Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At First Factory, we celebrate each employee’s uniqueness. Each person on our multi-national team contributes with different talents and a richness of experience and perspectives that unlock our collective potential. It has been, and always will be, a core value of ours to foster a workplace that is multicultural, fully inclusive, anti-racist, and always supportive.

Strength in Diversity

We firmly believe that our greatest competitive advantage is our team, and the strength of our team lies in our diversity. We teach each other, we learn from each other, and—in doing so—we each see new perspectives when tackling problems. We recognize the need to actively cultivate an environment that embraces, values, and showcases these differences. What others often fail to appreciate is that diversity is critical to unlocking innovation, creativity, and sustained success; it also enriches each of us personally.

Self-Improvement

Our commitment to diversity extends to addressing imbalances and gaps. We are dedicated to increasing representation from the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities within our workforce. Recognizing the challenges posed by our US team's size and the ethnic homogeneity of our Costa Rica office, we acknowledge the complexity of this goal. Nevertheless, we stand resolute in our pursuit of a more diverse and inclusive organization. We have chosen to build our team in Costa Rica not only for its exceptional talent pool but also for its progressive social attitudes. Embracing diversity, Costa Rica has demonstrated support for LGBTQ+ communities, indigenous peoples, and migrants. Our doors are open to individuals from all walks of life as we actively seek to create a workplace that reflects the richness of the global community.

Unbiased and Equitable

Here at First Factory, we do not discriminate based on age, race, sex, gender, education, or class. Our commitment to fairness also extends to our salary structure, where we maintain tiered roles to ensure equity in compensation. Regular analyses are conducted to guarantee pay parity across the organization.

Educational Initiatives

To empower our team with the knowledge and awareness necessary for a truly inclusive workplace, we have partnered with Efecto Boomerang in Costa Rica. Through this collaboration, we provide live Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workshops, the recordings of which are accessible to all employees through our Learning Management System (LMS), Continu. These workshops not only educate but also foster an ongoing dialogue about the importance of diversity, understanding, and respect.

Inclusive Hiring Practices

Diversity isn't about meeting artificial quotas; it's about embracing the richness of varied backgrounds. At First Factory, we actively seek individuals with diverse educational experiences, personal interests, social backgrounds, experience levels, genders, and ethnicities. By addressing imbalances in our organization and the market, we strive to make informed hiring decisions that contribute to a more representative and innovative team. We reject automatic cuts based on differences in education, promoting a holistic approach to candidate evaluation. Our focus is on understanding the 'why' behind the choices candidates have made, steering clear of perpetuating biases from their past experiences. We look for potential, valuing passion and adaptability over conventional benchmarks.

Our interviews are conducted by a diversity of team members representing various experience levels and departments. This team-based approach ensures a comprehensive evaluation while minimizing individual biases, conscious or not. Recommendations come from peers, not just management, further enhancing accountability and objectivity in the hiring process. Metrics are one of the tools we use for identifying areas where our inclusive hiring practices can evolve. Recognizing the possibility that we may fall short of expectations, we actively seek feedback from candidates and employees alike, listening empathetically and implementing suggestions for continuous improvement.

Zero Tolerance for Harassment

Creating a safe and respectful workplace is paramount to us. Every employee is required to undergo harassment training, and we maintain a zero-tolerance policy against harassment. Our Code of Conduct, which every team member signs, upholds business ethics, respect, and personal conduct. We are committed to treating everyone with fairness, kindness, and courtesy, from our employees to our clients and vendors.

Our culture is values-based, flexible, and constantly nurtured. We coach our teams so that we can adapt and ensure that our language and actions support inclusion. We view changing our habits as growth. Together, we strive to build an organization that not only reflects the world around us but also sets a standard for equity, respect, and collaboration.

Thank you for being a part of our journey.