As a company with 30+ nationalities represented, an executive team made up of 62% womxn, and 35% BIPOC individuals in leadership roles, it's safe to say that diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) are critically important to Beyond. We have a global workforce that is proud of their diversity of experiences, demographics, and backgrounds, and we believe in creating an environment where people can feel comfortable to be themselves. A vital driver of that belief is Beyond's Belong @ Beyond committee, or Belong@ for short.  

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Made up of a group employees from across the company, Belong@'s goal is to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within Beyond as a company, and within the broader short-term rental industry. The Belong@ committee spearheads initiatives like creating an inclusive language guide, maintaining a dedicated Slack channel to share information, providing education and resources on DEI topics, hosting events dedicated to DEI topics, and more.

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In our latest Going Beyond blog post, our series that aims to show what it’s really like to work at Beyond, we spoke to members of Belong @ Beyond to talk about how they help develop and promote a diverse workforce at Beyond. We chatted about fostering DEI in the company’s practices and policies, and how they partner with all departments to promote, support, sponsor and celebrate DEI at Beyond.

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How long have you been a part of Belong@ Beyond and why did you join? 

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Sydney- I have been a part of Belong@ since June 2022. I joined for a chance to have my voice heard and understood. Oftentimes marginalized people are not in the spaces and conversations to move the needle forward on DEI projects/ initiatives but when I saw the opportunity to join I jumped on the chance and haven’t regretted one moment. 

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Ashley K - I’ve been a part of Belong@ since January 2023. I joined to be more involved with the Beyond team, to learn more about what’s important to other Belong coworkers, and to help make a difference. 

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Paulo - I joined the Beling@ committee in January 2023 because I was very interested in learning more about other perspectives in the organization and also to work together in order to create a good impact in our workplace.

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What does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mean to you? 

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Tati- Diversity to me is about recognizing and celebrating the individual differences that exist among people in our organizations. Equity is about that we are putting systems in place to ensure access to the same opportunities and resources. To me equity takes into consideration and acknowledges barriers that have been systematically in place to correct disadvantages. Lastly, Inclusion to me entails that we are intentional about creating an environment where each individual can be their authentic self. True inclusion results on each individual feeling valued and respected despite of and because of their background. DEI work to me entails taking all these factors into consideration and creating the best possible work environment.

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Rita - I would love to live in a world where everyone respects each other, and accept our differences. For that reason DEI is so important to ensure that everyone, regardless of their race, ethinicity, gender, sexual orientations, or other characteristic, is treated fairly. DEI helps to create a more inclusive and welcome society where everyone can feel valued and included.

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What does Belong@ Beyond do? 

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Ashley K - Belong@ Beyond meets weekly to discuss different topics that involve people, the environment, issues, and more. We look at how we can bring awareness to certain issues or celebrations, how we can educate everyone about different cultures or events, and what we can do to help. 

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Sasha - Belong@ is a safe place where we aim to nurture and spread across the entire organization the DEI principles: diversity, equity and inclusion. We meet to share ideas, concerns, and thoughts on how to highlight the importance and huge advantages of a multicultural and diverse society, and develop within the organization a culture that supports and encourages diversity of all kinds.  

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What DEI initiatives are you most excited about in 2023? 

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Sydney- I’m most excited about the plans for mental health month. I think it's an important time to focus on your mental health and I love that we have this committee to remind people of the importance of mental health. 

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Ashley K - I’m most excited about focusing on different holidays and cultures and seeing how each one impacts us differently. 

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Rita - The DEI initiative I'm most excited about is mental health month. We live in a world where mental health is still neglected, so having an entire month to focus on this topic will benefit all Beyonders.

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What is your favorite part of being on the Belong@ Beyond committee? 

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Tati- My favorite part of being on the Belong@ Beyond committee is that I get to participate in cross team collaborations regarding values that are important to me. The initiatives that we collaborate on in Belong@ positively impact our org. I get to learn from others that have a different perspective and a different background. 

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Sasha - The best and my favorite part of the Belong@ Beyond committee initiative is this great opportunity to come together with people who share the same vision, and work on and promote projects whose positive impact is seen across the company creating a healthy, welcoming and safe working environment at Beyond. 

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Paulo - My favorite part of being part of the Belong@ committee is being able to share ideas and listen to different point of views of colleagues coming from different backgrounds. It is very enriching to see different perspectives, and at the same time I believe it this is great when providing ideas to the organization, as we analyze everything from all points of view.

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Our Going Beyond series aims to pull back the curtain and show what it’s really like to work at Beyond. Our five core values provide structure for our company decisions, interactions, and work: We Care, We Go Beyond, We Are On The Same Team, We Inspire Trust and We Ship It. If these values resonate with you, then you belong at Beyond too! Check out our careers page for more information and to see open positions: https://www.beyondpricing.com/about/careers 

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