Building Teams That Reflect the Customers We Serve
At Block, our purpose of economic empowerment means increasing access for all. This fundamental belief shapes both our products and services, but also how we build our teams. Our approach to inclusion and diversity (I&D) demonstrates our commitment to building a company that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
We have been evolving our I&D strategy to ensure we never lose sight of this. We’ve recently expanded how we think about diversity beyond traditional categories and are broadening self-identification options – including LGBTQ+ status, socioeconomic background (a first in our industry), and whether our employees are small business owners or artists themselves. This holistic view helps us better understand and reflect the full spectrum of experiences that shape our global ecosystem.
This evolution combines our proven strengths with an unwavering commitment to learn and adapt. This approach ensures we continue meeting the changing needs of our workforce and customers while delivering measurable results.
Our strategy centers on three key principles:
Purpose-driven diversity
We recognize that our ability to serve our customers effectively depends on building teams that can empathize with their experiences. This belief has led us to broaden our perspective on representation, creating a more inclusive framework that acknowledges the intersectionality of our employees' identities and experiences most connected to our purpose.
Evolution through continuous learning
We emphasize continuous learning and adaptation. We're refining our Communities program (known more broadly as Employee Reference Groups), expanding development initiatives across multiple disciplines, and creating new ways for our diverse teams to influence product development. This ensures our I&D initiatives directly contribute to innovation and impact, for both employees and people who use our products.
Data with Purpose
We're taking a fresh approach to measuring progress, moving beyond traditional benchmarks to focus on metrics that matter more for our business and talent strategy. This includes contextualizing our data against industry peers and available talent pools globally, providing a more meaningful view of our progress and opportunities, and for the US, beyond just traditional US census data. Our expanded self-identification options will also help us better reflect the diversity of our global customer base and measure our impact more effectively.
Looking ahead, we're excited about innovation in this space, particularly how we can leverage technology and AI to help us better understand and serve diverse communities. Our goal isn’t to get out ahead, but to do what’s right for our business, our employees, and our customers. Hopefully along that path we can help lead our peers to think differently about their approaches.
At its heart, our commitment to inclusion and diversity is about people – the people who use our products, the people who build them, and the communities we serve. Every time we expand our understanding of diversity or find new ways to make our workplace more inclusive, we strengthen our ability to help someone start or run a business, pursue artistic endeavours, or unlock access to the economy. When our teams reflect the rich diversity of our customers’ lives and experiences, we build a better future for everyone who interacts with Block. That’s what drives us forward, and that’s why it matters so much.
At Block, our purpose of economic empowerment means increasing access for all. This fundamental belief shapes both our products and services, but also how we build our teams. Our approach to inclusion and diversity (I&D) demonstrates our commitment to building a company that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
We have been evolving our I&D strategy to ensure we never lose sight of this. We’ve recently expanded how we think about diversity beyond traditional categories and are broadening self-identification options – including LGBTQ+ status, socioeconomic background (a first in our industry), and whether our employees are small business owners or artists themselves. This holistic view helps us better understand and reflect the full spectrum of experiences that shape our global ecosystem.
This evolution combines our proven strengths with an unwavering commitment to learn and adapt. This approach ensures we continue meeting the changing needs of our workforce and customers while delivering measurable results.
Our strategy centers on three key principles:
Purpose-driven diversity
We recognize that our ability to serve our customers effectively depends on building teams that can empathize with their experiences. This belief has led us to broaden our perspective on representation, creating a more inclusive framework that acknowledges the intersectionality of our employees' identities and experiences most connected to our purpose.
Evolution through continuous learning
We emphasize continuous learning and adaptation. We're refining our Communities program (known more broadly as Employee Reference Groups), expanding development initiatives across multiple disciplines, and creating new ways for our diverse teams to influence product development. This ensures our I&D initiatives directly contribute to innovation and impact, for both employees and people who use our products.
Data with Purpose
We're taking a fresh approach to measuring progress, moving beyond traditional benchmarks to focus on metrics that matter more for our business and talent strategy. This includes contextualizing our data against industry peers and available talent pools globally, providing a more meaningful view of our progress and opportunities, and for the US, beyond just traditional US census data. Our expanded self-identification options will also help us better reflect the diversity of our global customer base and measure our impact more effectively.
Looking ahead, we're excited about innovation in this space, particularly how we can leverage technology and AI to help us better understand and serve diverse communities. Our goal isn’t to get out ahead, but to do what’s right for our business, our employees, and our customers. Hopefully along that path we can help lead our peers to think differently about their approaches.
At its heart, our commitment to inclusion and diversity is about people – the people who use our products, the people who build them, and the communities we serve. Every time we expand our understanding of diversity or find new ways to make our workplace more inclusive, we strengthen our ability to help someone start or run a business, pursue artistic endeavours, or unlock access to the economy. When our teams reflect the rich diversity of our customers’ lives and experiences, we build a better future for everyone who interacts with Block. That’s what drives us forward, and that’s why it matters so much.