A GLANCE AT THE COMPANY
Warby Parker was founded and launched in 2010 with a mission to impact the world with vision, and style. They achieve this by redefining what a company and industry are and can be. Over the years, they have shown that a business can ascend, do good, and still be profitable without charging too much. The company has also learned that it takes creativity, empathy, and innovation to consistently go beyond customers’ expectation.
From the day of her launch till this day, they have pioneered ideas, designed products, and developed technologies that aid people’s sight. They also offer all you need for better eyes/eyesight at prices that are very affordable. They sell designer-quality glasses and contacts and conduct eye exams and vision tests at your convenience. Wherever and whenever you need their services, you can either meet them online or in their stores for exceptional vision care.
The company strongly believes in vision for all, and this is the reason for their ‘Buy a Pair, Give a Pair’ Program. For every pair of glasses or sunglasses sold, a pair of glasses is distributed to someone in need. They work with non-profits that train volunteers to conduct eye exams in low-income communities.
THE COMPANY’S CULTURE
At Warby Parker, there are numerous company outings, learning opportunities, and great company. They have events like book clubs and intramural sports to liven things up, but what is even more interesting is working with smart and kind people.
Doing good is central to the Warby Parker experience, and there is enough space in which everyone is encouraged to engage with the community (in and out of the office). Every employee is given 16 hours of paid leave every year to volunteer. Employees’ third anniversaries are celebrated with a special trip to a country where the Buy a Pair, give a Pair effort are located.
The attendees travel with team members from across the company to meet non-profit partners, see the program in action and spend some time-serving the local community. Teammates also get the opportunity to connect around common interests, backgrounds, and identities, no matter their home base, through various resource groups. There is a feeling of excitement that comes from a sense of belonging and community that helps walk through the door.
INCLUSION, EQUITY, AND DIVERSITY AT WARBY PARKER
Unlike other companies, Warby Parker is driven to building a workplace based on inclusive behaviors and equitable systems, where all employees can bring themselves, feel engaged, and share their views as esteemed members of Team Warby. The company was named the Best Place to Work for LGBTQ + employees by the Human Rights Campaign.
Warby Parker is expanding her existing inclusion, equity, and diversity initiatives as they stand against systemic racism inside the workplace and beyond its bounds. They have developed an action plan that embeds inclusivity and equity into every part of the employee journey and increases BIPOC (Black People, Indigenous People, and People of Color) representation in management and leadership positions to better ensure that they are offering equitable opportunities and experiences to these groups of people on or hoping to join the team.
The company is strengthening its commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity. To this end, they formulated a plan to promote racial equity within Warby Parker, the industries in which they operate, beyond. They have a laid-out strategic framework to achieve the following:
- Increase Black and BIPOC representation in leadership at Warby Parker
- Increase belonging and engagement among BIPOC team members
- create further growth opportunities for BIPOC team members
- Build greater fluency around topics related to equity, inclusion, and diversity across all levels of Warby Parker
- Ensure BIPOC students across the U.S. have the vision care they need to do well academically
- Support Black entrepreneurs
- Enlarge Black representation in the field of optometry and in the technology sector
- Support Black and BIPOC collaborators and creative partners
- Provide funding and in-kind support to organizations fighting systemic racism
- Increase voting participation for Black and other communities challenged by voting barriers.
Warby Parker is moving forward diligently and transparently, focused on inspiring and impacting the world with vision and purpose. Within the company’s plan, they have detailed their financial commitment to combating systemic racism.
HOW THE COMPANY STANDS OUT WITH INCLUSIVITY, EQUITY, AND DIVERSITY
In the eyewear industry, Warby Parker has stood out when it comes to building an inclusive and diverse team. In a world that looks and seems divided, companies are coming to the realization of the importance of working together and listening to one another. There are many challenges that stand against inclusion like gender, sexuality, religion, disability, marital status, ethnicity, and so on. This is why companies have to find ways to bring people together.
Inclusivity is beyond ethnicity or gender, or the other aforementioned factors. It comes with a feeling of belonging and allowing the differences of people to manifest in the presence of respect. This is the kind of atmosphere and environment Warby Parker is aiming to create in its workforce. It is looking to have a workforce where everyone is given an equal voice, where people’s ideas are respected and considered with the same weight.
Warby Parker wants their staff to be themselves unapologetically and not pretend to be who they are not at work. Their ideas on inclusivity come from different angles and places. As a small start-up, the company works long hours. However, a team member approached the management to tell them about the difficulty of getting her child to school and still coming to work that early. Her problems were noted, and the meeting time was changed.
The company is trying to create an atmosphere where the 1500 people can have open and honest discussions all through. They want to create an environment where people can come to work and reach their full potential. They want their workforce to have the sense of belonging and a feeling of excitement while doing their jobs.
Warby Parker has been working to increase national equity, though it looks like they have little to profit. They reported that 95% of children in poor communities that need glasses did not get them, and this is why they will get involved in the social justice sector. Warby Parker has demonstrated their care and desire to fight a problem that affects their employees, customers, and the nation at large.
