At SimScale, we believe fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace isn’t just a priority—it’s essential to our culture and success. This commitment is why we established our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) task force, which was recently rebranded as SimDEI. In this post, we’re excited to introduce SimDEI, the team members who lead it, and the impactful work they’re doing to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across SimScale.
What is SimDEI?
SimDEI (SimScale’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force) was formed to build and sustain a culture where everyone at SimScale feels welcome, supported, and can thrive. By working collaboratively, we strive to create initiatives and efforts that reflect and respect the diversity of our team and our broader community.
Meet the SimDEI Team
SimDEI is led by a passionate group of employees representing various departments and perspectives across the organization. Each member of SimDEI brings unique insights and commitment to shaping an environment where inclusivity isn’t just an initiative but a core part of who we are as a company.
- Fillia Site, Customer Success Manager: Fillia, a key member of the Customer Success Team, is dedicated to supporting existing customers, fostering strong, long-term relationships, and ensuring their ongoing success and satisfaction.
- Jon Wilde, VP of Product Management: Jon spearheads product strategy, ensuring customer needs are met while aligning with the company’s objectives. He leads the Product Team through development and works closely with engineering, sales, and marketing to deliver an innovative, focused, and forward-looking product lineup.
- Lisa Widmann, Lead Talent Acquisition Manager: Lisa, part of the People team, leads SimScale’s recruiting efforts, striving to create a smooth hiring process and a welcoming onboarding experience for new hires.
- Maryam Haghsheno, Acquisition Marketer: Maryam, part of the Marketing Team, focuses on developing and refining integrated marketing campaigns to attract new customers while enhancing lead generation efforts to support business growth.
- Preeti Dabelstein, People Engagement & Retention Manager: As a member of the People Team, Preeti’s primary role is focussing on enhancing employee engagement and well-being. A dedicated advocate for mental health, she frequently checks in with her colleagues to assess their well-being. Additionally, she organizes various team-building activities and social gatherings to foster collaboration among our global team
- Sabrina Hannappel, Talent Acquisition Manager: Sabrina, a member of the People Team, manages end-to-end hiring processes, from sourcing top talent to managing interviews, while ensuring a smooth and positive experience for both candidates and hiring teams.
- Taylor Keen, Acquisition Marketer: As part of the Marketing Team, Taylor is responsible for driving the success of marketing strategies, optimizing customer acquisition efforts, and fostering sustained engagement to support long-term business growth.
- Thomas Flower, Account Executive: Tom is an integral member of our Sales Team, driving growth by building strong relationships and effectively showcasing SimScale’s value to potential customers.
Our mission is simple yet powerful: to make SimScale an inclusive workplace where each individual is valued for their unique perspectives and experiences. By doing so, we unlock greater creativity, innovation, and satisfaction across our teams, all while driving SimScale’s mission forward.
Our Focus Areas
SimScale’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is an initiative aimed at fostering a workplace culture that values and respects differences, ensures fairness, and works actively to create opportunities for all employees. Below is an overview of the efforts and practices that the team has implemented and enhanced.
1. Organizational DEI Framework
The SimDEI Task Force was established in 2022 to advance SimScale’s dedication to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. Through this initiative, we have articulated our strong commitment to these core values, ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded in every aspect of our organization. The SimDEI team aims to create a supportive and empowering workplace where all individuals, regardless of background, feel valued and have equal opportunities to thrive.
2. Recruitment and Hiring
To promote inclusive hiring, we are dedicated to continuously refining our recruitment practices with structured, bias-free processes that guarantee fairness and equal opportunity for all candidates. By prioritizing these strategies, we aim to build a diverse talent pipeline at every stage of the hiring process, ensuring that candidates from all backgrounds are given equal consideration and the opportunity to thrive within our organization.
3. Enhancing Inclusivity in Company Culture
Beyond hiring, we’re dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture day-to-day. This means ensuring everyone feels like they belong at SimScale, regardless of their role, identity, or background. We have already implemented ways to share feedback through surveys or focus groups to maintain open communication within SimScale. Our future goal is to create employee resource groups (ERGs) that foster a sense of belonging, provide a platform for underrepresented voices, and promote networking and professional development opportunities.
4. Building Awareness and Education
We believe that awareness and continuous learning are essential to our DEI efforts. During onboarding, we prioritize inclusion through programs emphasizing diversity, buddy opportunities for new hires, and mentorship for all employees. To support ongoing learning, we require mandatory DEI training on topics like unconscious bias, anti-harassment, and code of conduct while hosting workshops, focus groups, and events to celebrate diversity and foster a collaborative, inclusive environment.
5. Policies and Practices
We are committed to fair compensation and career advancement by regularly conducting pay equity analyses to identify and address any disparities. We provide equal opportunities for all employees to grow professionally and recognize the diverse needs of our workforce by offering flexible work arrangements, including options to support those with caregiving responsibilities, helping them maintain a healthy work-life balance while pursuing their career goals.
6. Community Engagement
We believe in the power of giving back to the community. We encourage our employees to volunteer with local programs, providing opportunities for them to make a positive impact in the areas they care about. Through these efforts, we aim to foster a sense of social responsibility and community engagement, aligning our values with meaningful actions that benefit both our employees and the broader society.
7. Monitoring and Accountability
We take a data-driven approach to monitor and improve our DEI efforts. We regularly collect and analyze workforce demographic data to identify areas for improvement and ensure progress. Additionally, we use employee surveys to assess inclusion, belonging, and perceptions of fairness, gaining valuable insights into our workplace culture. To maintain transparency, we publish an annual DEI newsletter that outlines our goals, initiatives, and outcomes, keeping our team members informed and engaged in our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Highlights from Our Journey So Far
Since its beginning, SimDEI has had a meaningful impact in cultivating an inclusive culture at SimScale:
- Culture Nights: Culture Nights are events that celebrate and showcase the diverse cultures within SimScale and promote cultural awareness, inclusivity, and a sense of belonging.
- Focus Groups: Focus groups are small, diverse groups brought together to discuss and provide feedback on initiatives, policies, and practices. These discussions help us understand experiences and concerns and identify the needs of different groups and areas of improvement.
- Data Monitoring Campaign: Our Data Monitoring Campaign tracks and analyzes DEI metrics to assess progress and identify areas for improvement in creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
- DEI Survey: Our bi-annual DEI surveys offer valuable insights into employees’ experiences, perceptions, and challenges, enabling us to identify opportunities for improvement and take meaningful action.
- Yearly DEI Strategy: Each year, we refine our DEI strategy based on feedback, data, and evolving needs to ensure continuous progress towards a more inclusive and equitable workplace. By regularly assessing our initiatives, we adapt our approach to stay aligned with both employee needs and organizational goals.
- Charity Bake Sales: Our charity bake sales are events where homemade baked goods are sold to raise funds for a charitable cause. Our team members donate their time, baked goods, or money, with the proceeds typically going to support community projects, nonprofits, or individuals in need.
- Networking: DEI networking with other companies involves connecting with organizations to share best practices, strategies, and insights on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. It provides an opportunity to learn from others’ experiences, collaborate on initiatives, and strengthen DEI efforts across industries.
Looking Ahead: Our Goals for the Future
We’re excited about the future of SimDEI and the impact we can have. Here’s a glimpse at what’s next:
- Expanding Our DEI Partnerships: By collaborating even more with external partners and companies and inviting experts to share their perspectives, we aim to broaden our understanding of DEI, gain fresh insights, and create a more inclusive environment within our own team.
- Improved Communication: We prioritize improved communication both internally and externally by fostering open dialogue and transparency across all levels of the organization. Internally, we encourage regular feedback, team collaboration, and clear messaging, while externally, we engage with stakeholders through partnership building and sharing our DEI progress and initiatives.
- Enhanced Internal Resources and ERGs: We’re working to expand internal resources and launch more ERGs to create spaces for conversation, support, and community building among employees.
Join Us on the Journey!
SimDEI’s work is a collaborative effort across SimScale, and every team member has a role in making our company a place where everyone can thrive. Whether they are a long-time SimScaler or just joining us, we welcome your ideas, feedback, and involvement.
Stay tuned for more updates on SimDEI’s journey as we work together to make diversity, equity, and inclusion a core part of the SimScale experience.
