The sweet optimism of a child’s first day of school, the tugging stress of a lunch bag left behind, the bittersweet transition from child to caretaker — these are the ephemeral moments that tumble through the mind of the caregiver as they tackle their workday.
“We come to work excited about how the first day of kindergarten drop-off was a success, or thinking about how we are going to navigate the transition to full-time care for an elderly parent,” said Reverb Senior Engineer Janine Garcia. “Spending time working, away from the people we care for, doesn’t magically shut off that part of our brain.”
Enter Reverb’s Parents & Caregivers ERG, which gives its community members a space to share the triumphs and struggles, momentous and minute, that come with caring for others.
“What we heard from folks is that they want a way to connect at work, to talk to others going through the same experiences,” said Garcia.
Reverb’s ERG landscape isn’t reserved for parents; it holds space for passions, identities and communities that connect its team of unique humans.
“I like to think about what all of Reverb’s ERGs share: They all allow us — as complicated humans — to show up authentically at work,” Garcia told Built In.
“There are so many things that we have in common with our co-workers,” she continued. “Having the space to celebrate, commiserate or just talk about these parts of ourselves is so important.”
WHAT REVERB DOES
Reverb strives to build a community that music makers turn to for inspiration to fuel their passions, tools to create new music and more. The team comes to work each day with one goal: to help music makers all over the world connect over the perfect piece of music gear.
What’s the ERG’s mission?
The Parents & Caregivers ERG’s mission is to provide connection opportunities, support and resources to help members find harmony between work and caregiving. A bulk of our focus is fostering community through different channels — either asynchronously via Slack, through small groups that get together monthly or larger meet-ups at a park.
“The Parents & Caregivers ERG’s mission is to help members find harmony between work and caregiving.”
We are also brainstorming ways we can use all of the great benefits that Reverb offers, which make caregiving a tad bit easier for our members. Some examples include how to use our backup childcare credits or using our mental health platform for support during tough times.
What makes your ERG and its work different from other company groups?
Having that space within an ERG is so important — to feel valued and appreciated as a person at work, not just as an employee. One thing that makes the Parents & Caregivers ERG a bit different is the transitional nature of being a caregiver. Every week looks different than the last, for better or worse. Having a community that is close at hand, available where we are almost every day, is a great way to have regular support.
“Having a community that is close at hand — available where we are almost every day — is a great way to have regular support.”
What are some of the most impactful initiatives the team has put on that bring its mission to life?
We are looking forward to hosting our first large group meetup, to further build upon that community. Last winter we also put together a “Stuff Swap,” where parents brought in baby and kid gear that they are no longer using, and folks were able to take home whatever was useful to them. Everything that was leftover was then donated to Cradles to Crayons.
How does the group’s work fit into the larger mission of the company?
By building a diverse team, where employees from all backgrounds have access to programs that foster a sense of community and opportunities to grow, Reverb is able to create the best marketplace for music makers everywhere. By supporting our members as caregivers and parents, we are able to bring our unique perspectives to the problems that we solve every day.
Plus, a good number of our Slack posts are about kids learning about and playing musical instruments.
How do Reverb’s ERGs continue evolving?
We are currently working on ways that we can highlight the benefits that Reverb offers for parents and caregivers — and make it as easy as possible for members to use the benefits.
For example, we have a benefits resource guide that had some basic information about our backup childcare credits, but it was still a bit confusing to use. So, we worked with the HR team to update that section, provide more information about how the benefit worked and add links directly to relevant forms. We also have an updated benefits resource guide in the works that we will be giving to parents who are about to go on or are returning from parental leave. As an ERG, we have a big focus on how we can make things easier for the members who have a lot on their plate already.
