Kim Myers of All of Us on Making Positive Change in the Workplace

The CEO of All of Us on how fair diversity and inclusion can lead to increased retention rates and stronger business performance.

This week, Springwise brings you a very special Wise Words interview with Kim Myers, CEO of All of Us. After recently launching an employee engagement platform that encourages diversity in the workplace, All of Us aims to challenge unconscious biases when it comes to the hiring process, whether that be in terms of race, gender, age or sexuality. 

1. What change does All of us want to facilitate? 

All of Us is a people first organisation. We envision workplace cultures where everyone feels safe to be their true selves, where everyone feels valued and respected for their contributions and where people can thrive. 

All of Us facilitates positive change in the workplace through our dedicated D&I platform. Our platform helps improve work cultures, shape positive behaviours, boost employee morale, and ultimately to fuel business growth. 

2. Why is it important that other organisations follow? 

It is important that other organisations follow because the world is in a state of major change. There’s a movement demanding fairness and equality towards people that is gathering massive momentum. All organisations around the world large and small need to step up and take action. It is good for their people and it is good for their business. It takes action and effort from all of us for true change to take effect. Engagement from organisations will help push us to the end goal much faster! 

3. Where did the idea for All of Us come from and what inspired you to materialise it? 

The All of Us platform was born out of a desire to help organisations address D&I in the workplace – recognising that organisations needed a simple and effective solution. 

The founding team are passionate about D&I and have a good grasp of the organisational challenges of today. We have a great fusion of minds with very different experiences that allows us each to look at the challenges and opportunities from different angles. Although we are a small team, we have six different countries and cultures represented, different social-economic backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, types of neurodiversity, religions and sexual orientations. This culminated in the development of a really unique product – crafted out of respect for people, strong goodwill and the intent to make a true difference for people at work  with an intuitive and captivating user interface. 

4. How has your background shaped your work for All of us? 

There are many facets to each of us, but there are key foundation stones that have shaped the person I am today. Adopted at birth, I was raised in a proudly Irish-American blue-collar family. I have been challenged with ADHD & anxiety, and the grief of losing my mom as a child. I am the “B” in LGBTQ+ and an American living abroad. I know how transformative it is when you feel safe to tell your story at your place of work. You connect with colleagues on a deeper level. It enables you to learn and grow, develop empathy and compassion for others, as well as yourself. You develop respect and value for your organisation and feel grateful to belong. 

5. Given that a lot of diversity issues stem from unconscious biases, how do you approach resolving the gender pay gap? 

Openness and transparency about the gender gap is important. Respectively, education around unconscious bias is critical. This helps people become more aware of how their behaviours can, in turn, lead to assumptions about people, impacting performance.

Mentoring to nurture and encourage career development for women and other minority groups is equally important. I’ve met many accomplished women that have achieved amazing things in their careers. They are proper trail blazers that are confident and fearless. With greater connectivity and strong networks, more women will find inspiration and confidence, which will lead to closing the gap. 

6. From your experience, what are some of the benefits of having greater diversity and inclusion within an organisation? And how is this advantageous from a business point of view? 

By creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce, the stereotypes will be broken down, and the narrative will be rewritten to inspire people to pursue their dreams, in whatever field they choose.

There are endless benefits. Blending people who think differently creates energy to drive new and exciting ideas and leads to stronger innovation. People are also more effective when they are encouraged to be authentic and feel they can bring their whole self to work. Likewise, employees feel a greater sense of connection with their colleagues. This contributes to greater loyalty, increased retention rates and stronger business performance – diverse companies generate approximately 20 per cent more revenue.

7. What potential do you think the future holds for digitally savvy platforms such as All of Us? 

The potential for growth in this area is huge. Almost overnight, the COVID-9 crisis forced organisations to adapt to working remotely. The digital workplace has a place in the world now more so than ever. In parallel, the increasing pressure for organisations to develop an efficient and fair diversity and inclusion programme makes All of Us a winning solution. 

I believe that All Of Us will have a transformative impact on organisations. It provides the tools to make connections and create networks, find inspiration and make people feel valued and special – to the benefit of everyone. 

8. So, what’s next? Where do you aspire All of Us to be in five years, and how will you get there? 

We are dedicated and passionate about D&I and that’s our place and purpose. We aim to be the leading D&I solution to help companies provide the best workplace environment for employees. We are on a great trajectory, experiencing rapid growth with ongoing platform development. This will only continue and strengthen as we respond to the needs of our customers. In five years time we will be in more countries, in more industries, impacting the lives of more employees, continuing to educate, connect, and help organisations do the right thing. 

9. Do you have any other thoughts or wise words for aspiring entrepreneurs? 

Entrepreneurship is a bumpy but exhilarating road. You have to be passionate about what you do – passion brings strength and resilience. Empower and trust your team to deliver on their responsibilities. Believe in your own vision and purpose. Don’t stop until you get to where you want to be.