Living our values in 2020 and beyond  

2020 is not over yet, but it's already fair to say it's been one of the most challenging years in living memory. We're still in a global pandemic that has affected millions directly and billions indirectly. We've seen the impact of climate change and bushfires across countries like Australia and the United States, and we've witnessed social protest against racism and structural inequality on a global scale.     

As a mobility startup, we have been in the fortunate position of being able to stay open for business and to help couriers to keep working and meet the growing demand for deliveries. We have also been watching the events around us and questioning whether we are doing enough.

We're still at the beginning of our journey, but we feel that sharing our commitment to our values of "Lead, Listen and Respect" is an essential step in making us more transparent and accountable. Here are some of the initiatives we have already taken in 2020:

Relief program

‍After listening to our customer's challenges, Zoomo's leadership decided to introduce a rent relief program aimed at couriers in the most vulnerable situations. In many cases, these were students struggling in a foreign country or those affected by severe lockdown measures and protests. The program has already saved our couriers $25,000 globally to date.

Supporting minorities

‍We strongly oppose any form of racism or prejudice, and say unequivocally that Black Lives Matter. We also want to make real changes in our business to do what we can to support equality. Inspired by the success of the NFL Rooney rule, we have set ourselves the goal that at least 30% of people we interview for roles at Zoomo are people of colour. We're working with minority professional organisations to ensure we increase the number of applicants of colour and to ensure transparency and fairness in the hiring process.

Keep asking

‍When you have lots of small teams dotted around the globe all experiencing different things in different ways, it's important to keep talking, asking how are you, and seeking honest feedback. We have created non-work small-group forums for our teams to connect with colleagues across the globe to do just that.

We know these are small steps, and we are conscious that there is much more to do. We will continue to discuss and look for inspiration with our team to make sure Zoomo truly lives its values.

Michael Johnson and Mina Nada on behalf of the entire team at Zoomo