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:
- Neurology of Equity & Inclusion training
- Ruby EDI 101 training
- Ruby EDI 1-3-5 year plan
- Heritage month and Pride celebrations
- EDI Business Partner
- Equity Steering Committee
- Multicultural marketing plan
- More inclusive healthcare benefits for all
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.
