We’re heading into the end of 2015 with good momentum, and diversity and inclusion are at the top of our minds. Our Commit Fellows are going through bootcamp (more to come on that once completed), and their mentors are working to make sure they have the support they need.
Internally we have our sights set on:
- Communication/mentorship/support: We have created a slack channel for all folks interested in the women@ initiative and it's called... wait for it... #Women-at-Braintree. All employees are welcome to join the conversation.
- Bias awareness: We're looking to roll out unconscious bias training across the entire company.
- Partnering on PayPal initiatives: We’re partnering with our PayPals to help pilot programs in development and help take some of our Braintree-only initiatives to a larger scale.
Along the lines of that aforementioned partnership, we’re participating in the pilot of a new PayPal program called Recharge.
Recharge is a program designed to increase diversity in technology, giving individuals who want to return to work after taking a break the opportunity to expand their experience and network. As we look at people who have traditionally left work for an extended period, they do tend to be women, but this program is open to all. It is a 3-5 month paid program -- with 2 positions open in the Braintree Chicago office -- as part of a larger initiative across PayPal brands. This program offers both part-time and full-time positions to help foster a smooth transition back into the workforce. Similar to an internship, those participating in the program will be considered for hire at the conclusion of the program. We’re looking for folks who have 5+ years of engineering experience with 2+ years out of the workplace. You can see the full job descriptions here*:
Software Engineer - Recharge Fellow
Front End Developer - Recharge Fellow
Applications are accepted now and we are aiming for a start date in Q1 of 2016.
There are lots of reasons people leave technology, but there aren’t lots of ways to jump back into the industry at the pace at which it evolves. We’re hoping these two roles (and PayPal’s other roles in India and the US) are the beginning of a trend where workplaces strive to invite and foster women (and all people) back in after they’ve been out of the game.
We hope this program not only acts as a gateway to reentry for people who need it, but also allows us to bring a more diverse candidate pool into our product team. This won’t be the last blog we write about Recharge because, as mentioned, this is a pilot. That means we’ll learn and we’ll recalibrate, but today we begin and march forward to help be the kind of workplace community that allows all people a chance to get back in the game.
.jpg)
