#LifeAtHireRight: Spotlight on our API Affinity Group
We are excited to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! We spoke with Khadija Khan, president of our employee-led API affinity group. She shares why it's important to create a space for API in the workplace, starting the group, and her role here at HireRight.
Here at HireRight, our teams work hard to build the future of screening services while striving to put the customer first. Internally, we rally around a culture committed to collaboration, service-first mindset, sense of ownership, and other corporate values to help employers get it right – every time, everywhere. But what is it like to work here? And who are the employees behind our background screening and workforce solutions?
Today, we are talking to Khadija Khan, President of HireRight’s API (Asian Pacific Islanders) employee-led affinity group. Khadija shares with us how the API affinity group started, what is coming up, and a little about her role here at HireRight.
Khadija, can you tell us a little about the API affinity group and how it got started?
The API affinity group is a space for team members to feel supported, and to help educate each other about different cultures and perspectives. We are creating an inclusive and welcoming place, where we can learn from one another. Coming from a South Asian background living in America, I have always felt a bit like an outlier. This has driven my need to participate in meaningful conversations that allow for engaging and impactful dialogue, to help myself, and others, grow. For those reasons and many more, I joined the BLM affinity group here at HireRight when I first started. The BLM leaders were looking for team members who were interested in creating new affinity groups to share topics and issues that affect other marginalized ethnic groups. Naturally, I showed a great interest in participating, and here we are today!
Why did you feel it was important to create an affinity group for Asians and Pacific Islanders? What are some of the current projects planned for the group?
In 2020, here in the U.S. we experienced a spike in the number of incidents against Asian Americans surrounding the pandemic. These events were quite rattling and weren’t the first of their kind. I felt that it is important to have a space where individuals feel supported through learning about one another and finding ways to mitigate stigmas and biases.
This is my first role in a leadership position, and I am learning a lot through this process. We had our first coffee break (a virtual meeting) on the topic of Diwali, which a few members from our APAC region shared with the group. We will continue to have conversations about culture, history, mental health and much more. We welcome all ideas, and members to join, and we are also looking for more leadership roles to fill.
Let’s learn a little more about you! How long have you worked at HireRight and what is your role?
I have been at HireRight since March of 2021 and work as an Information Security Analyst for the GRC team (Governance, Risk, and Compliance), based out of my home in Irvine, California. This is my first role as a Security Analyst, and I have learned a great deal of valuable, and insightful knowledge, and continue to learn each day!
What was it like to join the team, and what do you love most about your job?
This is my first role in security, and I have to say it’s one of my favorite jobs to date– I am always on the go, working on projects, sharing security awareness material with the organization, completing questionnaires, asking questions, etc. I work with an incredible team, we have a very collaborative spirit, and extraordinary leadership.
What does inclusion and belonging mean to you?
I think that belonging is the sense of being part of something that matters, and through that we are able create the feeling of inclusion – which consists of behaviors and cultural norms that make people feel welcomed.
Why is diversity, equity, and inclusion important for organizations?
I believe DE&I is important for organizations to have because it allows for increased employee engagement, productivity, and innovation. Many research studies have confirmed that organizations that practice diversity, equity, and inclusion can outperform those that do not. Companies that have DE&I benefit from higher productivity, better employee retention, and an overall boost in morale. Who wouldn’t want that?
How do you feel that the API affinity group is making a difference here at HireRight, and what do you see for the group’s future?
I believe it has the potential in allowing employees to learn from one another, have a space where they can share their culture and identity, while feeling the sense of belonging within a community. I would like to see more engagement and member involvement. But overall, I hope to see that employees can learn and grow from their interactions, while also feeling heard, accepted, and connected.
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Release Date: May 2, 2022
HireRight
HireRight is a leading provider of on-demand employment background checks, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions that help employers automate, manage and control background screening and related programs.