Dylan Parker
Connecting and supporting people across Springer Nature Group
At Springer Nature, diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of how we work and who we are. Working towards a more inclusive workplace creates opportunities and allows our people to perform at their best. We also want our people to feel empowered to generate ideas and see progress on topics that matter to them and the organisation, to improve our workplace for the benefit of us all.
Our employee networks focus on fostering dialogue around diversity, community building, advice, advocacy and sustainability. Our networks unite people who share an identity – like being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a person with a disability or a parent – with those who support them and who want to learn more about their perspectives and experiences. The Green Office Network also bring colleagues together to take action around a common interest; reducing our environmental impact.
"I wanted to be part of Springer Nature Pride because I am not only a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, but I am also very proud to work for a company that promotes diversity, inclusiveness and the open sharing of knowledge with the scholarly communities we serve. While those values might sound unrelated at first, celebrating diversity both inside and outside of Springer Nature comes from a shared desire to be educated, to understand other people and to maintain a constant curiosity about the world around us. I see those values and desires as inherent to our work. They are also embodied by everyone I know involved with the SN Pride network, and across our company as a whole. Networks like SN Pride give us the space to support each other in succeeding in our common goals at work, but they also provide space to appreciate and celebrate the different perspectives we bring to our jobs and the communities we serve every day."
“I have been at Springer Nature for eight months and joining SN Women has been a great opportunity to meet other colleagues and network across this global company. I’ve also had great fun getting creative with event organising. Our networks play a significant role in exploring work-related issues – they provide a space to talk about the everyday difficulties of working life that we all face and share advice.”
"I wanted to be part of SN D&N because my disability is a huge part of who I am and SN D&N offers a platform in which to be open about my experiences and needs as a disabled working adult. I take part in a way that few others could and put my own unique stamp on my contribution.
I feel that disabled employee networks are important because they offer disabled people the chance to have their say on what is going on in an organisation, as well as being able to smooth the path of those employees coming into the organisation. They are also a means of improving the experience that disabled customers have. This enables disabled people to develop their professional networks, understand a wider range of business areas and gain expertise in areas that they otherwise would not be able to, and as such greatly enrich their professional lives. "
"I came from an industry that was quite homogenous and was often the “diverse” perspective in the room. I felt the pressure to speak for an entire continent of cultures, and it was quite isolating. When I joined Springer Nature, I saw a vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander community. It was an opportunity to learn more about my own culture and meet more of my colleagues across the company.
Getting to know my A&PI colleagues has been the greatest joy of the employee network. The diversity is amazing! The representation from various cultures brings many different perspectives that we can use to lift and empower one another. With SN A&PI, we share our successes but also sympathize with the struggles to overcome stereotypes about our community in the workplace and society-at-large.
I’m so glad to have the SN network here to share and celebrate the joys of being a Chinese American."
"SN BEN was formed during the global pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020, at a time when racial inequality was being discussed with greater scrutiny within the company and in wider society. Although forming during a turbulent time presented challenges, the global network launched with two chapters in place, in the US and UK, which was a first at Springer Nature, where local chapters usually launch one by one. The two chapters work together towards the overall objectives of SN BEN, and the network continues to thrive. "
“As an outdoors person who likes to spend time in nature – trail running or hiking – being part of the Green Office Network (GON) as a local lead and now as a global ambassador, has given me lot of opportunities to share my passion for sustainability and the environment. The GON was initially created with the aim of reducing Springer Nature’s environmental impacts. However, over the years – especially during the pandemic – we have grown from making the office greener to contributing to behavioral changes. We learn something new from every GON meeting and I am proud to be working for an organisation that treats sustainability as a necessity and priority.”
