Smartly Inclusion & Diversity

Smartly builds fairness into hiring by implementing a multi-layered approach to ensure its hiring process remains equitable, transparent, and inclusive, focusing on structured, standardized and evidence-based recruiting processes. The company regularly reviews its recruiting, hiring, and promotion practices to support equity, reduce bias, and make expectations clear for candidates and employees.

A key part of Smartly’s approach is structured interviewing. Interviewers use behavioral and situational questions designed to assess role-relevant skills, rather than relying on informal impressions or unstructured conversations. Employees involved in hiring complete interviewer training, including guidance on unconscious bias and common evaluation risks.

Smartly also emphasizes evidence-based evaluation. Interview feedback is expected to be grounded in specific examples from the interview, such as what the candidate said, did, or demonstrated. Hiring decisions are informed by multiple interviewers and independent data points, helping ensure that no single perspective carries too much weight.

Fairness also extends to how Smartly widens access to opportunity. The company uses diversity-focused recruiting efforts, inclusive candidate communication, and flexible hiring practices to support people from different backgrounds and personal situations. Employee Resource Groups help strengthen belonging and inclusion across the business, while transparent feedback channels and leadership accessibility help employees feel heard.

The same clarity continues after hiring. Smartly uses role expectations, level frameworks, and evidence of impact to guide growth and promotion decisions. This supports a more consistent and objective approach to career development, helping employees understand what success looks like and how they can grow. Smartly experience rooted in trust, accountability, and equal opportunity.

Smartly supports belonging and inclusion through fair people processes, employee-led communities, leadership access, and flexible ways of working. It builds belonging by combining structure with everyday inclusion, helping employees feel heard, supported, and empowered to contribute.

Fair systems: Smartly uses transparent hiring, promotion, and advancement frameworks based on clear expectations and evidence of impact, helping reduce bias and support equitable career decisions.

Diverse leadership: Representation is visible at the highest levels, with Smartly led by a female CEO and a predominantly female leadership team.

Inclusive hiring: Employees involved in recruitment complete unconscious bias and inclusion training, while hiring teams are encouraged to practice allyship, challenge assumptions, and create space for different perspectives. Hiring, promotion, and ways of working are designed to be fair and flexible for people from diverse backgrounds and with different personal circumstances. This commitment is reinforced through inclusive hiring practices, targeted diversity recruitment efforts, and regular reviews of policies and processes to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistency.

Leadership voice and feedback: The company has Ask-me-anything sessions, quarterly DE&I engagement surveys, dedicated Slack channels, office events and open forums give employees regular ways to be heard and influence change 

Flexible, global connection: Smartly’s hybrid work model, global remote programs, office gatherings, and employees from 60+ nationalities help create connections across different backgrounds and locations.