Reflecting on AfroTech 2022: Community, Culture, Connection, and Intentionality

This week I attended AfroTech, one of the largest Black tech conferences in the country. Zillow is proud of our continued sponsorship of this conference, this year hosting both an intimate reception for executives and an after-party for all attendees, which featured performances by Billboard-charting violinist Chelsey Green and recording artist Avery Wilson

Our delegation included members of Zillow’s Recruiting and Equity & Belonging teams, Billow (our Black employee affinity group) and some of Zillow’s senior executives, who joined together to build community and connection with some of the most talented folks in our industry.???

As head of recruiting, I know that building inclusively requires a workforce as representative as the people our products serve. Events like AfroTech are a welcome opportunity to connect with a diverse pool of candidates and talk to them about the impactful work we’re doing at Zillow.?

At Zillow, we know the process of buying a home is one of the most emotionally and financially significant moments in a person’s life, and we know that generational wealth is primarily built on homeownership. Zillow was founded on the simple belief that people should have free and easy access to critical information when finding a home — “turning on the lights” in an industry that for far too long had kept customers in the dark.?

Because of that, we made sure our presence at AfroTech created an experience that helped people connect with our company on a deeper level. I’m often asked why I chose Zillow, and my response is usually this: “I could recruit at any tech company and bring in top talent while helping to generate more access for underrepresented talent — but to connect that to a product that drives the oldest and most important wealth driver in this country is truly fulfilling.” Attending AfroTech is an intentional effort to ensure that we invite talent from this brilliant community to join us on our mission of making home more accessible to all people through innovation and products.

One of Zillow’s core values is to “include and empower.” We bring this mindset to all aspects of the business, but it begins and ends with a diverse employee base. Zillow began collecting employee demographic data in 2016. That first report six years ago showed that only 3% of our workforce identified as Black. In our most recent report, 9% of respondents identified as Black; with 9% identifying as Latinx and 18% Asian American or Pacific Islander. Our work is far from done, and it’s clear that we need more representation in our workforce, but we are making meaningful progress.?

Part of that progress is looking beyond the numbers to ensure that we provide inclusivity and community. That’s why we encourage members of our Billow employee affinity group to attend AfroTech and other events like it that cater specifically to the African diaspora. Zillow understands the importance of identity, and we want to empower our employees to participate in spaces where their identity is seen and validated.?

All in all, it was an incredible honor to once again represent Zillow at AfroTech. I was thrilled to see so many familiar faces and thoroughly enjoyed meeting a ton of new talent as well. If I didn’t get a chance to speak with you in person, I encourage you to connect with me here and take a look at our open roles at Zillow if you’re searching for your next opportunity. #afrotech #zglife #representationmatters