At Uber, we want to create a workplace that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, says Vishpala Reddy

Almost a year after the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India by a Supreme Court ruling, India maintained its past position by abstaining from a vote on LGBTQ rights at the UN Human Rights Council.

While this comes as a disappointment, the silver lining is that the LGBTQ+ community’s challenges are finally coming to the fore. Finding a job and to be able to work without being discriminated is a gap that is being addressed by individuals and organisations. The RISE LGBTI Job Fair in Bengaluru, organised by Pride Circle and supported by Uber, was one such attempt.

The job fair brought together companies willing to promote inclusion and diversity, and provide the LGBTQ+ community with opportunities. Uber changed all their in-app routes in Bengaluru with rainbow colours on the day to get Bengaluru residents to support the cause.

Speaking to HerStory about the Pride jobs fair and Uber’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, Vishpala Reddy, Regional HR Director, APAC, Uber, said,

“At Uber, we are consistently trying to build a workplace in which LGBTQ+ individuals feel welcome, supported, and encouraged to be the best they can be. Our participation in Pride Circle’s career fair is to open doors to talented and creative individuals to land the job of their dreams. We want to create a global community empowering LGBTQ+ individuals to participate more actively in society and secure economic opportunities, which is exactly what RISE aims to do.”

In her chat, Vishpala also spoke about the initiatives that Uber is driving to be more inclusive and support the LGBTQ+ community.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

HerStory: What are the key elements of Uber's diversity and inclusion policy?

Vishpala Reddy: At Uber, our diversity and inclusivity agenda is an organisational priority. We want to create a workplace that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

Aligned to this, we are building a culture based on strong and admirable values and a purpose that goes beyond numbers. Each employee is encouraged to bring their authentic self to work and can personally drive change by volunteering in one of our 12 employee resource groups. These include among others, Women at Uber, where we promote the advancement of women employees; Pride at Uber, where we promote LGBTQ+ inclusion and diversity; and Able at Uber, our community for caregivers and employees living with disabilities.

HS: Is Uber also making way for more LGBTQ+ employees at the company? What are some of the initiatives that you have been driving within the organisation?

VR: In today’s work environment we understand the need to focus on not just supporting, but actively implementing policies that promote diversity and an inclusive environment at Uber. For instance, we provide robust training to interviewers for removing any potential bias across the interviewing process. Additionally, after the hiring process, we encourage candidates to list diversity aspects such as gender and orientation in all relevant documents.

HS: How does diversity and inclusion work when it comes to your delivery partners since we are seeing some LGBTQ+ delivery partners too?

VR: Driver and delivery partners are not Uber employees; they join Uber’s platform as independent entrepreneurs. Our philosophy on diversity and inclusivity remains the same when it comes to them.

Through our Uber Bhavishya initiative we are constantly working towards on-boarding more women and transgender drivers and delivery partners on to our platform.

We want to empower and help the LGBTQ+ community break barriers and achieve financial independence just like Preetisha, Uber’s first transgender delivery partner. In 2018 we also helped Rani, Uber’s first transgender driver partner in Bhubaneswar, get her own car.

HS: How is Uber supporting LGBTQ+ community outside the workplace?

VR: We collaborate with local LGBTQ+ communities across the world to celebrate and sponsor Pride events. We also publicly support policies that drive diversity and inclusion in different countries and continue to stand up for LGBTQ causes.

We have also joined the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act and support federal legislation in the US, which ensures equal protection for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.

HS: What are some of the major shifts you have seen in the last few years when it comes to diversity and inclusion? Have companies actually started making concerted efforts to drive diversity in the workforce?

VR: Organisations are going through a diversity and inclusion revolution. The most progressive organisations today have targets to achieve gender parity and understand the need to incorporate policies and initiatives promoting diversity and inclusion. This is no longer an HR mandate but part of the overall business strategy.

Another significant shift taking place in companies is the distinction between diversity and inclusion. Despite going hand in hand, it’s not enough to just have a diverse workforce; companies must invest in creating and nurturing a safe environment that celebrates each individual for their unique self.

HS: What are the few key things we will see Uber drive this year when it comes to diversity and inclusion?

VR: Moving forward, we aim to actively implement policies that strengthen our culture of diversity and inclusion. We have various initiatives that we are excited about, one among them being a petition for the “Pride Heart Emoji” on Change.Org to get an inclusive symbol of love.

Uber, for the past four years, has globally earned a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), with four of our global offices being named “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality”.

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)

ALSO READ

The story of 350+ investor rejections; Meet India’s first transwoman Uber Eats delivery partner