Throughout their careers, though varied and unique, the leadership of Kanarys has experienced first-hand some of the issues other underrepresented demographics face in the workplace. Sexual harassment, bias and a feeling of not belonging to a company were things each had faced in their own way, and as the idea of the company was formulating, they realized that they were not alone in facing workplace discrimination.
The old story is that coalminers used to take a bird, often a canary, down into the mines with them. The safety of the air quality was determined by the health of the bird. If the bird became ill or died, workers knew it was time to get out. The founders of Kanarys hope their platform will be the digital version of this, measuring the cultural health of a workplace, across a number of industries.
“Not only does it really stand for our company, as far as being able to be that first alert for workplaces, but traditionally that whole analogy is about workplaces and being able to highlight and see if a workplace is toxic,” said Mandy Price, Kanarys CEO. “That’s what Kanarys is doing: being able to shine a light and show workplaces how to be better, but also show whether an environment is toxic or not, and then help [companies] to address those issues.”
Founded in April 2018, Dallas-based Kanarys offers a platform for both employers and employees to help create a diverse and inclusive culture and workplace. It uses anonymized and aggregated data to determine the level of employee satisfaction with the workplace and the company’s initiatives. For employers, they are able to track trends and statistics, based on collected data and surveys. On the other end, employees are given a place to express issues or concerns without fear of retaliation.
Price said the goal is to help create a collaborative environment in the workplace. She said the platform gives companies a way to use data to make real changes, and move beyond what she calls “flags, food and fun initiatives” – programs that celebrate diversity on the surface, but involves no real initiative or introspection.
Companies are also able to compare how they rank in diversity and inclusion initiatives with other organizations in their industry.
“When people don’t feel like they belong, they leave; they say, ‘you know, I’m going to go out and find somewhere else that’s a better place',” said Star Carter, Kanarys COO. “I think the smart decision from a company perspective is to utilize the resources you have, make [employees] feel empowered, like they can lead. Then, you encourage them to stay and to give back, and to affect positively the bottom line.”
For Kanarys diversity and inclusion is a top priority. Carter said that in addition to the cost of hiring new talent if an employee leaves due to an unhealthy workplace, that fostering that environment is important for companies that want to stay competitive. Sociology shows that people are drawn to similarities they see in others; however, when that carries over to hiring it can mean that different voices and perspectives driving innovation can be left out of the conversation.
Carter said women and people of color leave the workplace at significantly hirer rates than others. She also said that if companies don’t keep up, they will likely struggle as younger generations take over the workforce because they are more racially diverse than any prior generation, and they prioritize workplace culture oftentimes more than the size of their paycheck.
“You should want to have the best person for that position regardless of race, whatever their demographic is… you want to make sure that person is the best for the position,” said Bennie King, Kanarys CAO. “Our advice to companies is don’t put your head in the sand. If you have an issue at your company, address it."
