At InHerSight, our anonymous company ratings and reviews measure whether employers are providing equitable and inclusive workplaces for their employees. That data, which is extremely valuable to companies and to job seekers on our platform, is presented simply—just a few numbers give a quick read of where a company is succeeding and where they need to grow.
But as straightforward as that final scorecard may be, everything that goes into that polished dataset is much more complex. Good ratings on our platform are the result of a host of policies that support employees’ lives and wellbeing, actionable hiring and growth initiatives, leadership buy-in, and missions and values that reflect broader understandings of the world. In essence, in order to understand why a company is evolving in a positive direction, you need to dig into how they got there and where they’re headed.
So for this employer feature, we did. One of our partners—and fellow using-data-for-good comrades—is data.world, an Austin-based software as a solution enterprise company. As a public benefit corporation, it also operates one of the world’s largest open data platform, with more than two million users and 500,000 open datasets. A rapidly growing, mission-driven B Corporation with a 4.7-star rating on InHerSight, data.world invited us to explore their ratings and culture through the experiences of three of their employees so we could better understand how top companies on our platform show up for the workforce and their communities.
Beyond ratings, these are three signs a company has a mission you can believe in, according to data.world’s employees.
Rated most highly for Ability to Telecommute, Employer Responsiveness, and The People You Work With, data.world is the enterprise data catalog for the modern data stack. They’re based in Austin but are “remote-forward,” and 100 percent of raters say they feel they’re paid fairly and their growth and success are prioritized. Click to explore ratings and open roles at data.world now!
3 signs a company has a mission you can believe in
1. They prioritize all aspects of employee wellbeing
A workplace that values employee wellbeing fosters a positive and supportive environment, which boosts job satisfaction and overall morale. When employees feel that their mental, emotional, physical, and social health are genuinely cared for, they are more likely to experience lower levels of stress and burnout, leading to increased productivity and engagement.
Chelsea Camacho, a business development representative, says data.world is able to prioritize employee wellbeing because the company’s culture is very closely tied to their five core values: passion, determination, community, curiosity, and integrity. “There is a concerted effort to facilitate employee gatherings and celebration of company and team milestones, without any retribution if you are unable to attend,” she says. “There is an open conversation about diversity and inclusion and opportunity, and all employees are encouraged to ask questions, provide feedback, and share openly. At quarterly all company gatherings, there is an abundance of camaraderie, and we've really established a community.”
The company celebrates employees through quarterly culture awards that are handed out to employees who exemplify data.world’s values and who are nominated by their peers, and it fosters community through Slack channels and designated “pods” that align with employees’ interests and backgrounds.
data.world also has top-tier benefits—supported through culture and leadership—to drive home how much wellbeing matters to the company. “We receive open paid time off (PTO) here—and it's truly open with no recriminations or behind-the-scenes tally of the time,” Camacho says. “We are encouraged to use the PTO and receive support to truly unplug when we are out of office. Our health benefits are also incredible. I have no cost out of pocket for myself or my daughter, and I can even seek therapy at no cost to myself. My daughter is a toddler, and being a mom means I need all of the mental health support I can get. This is a huge benefit to me.” These perks not only improve employees' work-life balance, but they also demonstrate a commitment to their personal health and happiness—and contribute to a more fulfilling and sustainable professional journey for all.
2. They champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
Companies that actively embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) offer both measurable and immeasurable benefits to employees. They create an environment where employees from varied backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives feel welcome and empowered, fostering a rich tapestry of ideas and innovation, and their commitment to equity ensures that all employees have equal opportunities to grow and succeed, which further motivates individuals to contribute their best work. Inclusive workplaces also promote a sense of belonging, where everyone's voices are heard and respected, resulting in increased collaboration, creativity, and higher job satisfaction.
Frederick Sadler is a talent partner in employee experience at data.world. Essentially a recruiter, he sees firsthand how the company’s commitment to DEIB starts before employees are even hired. “DEIB initiatives are what drive companies to success. The proof is in the data,” he says. “We will always do our best to make sure that business decisions, including hiring and employee engagement, will have DEIB in its top priorities. We honestly wouldn’t have come this far without making it a strong driver in our company's efforts.”
Sadler says that culture-wide commitment to DEIB is largely due to having powerful advocates at the top. “It starts with our leadership team—strong and efficient communication, amazing transparency, positive minds and attitudes, and little ego to trot!” he says. “They make it easy to love the company, and love what we do in our respective roles day in and day out. A+ team!”
But it also helps that the company is a B Corp tied to a worthy DEIB cause: affirmative action. “I, myself, identify as a gay Black man in tech, and I love it! I feel supported, seen, and heard here at data.world,” Sadler says. “When interviewing for my current role, I was impressed by the company’s mission and goal—a public benefit corporation and B Corp that focuses on affirmative action. Those very things strongly impact me as a human in the data.world space. So think about it, imagine what that means for so many others in the company (141 employees) and the significant and immediate impact that has. Just outstanding!”
3. They support their community and their world
Sadler is not alone in selecting an employer that upholds the causes and values that matter most to him. Many job seekers are increasingly seeking workplaces that align with their personal values. Companies that prioritize DEIB demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility and a broader societal impact, and some companies, like data.world, even take that responsibility a step further, by turning a desire to do good into their entire company mission.
“Our commitment to communities and our public benefit corporation status is key to our culture at data.world. We see this being a key reason that people choose to work at data.world,” says Hilary Mayes, the social impact lead at data.world who oversees the company’s social impact work, including open data social impact projects, partnership building, and alignment to their public benefit corporation mission.
As a part of that mission, data.world is committed to building the most meaningful and collaborative data resource in the world. “We continue to invest our time and efforts in sourcing and hosting high-value communities and datasets with a goal of promoting social good, social change, or other impactful areas,” Mayes says. “We believe this data can help researchers and data enthusiasts of all kinds identify, understand, and combat challenges in today’s social landscape.”
Mayes says employees are invited to participate in this work in a variety of ways. “Our associates are involved in the voting and decision-making for our impact projects, and several individuals serve on our social impact council, helping to build and grow our work relating to our mission.” Employees are also encouraged to leverage their skill sets to help execute data projects, uncover insights, and pursue passions on the open community platform.
“Social impact is a company's mark on the world—their ability to create good in their community,” Mayes says. “More and more, we see social impact have a significant role within an organization—on hiring, on someone’s choice of who they do business with, on building trust. Social impact is an amazing way for an organization to demonstrate their commitment to their community and help drive a connection beyond their product and services to more fully share their purpose with the world.”
