Celebrating diversity and nurturing connection among our employees

Fostering the community and exchange of experiences based on shared identities is pivotal for our Diversity & Inclusion strategy. One of our most important tools for this is the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), employee-led groups aiming to create safe spaces and communities where colleagues come together to discuss their experiences and share ideas.

Officially introduced in 2019, the ERG program, is one of Zalando’s core measures for ensuring a more respectful and inclusive company culture. The work of the groups encompasses awareness campaigns, workshops, events, and support services that aim to amplify employees’ voices and provide constructive feedback and improvement proposals to leadership about the needs of communities. “Our Employee Resource Groups are an important measure for putting Zalando’s principles into practice and creating a workplace that reflects our founding mindset and our culture”, says Head of Workplace Culture Veronica Schilling. 

With the celebration of the Black History Month, International Women’s Day and Ramadan, the past few months were full of opportunities for Zalando to foster community and create open and transparent dialogue around inclusion for its employees. Our ERGs put together a series of events to celebrate diversity and bring awareness to these special dates. Check out some of the highlights: 

Black History Month

Commemorated in February, the Black History Month originated in the United States as a recognition of the essential contributions of African Americans to North American culture and history. At Zalando, the month was also an opportunity to celebrate and promote the community connection.

Four members of the Black Employee Connection (BEC) group were invited to take part in a video series where they shared their thoughts on the relevance of the Black History Month, role modelling and the importance of the employee groups at Zalando. “Growing up, I didn’t have many role models besides family members or athletes and entertainers. As I’m becoming older and also progressing in my professional career, I see the importance of role modelling especially in different industries. I tend to look up more to pan africanists and people who have a greater impact for our community”, says Lead Partnership Manager Kwame Manu-Bio. 

Watch the interview with the members of BEC here 

Honouring the remarkable individuals who have dedicated their lives to advancing the rights and well-being of the Black communities in the US and Germany was also one of our initiatives for the Black History Month. Posters were spread around the Berlin campus throughout February, sharing the stories of visionary activism of personalities like Audre Lorde and Martin Luther King Jr., the entrepreneurial spirit of Madam C.J. Walker, and the groundbreaking achievements of Hans Massaquoi and Maya Angelou. 

To wrap up the month, Zalando and ZEOS sponsored Black History Month Connect - an event created by Black Aspiring Creators to support black entrepreneurship, with emerging black-owned brands showcasing their products to the audience and a workshop for designers about business growth and how to thrive in the fashion industry as a Black Creator. The conversation was navigated through the lens of brands, influencers, fashion consultants, and logistic experts with the goal of building a community that actively empowers Black voices. “In a thought-provoking panel, we had the chance to discuss cultural authenticity in fashion and explore the nuances of identity, representation, and the challenges faced by Black voices in the industry,” explains Operations Manager Henry Ikeche who was responsible for organising the event.

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (March 8), was celebrated over the course of two weeks with a series of four events organised by the Zalando Women’s Network to empower our women employees on topics such as finances, public speaking and community building. 

To kick off the series, Money Matters - an online and in-person talk - advised women on how to be more savvy about finance education and relationship finance management. Public Speaking was the theme of the second event: a workshop held exclusively for women, who had the chance to learn how to persuade and maintain audience engagement, how to give feedback and practice storytelling techniques. “After taking the stage as a presenter at one of Zalando’s events in 2023, and realising that such opportunities might become more frequent in the future, I eagerly seized the chance to participate in the workshop. This workshop not only sharpened my skills but also bolstered my confidence, equipping me with the tools to craft engaging narratives, and truly connect with my audience”, tells Nicole Schuchardt, Partner Marketing and Communications Manager at Zalando. 

The third session - a talk with the founder and a member of International Women in Berlin - was centred around the challenges in the process of building inclusive communities and how to cultivate inclusion in our daily lives. The last session was dedicated to women's leadership: a panel talk gathered four leaders from different fields and almost 500 participants to discuss the significance of International Women’s Day and delve into the theme of inspiring inclusion. “The focus was on fostering an inclusive environment, emphasising the importance of language and allyship in promoting inclusion, and sharing personal experiences and insights to inspire women” says Kristall Thamas, D&I Manager and the panel moderator.

Ramadan

Ramadan is a special time for our Muslim community - a period dedicated to fasting, prayer, reflection, and increased charity. It is also a time that requires support and understanding from colleagues. This year, our Muslim Community Network prepared educational material to help Muslim employees present the idea behind Ramadan to their colleagues, what a typical day routine looks like during this period and what to avoid in order to help them accomplish their duties. 

As the month came to an end, Muslim employees based in our headquarters in Berlin and other locations were invited to iftar dinners and Eid celebrations to break fasting together with typical food and a shared spirit of unity and compassion. According to Saliha Ince, Zalando employee and core member of the Muslim ERG, it was a unique opportunity to deepen the connection between participants. ”The most special part is to meet the community members in person to share the same feelings with people from all over the world, and break the fast together”, says Saliha.