TBI is proud to recognize Celebrate Diversity Month by highlighting some of the employees from our diversity and inclusion committee, RESONATE. Today, we feature TBI's Contact Center Systems Manager, Rifat Ahmed, and what diversity means to him.
Tell us about your role at TBI.
I am TBI's Contact Center Systems Manager and have been at the organization for 8 years. As part of the IT department, I am responsible for taking care of our Omni Center, as well as compliance and other items that are related to the contact center in general.
April is Celebrate Diversity Month. What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity to me means being able to be myself freely. It is about being able to express what makes me who I am - which is religion, tradition, family values and ethics. Not only that, but it also is having the ability to share and educate others.
Why do you think it's important to celebrate each other's similarities and differences?
Being the first-generation born in the United States from my family, there has always been an opportunity to learn the best and worst of both cultures or worlds. This is what makes it important to celebrate each other's similarities and differences. No matter how many technological advancements we achieve, it is equally if not more important to also advance or progress as a society; and to do that, we need to collectively understand each other's diversities. It all starts with raising awareness and bringing up conversations.
How does TBI promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
For starters, TBI is taking small steps in the right direction. The most notable one as a company is the formation and maintenance of the RESONATE committee. This group promotes awareness, discussion and dialogue to its employees.
On a personal note, I have to give a shoutout to some of my past supervisors for the support they have given me to allow me to practice my diversity in the workspace for when diversity was not being focused on at TBI. They have allowed me to pioneer and really spearhead being able to express my diversity within the TBI walls by creating solutions which did not effect my personal life or work, and instead worked in perfect harmony.
Connect with Rifat on LinkedIn and read more about how TBI celebrates diversity month here.
