Embracing Differences
VeraSafe provides privacy and cybersecurity advice for a global client base making it vital to have a team that is representative of the world our clients operate in. As a remote-first company, VeraSafe hires team members of exceptional caliber from diverse backgrounds.
Our team is located in the USA, Canada, Europe, and South Africa, and we value the unique perspectives and cultural influences each team member brings to their work. We hire individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, religions, and communities. Our team is equally made up of women and men, and we proudly support our LGBTQ+ team members.
A VeraSafe team member said that “Working in an environment where I feel welcome, accepted, and safe has been such a great experience for me. I feel that I’m able to provide my very best work for the company as well, because I know I’m accepted and not being judged for who I am.”
Another VeraSafe team member shared her appreciation for VeraSafe’s balanced workforce and said, “Coming from a law firm that was staffed with only white males (besides me), the diversity at VeraSafe is so refreshing!”
A Modern Approach to Candidate Evaluations
VeraSafe evaluates candidates based on their skills, work experience, and areas of expertise or interest rather than traditional metrics like which law school they attended. Instead of focusing on traditional metrics that may only reflect how well someone studied in a controlled school environment, or the relative privilege of their upbringing, we give candidates the opportunity to showcase their skills through an objective skills assessment. In this approach, we’ve found that we’re able to give equal opportunities to candidates across all spectrums and geographic regions, while remaining confident and excited about the caliber of our team and their fit for our way of working.
One team member said “I love the fact that we use assessments to evaluate candidates instead of just focusing on years of experience. It values skill over age and gives a chance to younger professionals!” Another team member responded to that comment and said, “[And] the same would apply for older candidates as well. They’re assessed on their ability rather than being discounted because of their age.”
Cultivating a Multicultural Workforce
At VeraSafe, we value diversity and we welcome cultural influences. Our clients hail from all over the globe, as do their customers, so having privacy advisors with diverse viewpoints is a strength. Our team members can sensitively advise clients on how to treat elements and categories of personal data that might not appear, on their face, to be the type of data that needs extra protection. For example, one team member recalled how they were able to flag a potential data minimization violation for a client who collected meal preferences from employees without realizing this could reveal religious affiliation. Another recalled a time they were able to help workshop a client’s tricky wording when collecting consent for the processing of pregnancy data.
We celebrate and acknowledge the holidays our team members celebrate, bringing them closer to share recipes or learn about one another’s cultural history. For example, we share Diwali recipes or learn more about the history of apartheid via South Africa’s public holidays. This creates an environment in which our team members feel they can bring their full selves to work, fostering creative thought and energetic delivery to our clients. Being a globally diverse company gives us the opportunity to collaborate and bring different ideas to the table, providing unique and innovative solutions for our clients.