“This is hard work, exceptionally hard work,” says Danita Oliver, Sr. Global Diversity Equity & Inclusion Leader for RingCentral “because we are dealing with what people believe from their hearts. I think that respect for the individual is critical to the work being done, which means regardless of who someone is or what they do for the business, they should feel equally involved, engaged, represented, and supported as an individual in every area of the workplace.”
That’s the charismatic Oliver talking about the DE&I movement that is at the forefront of so many HR organizations today. Oliver believes we need to stop focusing on what we refer to as “differences” and instead, learn to embrace our individual uniqueness.
“I have a dinner analogy I use. If all of us bring macaroni and cheese to dinner, all we’ve got is a macaroni and cheese dinner,” she says. “So instead, you’re bringing the vegetables, and you’re bringing that German chocolate cake, and you’re bringing this other thing. And then it makes this bountiful expression, right?”
ORIGIN STORY
Oliver herself arrived at a crossroads after the end of a long career at IBM as an outsourcing leader. She chose the road that led to RingCentral and an eventual role in DE&I.
“RingCentral needed someone to come in their offices and start a team for finance because my background was heavily in finance, operations, and technology,” she says. “And so it was a culture shift because I came from this company that’s been around longer than a century, longer than most. And I came to a young, progressive, energized, startup.”
Oliver stayed in the role of Finance Operations Manager until the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. That event was a turning point for Danita, and after 20 years in technology and operations, she wants her final career role to have a real impact in the world.
“I enrolled at Cornell and received certification in diversity and inclusion. And I think finally, my purpose in life and my passion intersected. Everything that happened in my life – good, bad, indifferent – propelled me to that moment in time where those two things could intersect.” says Oliver. “I knew there was something I needed to do. I just ignited my passion to make a difference.”
Oliver debuted in her current role at RingCentral in April of 2021.
Why does it always seem to take a long time for purpose and clarity to arrive? Why does this sort of inspiration not arrive earlier in our careers? Oliver has some idea why it took her as long as it did.
“I think as an African-American woman, when I started out in business in the early 80s, you had to walk a very straight line to prove yourself, unfortunately,” she says. “But I do think that here in the space that we find ourselves today, diversity, equity, and inclusion are going to create a way for people to identify their passions earlier.”
“I think what we’re passionate about is compressing that experience so that you don’t have to go through ‘This is a job, it pays the bills, but this direction is not leading me anywhere I want to go,’” she says. “The work we’re doing now is broadening people’s understanding of what’s traditionally occurred, particularly for marginalized people groups such as Latinx, African Americans, women, and LGBTQ. At the same time, it’s broadening their vision of success to one that is more inclusive of those people groups.”
BIG IDEAS
Starting in her new role, Oliver had to contend with what had been a huge career trajectory change for herself. She knew, however, that coming from finance her personality was very performance-driven. In speaking with the company CPO, Oliver discovered a mutual passion for Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs). Oliver herself comes from a family with generations of HBCU graduates.
“HBCUs produce a real treasure trove of talent so how do we leverage that here for RingCentral in a holistic way?’” she remembers asking herself “And, how do we make it a full program, as well as give back to the schools and give back to the black communities that they’re in?”
This HBCU mission became Oliver’s inaugural push in the DE&I role.
“We worked really hard to develop our HBCUs L.E.A.D Academy, where L.E.A.D. stands for leveling equality, advancing diversity,” she says.
She’s equally passionate about another diversity hiring program with RingCentral’s Product and Technology organization that enables diverse candidates learning cybersecurity coding or product design to come apprentice with top engineers and designers.
“Let us help you through an apprenticeship to hone those critical skills and learn from some of the best in the industry through an invaluable experience, then potentially parlay that experience for entry into RingCentral,” she says proudly.
“These were the programs we focused on standing up initially,” she says. “But, at the same time, we were working on taking our ERG programs to that next level, making sure they were supported functionally and have budget and framework to operate successfully.”
In conjunction with Ellen Shmunis, RingCentral’s Global Wellness Coordinator, Oliver ramped up an ERG program called The Listening and Healing Room. People of diverse backgrounds were invited to share their experiences, and allies came as well to learn: “These conversations foster empathy and understanding, and it also invites our allies into the conversation for sometimes uncomfortable but necessary conversations.”
“This is how you start to infuse diversity and inclusion in your company culture. You can’t just rely on an organization to do all the work. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is all of our responsibility from the top down. Oliver relates. “There are things that we’re doing really well, and others we are working to make it better because there is always an opportunity to be better.
OPTIMIZING DE&I
Oliver says companies can focus on diversity numbers all day long, but if they don’t have a truly diverse environment and healthy culture to attract that top diverse talent, the simple driving of numbers isn’t going to retain them.
“I do believe, having come from a company that’s a century old, it’s a little harder for a larger ship to make a turn than it is for a smaller ship,” she says. “RingCentral is not small, but we still have a lot of that feeling of a young company. So we haven’t made a lot of the mistakes, and we’re not as ingrained in a lot of our processes. We aren’t dealing with a way that things have always been done that we have to try to reverse. I think we’re still very wide open.”
It’s good to still be young and flexible because DE&I initiatives across the country are no longer allowed to creep at the snail’s pace to which those waiting for equality had become accustomed in the five-plus decades since the last major real-time push for racial justice. This is all happening now, not on some glorious day in a utopian future, and the time allowed for cultural adjustments has been compressed.
“I think you must remain relevant and creative within the space you’re in as well as be adaptable to the needs of your diverse workforce groups,” Oliver says. “Diversity is more than just looking at men and women or black people and white people. Diversity and inclusion respectfully considers everyone and all they bring to the table, even if a contradicting opinion. It creates more opportunities for divergent thought leadership, which always considers what others may not and ultimately, drives tremendous success.”
ATTRACTING DIVERSE CANDIDATES
“I couldn’t feel authentic if the people and the culture here at RingCentral didn’t offer space for authenticity, a space to bring my whole self to work. And “I’m telling you, it’s almost like coming alive when you find yourself in a place that nourishes and cultivates that type of experience of authenticity,” Oliver says, raving of RingCentral’s culture. “I tell people who are looking to potentially join RingCentral, if that is what you are looking for, RingCentral is where you belong
“When you have leaders who believe in the same things that you believe in, then anything’s possible. I believe we are primed to lead in every way,” Oliver says as an inspiration to interested candidates. “Come bring what you have to the table and be a part of growing something great, because that’s what we’re doing here. We’re writing a story, and I believe in the end, it will be one of the greats.”
