Ruby’s work community is a blend of cultures, genders, ethnicities, and self-identities that we proudly celebrate. We’re committed to creating a welcoming, accepting, and engaging environment for every person.
Our unique culture stems from all Rubys at every level taking ownership to foster a diverse community where people feel valued, respected, seen, and heard. We believe achieving this goal requires everyone’s active and daily participation. We’ve implemented a company-wide Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy, furthering our efforts to create an inclusive work environment. This is an ever-evolving process, and the work is never done.
We acknowledge we’ve made mistakes on our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion journey. However, we are committed as a company, an executive leadership team, and as an employee base to continue to challenge ourselves to be a more inclusive Ruby. We hope you take a few minutes to learn more about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are headed on our EDI journey.
In 2003, Ruby started as a small business dedicated to helping other small businesses. Our company’s foundation is the belief that creating meaningful human connections in our technology-focused world builds trust, fosters customer loyalty, and helps our customers win new business. Ruby’s humble beginnings shape every aspect of how we run our business and deliver our services—it helps us understand the needs of our customers. As a result, what was once a small, four-person business answering phones in a tiny studio has flourished into what we are today—more than 700 employees in 13 states, supporting 14,000 businesses across the U.S.
We intentionally began our journey uplifting and empowering women. Ruby’s culture centered on women in a way not typical of our industry or society in general. As our brand grew, so did our commitment to creating space for women in the workforce looking to work for a company where they could experience a true sense of belonging.
This approach, unfortunately, was not without missteps. Ruby, possibly to a fault, leaned into the idea of a “traditional receptionist,” including their voice, image, and likeness. After self-reflection, we realized this point of view was not an inclusive approach and didn’t align with our Core Values. We have since taken strides towards rebuilding internal trust with our Rubys (old and new) that have been impacted by our well-intentioned but poorly vetted approach.
In 2018, Ruby began to formalize our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy. This process began with our leaders focusing on the voice of our Rubys and their needs. Through the help of EDI experts at Future Work Design, we acknowledged our journey and began the work necessary to achieve our EDI goals.
Our first step was to create a committee focused on ensuring Equity across our organization. This group, called the Equity Steering Committee, was created in December of 2020. The committee is made up of Rubys who love the organization and are lending their voices, and their passion, to this work.
In January 2021, the Ruby executive team continued to bolster our commitment to EDI by hiring our first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Business Partner. We also launched our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in Q1 2022—fortifying our efforts to infuse EDI into our business practices and operations, as we continue to bring years of EDI work to life.
Check out some of our recent EDI-related initiatives:
The future at Ruby is bright— made even more brilliant by our commitment to launching our EDI 1-3-5 Year Plan in Q1 2022. Within this plan, we introduced our formal EDI strategy, our Social Justice Platform, and our Racial Equity Initiative (our focus for Year One). The ERGs will continue to take shape, starting with BiPOC, Women, LGBTQ+, and Abilities Rubys, as well as Affinity groups dedicated to supporting our diverse working community.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will be more than a “lens” used for moments in time. It will be part of our DNA, play a critical role in how we do business—where we spend our time, how we spend our money, who we partner with, and when we allocate our resources.
Company culture is one of the most important aspects of a thriving business. Our culture will thrive most when our Rubys can bring their whole selves to work and still experience a profound sense of belonging. We view our future Rubys as “cultural adds,” not “cultural fits.” Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will be at the center of our strategies, policies, procedures, and every aspect of our business.
"You can't be, what you can't see."
A thriving business and community aren’t complete without true representation. Ruby’s culture will thrive because of that representation. Every part of our organization will genuinely reflect the world around us. We will use demographic metrics for tracking, accountability, and goal setting. Representation standards will be established for our Board and Executive Team, as well as our extended leadership teams. And diverse hiring panels and expanded hiring pools will be our norm. We will be a destination in the tech world (and beyond) for underrepresented and historically excluded folx.
Learning and Development is an essential part of EDI work and will be at the core of what we do. Our leaders will be equipped with a wealth of resources and knowledge which they’ll utilize to inform their management styles as it pertains to our business decisions and company culture. Budget continues to be earmarked specifically for EDI Learning and Development and quarterly EDI-focused meetings occur with Ruby leadership. Sessions deemed essential will be required learning for all Rubys.
The well-being of our Rubys will always be the major factor in our decision-making process. Our environment will be free from the structures of dominant culture. We use a framework and tools designed to inform organizational change to ensure each of our Rubys have equitable access and opportunity. A targeted mentorship program for minoritized Rubys, more comprehensive and inclusive benefits options, and transparent pay equity are some of the ways this is taking shape at Ruby.
“Earning our words” will take shape here more than in any of our other focuses. Ruby has the platform, resources, and passionate team members to help create real change in our local communities. We’ll use our platform to elevate organizations and thought leaders that align with our Social Justice Platform and our Vision & Mission. As an early member of Portland Means Progress, Ruby routinely joins forces with other Portland-based businesses to use our collective platform for good—an example of this is our commitment to the Intentional Purchasing Program, holding us accountable to dispersing our resources and diversifying our vendor mix in an equitable way. And, Rubys will roll up our sleeves and show up for our communities by lending a helping hand, raising funds, packaging donations, and simply showing up—at ERG-led community initiatives and more.
Missed connections translate to lost revenue. With Ruby, you have a partner in gaining and retaining customers. Plus, we’re so confident you’ll love our service, we offer a 21 day money-back guarantee*.
*Ruby is delighted to offer a money-back guarantee to first time users of both our virtual receptionist service and our chat service. To cancel your service and obtain a full refund for the canceled service (less any multi-service discount), please notify us of the service you wish to cancel either within 21 days of your purchase of that service or before your usage exceeds 500 receptionist minutes/50 billable chats, as applicable, whichever occurs sooner. Some restrictions may apply.
