Behind every breakthrough innovation, transformative solution, and successful customer, there’s a team of talented individuals who make it all possible. At Citrix, we understand that we’re strongest when we hire the best people in the business—no matter who they are or where they come from—and support them fully.
As a new year begins, we’re proud to have hosted a presentation at Citrix Summit on Unconscious Bias, led by Professor Jerry Kang, Professor of Law and Asian American Studies and the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCLA. More than 200 partners and employees signed up to take part in this important conversation. The energy in the room was palpable! I, for one, walked away more conscious and ready to spread our message of diversity and inclusion throughout the industry and around the world. So, here I present my first Citrix blog post.
I can tell you with great pride that our efforts are gaining strength, thanks to the passion and contagious enthusiasm of our employees. We’re driving positive changes and celebrating recent achievements in this area, including initiatives to support women, military families and members of the LGBT community. Most recently, we’ve received a perfect 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and recognition as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality™. At the same time, we understand that this work is never complete, and we’re looking ahead to new goals for the year to come.
Strengthening our core values
We all have something that makes us unique, some special talent or ability that we bring to the workforce. This healthy mix of perspectives injects life and passion into our inclusive culture, fueling the innovation necessary to enable the extraordinary. The values of Integrity, Respect, Curiosity, Courage and Unity are woven throughout our corporate policies, culture and activities.
Our inclusive environment begins with our hiring practices, where we strive to attract and recruit candidates who reflect the diverse makeup of our customers and communities. I was honored to join the advisory board of Equality Means Business, an organization formed to spotlight major employers in Florida with comprehensive non-discrimination polices and a commitment to valuing and proactively including all employees. I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to learn and contribute to such meaningful efforts.
We have exceptional members of our team who are dedicated to making these principles part of day-to-day life at Citrix, including areas such as executive succession, training and mentorship, employee engagement and board and supplier diversity. We’ve also taken the step of setting aside reserved parking spaces across Citrix campuses for employees with temporary medical conditions.
Supporting our communities
When tragedy struck in Orlando, Florida, Citrix created a fund to help support victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting and their families. Employees in Citrix offices around the world made Citrix-matched donations to organizations such as the National Center for Victims of Crime, the
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of South Florida and the Citrix Orlando Victim Assistance. A “Breaking Bread for Peace” fundraiser in Citrix offices in Fort Lauderdale helped raise awareness while providing solace and support.
Beyond the growing number of veterans we employ, Citrix team members in Bethesda, Maryland regularly volunteer to support those who serve, in partnership with the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore. In September, this included a “Pack for Troops” effort which provided supplies, snacks and other welcome items to 1,600 service members overseas. In November, employees in the U.S. rallied to support “Turkeys for Troops” and a USO Veterans Day telethon.
Empowering our global employees
Citrix offices around the world have seen the creation of grass-roots Employee Resource Groups that contribute to the professional development of members and provide valuable insights to the organization. Jagriti, the Women in Technology initiative in Bangalore, India, promotes diversity and respect for all employees, and engages in community efforts including education for youth. At offices in the U.S. and U.K., the Citrix Women’s Inspirational Network (WIN) connects both women and men to share ideas, network and explore opportunities for professional development opportunities. The LGBT Alliance at our Fort Lauderdale headquarters brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees and their supporters to ensure that people of all sexual orientations feel welcome and valued for their professional contribution.
Expanding our zone of inclusion
As we work to increase the diversity of our own organization, we’re also creating a more diverse business ecosystem around Citrix. We’ve recently launched a formal Supplier Diversity program designed to expand the business opportunities available to small, minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, disability-owned, and LGBT-owned businesses, as well as those located in Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zones. We’ll continue to focus on optimal supplier quality and service levels—but we’ll also reach out to a more diverse group of businesses to make sure that every type of organization has the opportunity to become part of the Citrix story.
Looking to the future
A diverse and inclusive corporate culture isn’t a box to be checked—it’s an ongoing commitment to continuous effort and improvement. Today and everyday, we work toward fostering awareness and serving as good stewards for the communities in which we operate through our Corporate Social Responsibility practices. We make courageous moves and do what’s right. Ultimately, we know that our actions are meaningful and can serve as a catalyst for good in the world—to the benefit of our clients, partners, employees and communities.
We encourage you to follow our newly launched Diversity and Inclusion website for further developments and progress in the year ahead and beyond. As we learn, grow and improve, we hope to both enable the extraordinary—and make a truly diverse and inclusive organization an ordinary part of life in the tech industry.
