteer regularly with Young Women’s Trust, a nonprofit that serves in England and Wales. The organization supports young women aged 18-30, especially those struggling to live on low or no pay, to prepare for and find work that is right for them. Emily and her team edit the young womens’ resumes and help them with applying to jobs. 

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society 

Rachel Zaney, who is a part of our Sales team in our Austin office, is very passionate about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – South Central Texas Chapter. She has gotten her Bazaarvoice coworkers involved through donating to and volunteering for events such as the Man Woman of the Year Campaign, a 10-week philanthropic competition for those interested in raising money to fund life-saving blood cancer research in their local communities. Other campaigns, such as the Light The Night Walk, an annual walk honoring survivors and remembering those we have lost, and Team in Training, the largest charity endurance training program in the world, are also pivotal in the organization’s mission.

____________________________________________________________________________

Our core value of generosity is something that is lived out by every single one of our employees, during b:generous week and beyond. We’re proud to have made our marks in communities and with organizations all over the planet and are already looking forward to the improvements we can make next year. To join our team and b:generous week next year, visit our careers page. 

As a kid, I tended to be part of the misfit crowd. I hung out with the super smart nerds, the weirdos, kids from lower socioeconomic status, and those of different minorities. I found solace in this group of misfits since they seemed to “get” me. They accepted me for who I was at a time when even I didn’t know who I was or how I was different. What I remember the most about our band of misfits is that everyone had their own unique perspective, and when we hung out in the lunchroom, we’d just share our thoughts. I don’t recall any fighting, nobody had a superiority complex, and no ideas or comments were stupid. It was a safe environment for us to share, with no judgement, and discuss our thoughts and personal experience. We had a blast together.

Later in high school, this same group started an arts publication, Free Spirit, a channel where we shared our ideas openly through editorial pieces, poetry, and art. This publication became the outlet for innovative thinking, and we encouraged others to participate outside of our misfit group – anyone could participate, and they did. This little xeroxed rag of a publication was a spark that shifted thinking, opened student minds, and freed us to be open to new ideas. Our school became known for innovative thinking, respect of others, and acceptance of differences. Diversity made our school stronger, and we stood out from the other schools in the area. We had an incredible sense of pride in that, and we all still do.

In tech, we work in a highly multicultural industry, and I believe it is that cultural diversity that helps to drive innovation. A group that is often not considered when we use the term multicultural is the LGBTQ+ community. This is a community shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning individuals, as well as lesser-known identities, such as intersex, asexual, and pansexual or omnisexual. I’m proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, because of our differences, we are often misunderstood and feared instead of accepted for what we bring to the table.

Merriam-Webster defines culture as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also: the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time.” So, when considering diversity and multiculturalism, the LGBTQ+ culture is no different from any other. It is our way of life, including our values, customs, language, slang, and traditions. LGBTQ+ culture is reflected throughout our history, in our heritage, and in how we express ideas and creativity. We have strength in our perspectives, our experiences, and our backgrounds. With respect to Bazaarvoice, we represent a part of society shared by many of our clients and their customers, so having this perspective within our company is valuable.

I was employed at Amazon for over 12 years. They fully understand the value of diversity. They encouraged affinity groups, supported them with executive sponsors, and funded events and speakers. I was part of the group that started GLAmazon, the GLBTQ affinity group at Amazon, and the contributions made by that group were impressive. Why? Because our voices mattered, we were valued, and everyone was encouraged to participate. You have to solicit people’s voices, and you have to have intention behind why they should have a voice — a diverse culture doesn’t just happen.

With this previous experience behind me, I’m happy to announce a new affinity group at Bazaarvoice that I’ve started, b:out. This group has been set up to connect those in the LGBTQ+ community and to understand the networking opportunities at Bazaarvoice. I see this group starting with some focus on career advancement and professional development for its members and education, such as etiquette and awareness, for their coworkers. I’d like to explore ideas like mentoring programs and visible public service. I also would like the group to serve as a place where people new to the LGBTQ+ community, or those who are connected in some way, can come with questions or concerns regarding their children, friends, or relatives.

Leaders should recognize that hiring teams of people that all look the same, think the same, and act the same is not going to move the needle or drive innovation. As Maya Angelou reminds us: “in diversity there is beauty and there is strength”. This holds true in the workplace as well. If we aren’t listening to a wide variety of voices, we aren’t able to truly address the needs of our business or of the marketplace. With acceptance, tolerance, and inclusivity, we can share ideas without fear, recognize all employees for the value they bring, and create cultures of which we can be proud.

My own transition from the Navy was not a smooth one; after three years of service, a drunk driver hit my car head on, ending my military career. After a year of military limbo, my “transition support” was six days notice, a final paycheck, and a plane ticket from Guam to Kansas, my military home of record. As someone who had planned a long military career, the sudden change left me lost, in pain, and panicked about how to survive a rapid reintroduction to the regular workforce.

I was lucky in that I rather rapidly fell into a series of jobs that leveraged my military training. In the last nineteen years, I have held technical products and programs management roles that have escalated in responsibility and seniority and have all drawn from my naval background in electronics. I’ve managed to maintain close relationships with active military and veterans alike, even supporting Army and Marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom on the ground in Iraq. Through my own and others’ experiences, I have seen how veterans can struggle to re-enter the workforce and how companies have oftentimes failed to support our population. It isn’t a problem that can be solved overnight, but with the below actionable steps, we can better support our veterans as they transition from service to the civilian workforce.

Get to know your veteran counterparts

Many people who are not familiar with the military are unsure about how to interact with veterans; they are worried about asking the wrong questions, too many questions, or questions about difficult experiences. Because of this uncertainty, many do not ask any questions at all, which further contributes to the divide between us. 

Whether you are an HR person hoping to hire and retain vets or an employee who wants to get to know your veteran coworker, the first step is to understand their experience with the military, both their own and the experiences of their close friends and family. For example, I served in the Navy, but many of my family members and friends are Army veterans, and their experiences are vastly different and impact me nearly as much as my own. Only once you begin to understand someone’s unique experience can you better connect with them as an employee, a colleague, and a friend.

If someone mentions their involvement with the military, don’t be afraid to ask them about it. A simple question, like “Why did you join the military?”, can teach you a lot. Rather than asking a bunch of follow up questions, just listen to their story. Most importantly, always give someone an out if they do not seem comfortable talking about their experience, not everyone is. 

Educate recruiting and human resources about military-specific experience

According to a study from Veterans Affairs (VA), respondents cited the difficulty of translating their military skills into corporate language as a top concern about entering the civilian workforce. The language used to describe ranks, roles, and leadership structure in the military is very different from the corporate world. A veteran may only be able to describe their experience in military terms, and a recruiter on the receiving end of that resume who doesn’t understand the language likely won’t consider a potentially great candidate.

Recruiters and human resources representatives must be either trained to recognize and understand military experience or, if not, must consult with someone who can. Similarly, job postings should include military-specific language and job codes in their descriptions, so that veterans can easily understand how their experience relates to a particular opening. Adding military job codes to open positions will now surface those roles in Google’s new Jobs for Veterans search results.

Establish internal support groups for veterans and their loved ones

Once veterans are hired, they should not be abandoned. In that same report from the VA, respondents said that transitioning from military to corporate culture was their top concern. Veterans in this survey reported that mentorship programs and affinity groups were the two most helpful support tactics an employer could offer. Whether one-on-one or in a group setting, a formal support system between veteran employees (or their friends and family) provides a space where veterans can discuss challenges with and ask for advice from people with shared experience.

At Bazaarvoice, we have affinity groups for a variety of interests, from board games to yoga. Affinity groups are meant to bring together people with a shared interest or experience. While I have worked with veterans outside of Bazaarvoice, after reading the Veterans Affairs study, I realized there was an opportunity to make an impact inside my own organization and started b:Salutes, an affinity group for veterans, their loved ones, and anyone who wants to learn about and support veterans issues. If your company is too small to create its own mentorship program or internal group for veterans, consider partnering with small companies in the same location or industry.

Yesterday, on the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War One, we honored our current and former military service members for all they have done and continue to do. My hope is that businesses and their employees can look beyond a single day of observance to honor, support, and engage veterans on an ongoing basis. Through these few actionable steps, we can better serve this population who so bravely served for us.