When it comes to creating a truly inclusive company culture, there’s no finish line. At Bitly, we’re committed to bringing together members and allies from different communities to foster a sense of belonging among our employees, or as we call them, our Bitizens. Our newly established Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are influential parts of Bitly’s culture. ERGs are voluntary, Bitizen-led groups that foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace aligned with our mission, values, business practices, and goals.
In this series, we introduce you to each of our ERGs, their leaders, and how they believe their ERGs impact and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) at Bitly. In this first installment we visit Allyship, our employee-led group focused on providing a safe space for all who wish to act as an ally to any marginalized community through awareness, education, and continued conversation. Allyship is co-led by Josh Behler (Senior Account Manager), Liliya Elogullari (Digital Marketing Manager), and Fayyoza Maksudova (Product Marketing Manager).
What motivated you to become an ERG leader?
Josh: Over my three years at Bitly I’ve been extremely fortunate to participate in some excellent lunch-and-learns, as well as volunteer initiatives and opportunities. As Bitly began to formalize a structured approach to DE&I, I knew I wanted to participate and be a part of its employee initiatives!
Liliya: My biggest motivator in joining the Allyship ERG was my passion for DE&I. It may sound cheesy and like a presidential campaign slogan, but I do believe that “everyone matters and every voice matters”, and if I can step aside, advocate or even motivate someone, we all can have a happier life at work and outside of work.
Fayyoza: I have a diverse background. I am an Asian woman from Uzbekistan who immigrated to Germany. Because I was always different from the people around me, I faced different treatment along the way. It is in my interest to help develop a more inclusive and safe environment. I believe that by being an Allyship ERG co-lead, I can make a difference and ensure that employees feel that they are respected for who they are and their abilities, regardless of their sex, race, orientation, or the way they look. Moreover, I can help people who honestly don’t know how they experience privilege or what they can do to change it.
What are the key areas of focus for the Allyship ERG?
Liliya: The key areas of focus are awareness and education. My fellow co-leads and I realized that most people shy away from being a true ally due to a lack of education on what allyship actually means, who the marginalized groups are, and what they can do to help advocate for others, such as being an active listener or improving your communication skills.
Fayyoza: People who haven’t seen or experienced the dynamics of privilege, microaggressions, cultural appropriation, or systemic racism frequently find it challenging to listen. Although intentions may be good, if they have no effect they can be just as worthless as performative allyship. A true ally will utilize that criticism to learn from their failures and advance their efforts. ERG co-leads can assist people in understanding their privilege, how it manifests in their daily lives, and why they must refrain from turning to it when engaging in allyship work becomes tiresome or stressful.
We also focus on action, which is necessary for accountable and productive allyship. We encourage aspiring allies to draw ideas from and work together with marginalized groups to choose activities and create a system of support for one another’s objectives. Action is frequently political, therefore friends must not be afraid to speak out in the voting booth, influence lawmakers, start petitions, and participate in marches or rallies that support social justice.
How does this impact the Bitly culture?
Josh: Allyship is all-encompassing, and it’s a very large theme in several of our current values. It encourages a high level of transparency and cross-collaboration with fellow employees who you may or may not interact with during the day-to-day. This collaboration ultimately brings us closer together as a company and strengthens our commitment to one another.
Liliya: Having specific ERGs at Bitly has proven that there are amazing people who have real passions outside of their job. I believe that in the long term, it can help recruit amazing people who care for other people. It also creates a culture of bravery, the vulnerability of not knowing everything, and real growth—both personal and professional.
Fayyoza: I believe that these initiatives create a safe space for Bitizens because they know that their voices will be heard. They get to learn about DE&I in the most convenient way and discuss the things they are interested in and don’t know the answers to without fear of being judged. We say during our meetings and workshops, “There are no stupid questions.”
“Every Bit Counts!” is our tagline for DE&I. What does it mean to you? What does it mean for this ERG?
Josh: It means there is always room for growth, change, respectful dialogue, and a place where all these things can be fostered safely. For Allyship specifically, it falls on us to make sure that every “bit” is indeed counted and understood so that all persons can benefit from each other’s knowledge, questions, and beliefs, even if they may not always align with our own.
Liliya: I was actually quite fearful of joining as a co-lead for our Allyship ERG because I wasn’t sure how I could teach others or be that advocate when I don’t know everything about DE&I. However, the slogan “Every Bit Counts!” grounds me. I realized that showing up and doing just a bit of research on allyship counts for something. Creating an idea or having a discussion helps with the overall goals of the group. We all have to start somewhere, so “Every Bit Counts!” or in our current world, “Every Google Search Counts.”
Fayyoza: For me, it means that every action and small step is important. Every one of us can make a difference, and summed up together it has great power and impact. Even if Bitly is not a huge corporation with thousands of employees, I believe that we can set a positive and powerful example for other businesses to bring ERGs and DE&I to their company culture.
How does the Allyship ERG bring this tagline to life?
Josh: Every “bit” needs to be counted and understood so that all persons can benefit from each other’s knowledge, questions, and beliefs. Even if these beliefs may not always align with our own or may even be in the process of changing themselves as more knowledge is attained about marginalized communities and the challenges they face. We bring this tagline to life by continuously engaging our members with content, opportunities, and resources to have these conversations.
Liliya: The Allyship ERG is in the formation stage of its life cycle which means we are still working diligently to create programs, discussions, and a way of communicating that will survive in the long term. I hope we are providing an example to our fellow Bitizens that taking small steps creates a big impact.
Fayyoza: It is important to remember that there is a learning curve and that every little step counts. No matter how small the action towards being an ally, it should be noted and taken into account. Sometimes we forget about that and tend to either go big or do nothing. I hope that all of us can practice this, and with that, we can create a better, more inclusive environment for everyone “bit by bit”.
Visit Bitly to learn more about our ERGs and our mission to be a catalyst for connections for our customers, employees, and communities.