Our interactions with each other should reflect our core values and be based on mutual trust and respect. We need everyone to treat others well and help them feel safe. Each of us should do our part to keep our workplace free of harassment, bullying, discrimination, and violence.\
At Clarity, we believe that at the heart of being a great place to work is building successful working relationships. Strong working relationships allow our team members to voice opinions, collaborate, handle conflict, and focus on growth.
We believe that the core elements of successful working relationships requires trust, respect, and open communications. Here are some general expectations we would like to set on how we would like to see these core elements built with all our employees:
- Communicate Often: All good relationships depend on open, honest communication. This includes when you’re sending emails, on a call, or even messaging over Teams. The more effectively you communicate with those around you, the better you connect.
- When a team member requests some information or a task from you, please respond.
- For messages sent over Teams, we recommend that you respond to those within an hour or two, even if it’s to give them an update that you are busy with a task or in the middle of a call.
- For emails, we recommend that you respond within 1-2 business days.
- Utilize active listening regularly
- Consider the speaker’s point of view
- Provide feedback or summarize what the speaker is saying to ensure that you are understanding what the speaker is communicating
- Respect One-Another: Clarity considers mutual respect as a core to all working relationships, and the responsibility of all employees.
- While we encourage a culture of collaboration, we do recommend being mindful of one-another’s time. Everyone has their tasks that must be completed within a set period of time.
- Keep an open mind and ask questions. While working with team members, you might be tempted to jump to conclusions. We expect our employees to hold initial judgement at bay and ask questions to clarify if needed.
- Build Trust: Trust is the cornerstone of building solid relationships and strong teams. At Clarity, following through on commitments is how we build trust.
- Follow through does not only mean completing the tasks, but doing what you can to keep everyone on the same page.
- This means communicating ahead of time if you have a blocker or need additional time, continuing to escalate the issue if you are not getting a blocker removed, or reaching out if you need any additional clarification on the work that you are doing.
These three elements work together to allow us to build strong relationships and complete our work effectively for our clients.
While our goal is to build a comfortable and safe environment for all our employees, we would like set basic expectations around unacceptable behavior. Harassment is a broad term and may include seemingly harmless actions. We can’t create an exhaustive list, but here are some instances that we consider harassment:
- Unwelcome remarks, gestures or advances of any nature
- The display or circulation of offensive, derogatory, or sexually explicit pictures or other materials, including email or web-based tools
- Offensive or derogatory jokes or comments (explicit or by innuendo)
- Verbal or physical abuse or threats
If you are being harassed, whether by a colleague, client, or vendor, you can choose to talk to any of these people:
- Offenders: If you suspect that an offender doesn’t realize that they are guilty of harassment, you could talk to them directly in an effort to resolve the harassment. This tactic is appropriate for cases of minor harassment (e.g. inappropriate jokes between colleagues.) Avoid using this approach with clients or stakeholders.
- Your Manager: You can always reach out to your manager regarding any issues. You can work with your manager to assess your situation and may contact Operations if appropriate.
- Please note that this may be more of a casual conversation about the situation. In order to file or document a more formal complaint, please reach out to Operations.
- Operations: Feel free to reach out to Operations in any case of harassment, no matter how minor it may seem. For your safety, contact Operations as soon as possible in cases of serious harassment (e.g. sexual advances) or if your manager is involved. Anything you disclose will remain confidential.
Clarity is founded on integrity, honesty, and mutual respect and we won’t allow anyone to compromise this foundation.