I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Derrick Ly (He/Him), a Business Recruiter at Webflow, to discuss the ways in which Webflow is reinventing its stance on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.
Webflow is a corporation that was founded on making technological tools accessible to those without experience. From websites to advice, Webflow is there to be equitable, and the ways that they are working towards diversity, equity and inclusion are no exception.
“Webflow’s core values have always been focused on hiring the best people, and by finding the best people, we find a more authentic and diverse workplace.”
This seems like a genuine statement, yet many places fall short of actually incorporating diversity and inclusion beyond words. Webflow puts an end to this by including many practices like the rooney rule and analyzing application processes allows Webflow to follow through and create a company that is actively working to combat bias that may be present when hiring.
The rooney rule has recently been established by Webflow and has begun to change demographics in a more diverse setting. This idea was famously put in place by the Nation Football League to address diversity. The rooney rule asks that recruiters be mindful of the pool of applicants that they bring to the table. It asks that recruiters find at least one woman and one person of color to recruit for the company. Some may accuse this of being unjust, but this encourages recruiters to expand their search and takes a more active role in inclusion rather than passively recruiting marginalized identities. You can find more on the Rooney Rule here!
Not only that, Webflow also prioritizes their employees’ goals and aspirations. Ly expressed that his supervisors held meetings to ensure that they were assisting him in the direction that he wanted to go within the company. Many times there is a lack of marginalized identities represented in executive or senior management, but Webflow holds active reviews with employees and works to craft a plan with them to assist them in achieving their goals. This internal mobilization can be anywhere from employees sitting in on meetings, to tailored assignments that grow their experience. By doing this, Webflow works to eliminate the barriers that exist within corporate structures for disenfranchised identities.
When talking with Ly, we were able to discuss the ways the Webflow is encouraging its employees to have strong connections. The primary way this is encouraged is through the use of Employee Resource Groups and Affinity Groups. While being a part of two groups (Asians at Webflow and Queerflow) and the Diversity and Inclusion Council, he has been able to build a great rapport with other employees. These groups at Webflow are given funding to bring speaker and host opportunities. With the support of the company, there is a greater sense that changes can be made and issues can actually be addressed.
These groups can be challenging to maintain though, as they can cause staff burnout from planning and executing extracurricular activities, and Webflow recognizes that. Soon they are going to have a recess for their council and groups in order for employees to have some time for self care. With roles of leadership like the Diversity and Inclusion Council, there are terms, that way no one employee feels obligated to stay on as an advisor to the detriment of their mental health and wellbeing.
Meeting with Derrick Ly was a highlight of the week, as it was amazing to see someone who genuinely lit up when discussing the changes and expansions that are happening at Webflow. If you would like to learn more about the career opportunities, feel free to look at their employment page and learn more about how you can become involved.
Derrick is a San Francisco native who graduated from Chapman University in Orange County, CA. During his studies, he majored in Strategic and Corporate Communications with a minor in Public Relations. Derrick has always been great at relationship building and a people person, which is why he decided to pivot into recruiting. He started as a recruiting coordinator worked his way up to a university recruiter and is now a Business Recruiter at Webflow. At Webflow, he supports the Customer support functions and internal mobility within the organization (allowing employees to internally move from department/get promoted). Derrick enjoys his work at Webflow and has done other extracurricular at the firm like the diversity and inclusion council, Asians at Webflow ERGs, and co-leading the queer ERG called Queerflow.