How to build a diverse team: An interview with the Tech & Product Recruitment Squad

Diverse teams are important at Delivery Hero. They fuel creativity and contribute to sustainable business success. People with different backgrounds and experiences can bring in different perspectives to solve challenges and drive innovation forward. In fact, studies show that employees in highly diverse and inclusive organizations show 26% more team collaboration and 18% more team commitment than those in non-inclusive organizations. 

By creating diverse teams, we also mirror the diversity that exists within our customer groups, which enables us to understand our customers even better and supports us in our goal to always deliver an amazing experience. To understand exactly how we foster diverse teams at Delivery Hero, we spoke to Leyla El Assry (Director, Talent Acquisition) and the Tech & Product Recruitment Squad (one of our most diverse teams at Delivery Hero) about what D&I means to them, how they contribute to creating a diverse work environment, and the benefits it brings. 

How is diversity & inclusion embodied at DH?

Diversity is embodied at Delivery Hero in a variety of ways, from recruitment to management and company culture. Our team is made up of many people from different backgrounds and everyone’s voice is heard and respected.

In our team, everyone is constantly encouraged to be authentic, to speak up and share different ideas. What is really great is that the leadership team is also aware of the importance of D&I and very engaged in the topic. 

There are whole worlds of experience and perspectives and ways of doing things that we wouldn’t be able to access if we didn’t get to work with an incredibly diverse team of individuals.

While we still have a long way to go at Delivery Hero, it is great that we have people from so many different countries and backgrounds within the company, and that our senior leaders have made a public commitment to increase diversity and inclusion without our organization. 

Would you consider your team to be diverse? 

Yes! The team is incredibly diverse with people coming from China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Argentina, Norway, Germany, Kenya, Morocco, Reunion/France, Ireland, United States, Turkey, Australia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Romania, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Scotland, and South Africa!

Not only do we have people from almost every continent, we also have people coming from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, religious beliefs, family status, sexual orientation, gender, age, and more. Together, this makes us a superpower team. 

With a rich blend of backgrounds and skills, we respect and learn from each other a lot. It can be incredibly rewarding to work in such an environment. 

How do you each contribute to the diversity in your team?

We each contribute our own unique perspectives and try to keep an open mind. By having an open, honest and supportive team environment, we are all contributing to diversity and inclusion. Everyone can raise their voice, share stories and experiences related to diversity and we continue to learn from each other. 

The easiest and fastest hires are not always the most diverse. Finding the right person or profile that will stand out and add value to the team might take more time, but is definitely worthwhile.

As we each bring something different to the team based on our experiences and upbringing, we are constantly exchanging information and learning from each other. This diversity and willingness to engage with each other is a strength for our team. 

What are the main challenges of building up a diverse team?

Unconscious bias is a clear challenge from the beginning of the recruitment process. We need to constantly train ourselves to be aware of this and challenge the status quo. 

Another challenge is time. The easiest and fastest hires are not always the most diverse. Finding the right person or profile that will stand out and add value to the team might take more time, but is definitely worthwhile.

Of course, there will always be communication mishaps or issues with a diverse team. That’s why it’s so important to create a safe space so people can share openly and be themselves to truly thrive in a diverse team.

A diverse team = a diverse mindset. It makes our job easier in the long run and enables us to learn a huge amount about different cultures, beliefs and values.

Finally, what are the benefits of working in a diverse team?

There are so many benefits – from increased creativity, innovation, better problem-solving, and skill sharing. It also leads to diversity of thought and can be enriching on a personal level to develop a new sensitivity and awareness. 

A diverse team = a diverse mindset. It makes our job easier in the long run and enables us to learn a huge amount about different cultures, beliefs and values. Working in such a diverse team really opens your mind and makes you a better person, open to change, and more aware of your own biases. 

There are whole worlds of experience and perspectives and ways of doing things that we wouldn’t be able to access if we didn’t get to work with an incredibly diverse team of individuals. Through this, we challenge existing stereotypes and also affect the company’s bottom line. 

Ultimately? It makes our team stronger.