Building a Better Roundabout
In Our Offices
Targets & Progress
In September 2021, we shared our plan to build a better Roundabout. Explore our yearly progress and review our original five-year goals below.
50%
50% BIPOC representation across staff at all levels, including senior leaders within the next five years
Our Five-Year Goals
Diversity
Create professional development and mentor opportunities for BIPOC staff
To establish a more representative decision-making team, empower existing BIPOC staff and hire more artistic and casting staff and culturally specific consultants with decision-making power and authority
Audit and expand hiring strategies and resources to add new full-time BIPOC staff
Promote an equitable interview process for new hires, including streamlined questions for all candidates, reframing job descriptions using competencies rather than “check boxes,” and removing degree requirements unless absolutely necessary
Determine and hire appropriate personnel to implement and maintain EDI/AR work
Audit current vendor list and research and identify a new, broader set of vendors, with a focus on BIPOC vendors
Maintain and expand staff affinity groups and allow staff members to participate during work hours (including paying hourly employees for time participating in affinity-group activities)
Expand cost-of-living scholarships to provide additional support for BIPOC participants in Roundabout internships and apprenticeships
Review and revise existing institutional materials through an EDI/AR lens and establish an ongoing process for future front-facing assets
Learning
Develop and evolve staff-wide training, with special emphasis on training for supervisors and hiring managers, public-facing staff, and staff responsible for external communications
Require “catch-up” training for any staff who missed initial, mandatory, all-staff session
Break down silos by creating opportunities for cross-department/cross-level collaboration, including the creation and sharing of departmental operating plans
Provide personal development opportunities for employees, including conflict resolution
Continue to encourage the use of pronouns in email signature and other communication
Review staff, student and artist participation in fundraising and Board events and engagement to promote equitable practices
Accountability
Hire external company to conduct a pay-equity analysis, and address pay inequities where appropriate
Post salary ranges for all job postings and internally share salary bands
Evaluate staff engagement with EDI/AR initiatives as part of annual 360 review process and as a factor in advancement considerations
Implement 3-year staffing plans for each department, including executive leadership
Through annual surveys and exit interviews, continually seek employee feedback on organizational culture, individual needs/accommodations and EDI/AR progress
Require consistent EDI/AR training as part of on-boarding across the organization
Evaluate and, if necessary, expand current external system for efficacy in reporting EDI/AR violations
Require managers and human resources staff to share criteria for advancement as part of annual reviews
Explore health-care options for part-time employees
Audit donor benefits and donor-observation opportunities of education programming to promote equity
Establish and enforce a public-facing zero-tolerance policy for mistreatment of our employees, and create restorative practices for harmed staff
Equitable Policies
Provide greater transparency around organizational decision making
Audit current HR policies to promote equity and inclusion
Examine policies regarding which employees currently do not receive an organizational email address, staff on-boarding, and/or staff benefits/perks
Solicit and utilize hiring recommendations from multiple levels of staff and Board members and eliminate nepotism in hiring practices
Evaluate teams based on effectiveness, equitability, and transparency with a goal of learning from the teams that model this and transforming or replacing teams that do not
Audit intern and apprentice programs to establish expectations for these roles that appropriately balance learning and practical experience, create more opportunities for networking with senior leaders and members of the Board, and identify additional departments where interns and/or apprenticeships could be added
2021-22 Season
Action Points
Created multiple employee affinity groups, and pay hourly employees for their participation during work hours
Revised and streamlined the interview process to decrease bias and ensure applicant’s experiences are equitable
Used a platform called Paradigm Reach to onboard all staff, artists and crew for baseline and “catch-up” EDI/AR learning
Increased number of BIPOC-owned vendors for Development events from 9.5% in the 2018–19 (our last full pre-pandemic season) to 50%
2022-23 Season
Action Points
Diversified our vendor pool by partnering with new companies
Hired a consultant to begin a pay-equity analysis and create a transparent salary administration guideline which will include the criteria for advancement, among other information
When searching for a new Executive, we engaged consultants, created a staff search committee and invited staff from across all levels of the organization to be a part of the process including providing feedback through a survey
Introduced training for Call Center staff that empowers them to combat and respond to commonly occurring microaggressions
Maintained 50% BIPOC representation among vendors contracted for Development events
