Just like any other industry, XR needs to be a diverse and inclusive place for everyone, but that can vary wildly based on a number of factors. So a new initiative called XR Inclusion (XRI) led by industry professionals has launched a survey to collate data from across the globe alongside a startup kit to help companies reduce discrimination and inequity.
For the survey and startup kit XRI has partnered with experts like Stacey Gordon, CEO of Rework Work and Kristen Nesbit, from national labour and employment law firm Fisher Phillips. Together with XRI’s global members, the free XR Startup Kit offers checklists, templates and training focused on vital business areas such as job descriptions, hiring, unconscious bias, code of conduct, safe channels of communication and much more.
While the kit can help new businesses, the XRI wants professionals to take part in its free, anonymous survey, to help give a clearer view of the ecosystem at present. Thus helping highlight where it’s doing well and where improvements can be made.
“With startups, there is typically less structure, less awareness around inclusive processes and biases, and less red tape in general,” said Gordon in a statement. “By taking an active approach to creating diverse and inclusive company cultures from the start, barriers to progress can be reduced and business performance can flourish, which makes the startup stage a perfect time to not only do what is right on a human level, but also to do what is best for the long term success of the business.”
“As a founder in XR, I wish I’d learned the things in this kit sooner,” said Taylor Freeman, a founding council member of XRI. “Our goal at XRI is to provide startups with resources and systems to support the development of inclusive, professional and safe cultures for both the employees and the company. These foundations should be essential and I believe investors shouldn’t even fund companies without ensuring they have these things in place.”
Tackling diversity and inclusion is vital for any company large or small, wherever they are in the world.
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