Pluralism, internationalism, and diversity policy

Wikimedia Foundation Guidelines Covering Pluralism, Internationalism, and Diversity in Hiring
The following are Wikimedia Foundation guidelines covering pluralism, internationalism and diversity in hiring. Please refer to the Hiring Process guidelines for further guidance related to hiring.

Statement of Policy
The Wikimedia Foundation is an internationally active non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California. The Wikimedia Foundation is committed to diversity as one of its core values, and, as part of routine operations its staff interacts with a wide range of individuals and organizations around the world.

Therefore, the Wikimedia Foundation aspires to establish and maintain a staff with experience working and living outside the United States, the ability to speak and write languages other than English, and the ability to work productively with people with a wide diversity of demographic and cultural characteristics, including ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion, values and attitudes.

The guidelines below apply to all hiring conducted by the Wikimedia Foundation, and aim to outline our recruitment and retention practices related to pluralism, internationalism and diversity.

Procedures and Guidelines

 * Job openings at the Wikimedia Foundation are routinely posted internationally (at a minimum, on the Wikimedia Foundation website), and will be specifically targeted to non-U.S. job posting venues as appropriate.


 * Hiring criteria for positions at the Wikimedia Foundation routinely characterize as desirable 1., languages additional to English and 2., experience living or working outside the United States, and/or experience working with organizations or individuals outside the United States.


 * Each hiring interview will include at least one question designed to assess candidates' ability to work productively with people with a wide range of demographic and cultural characteristics.


 * Applications for open positions at the Wikimedia Foundation are not routinely excluded if the applicant is not San Francisco-based. The requirements of a given position will determine whether remote work is feasible, but the Wikimedia Foundation, in general, is open to remote work as a possibility for all positions.


 * When the Wikimedia Foundation hires a remote worker, that worker will, early in his or her tenure, be invited to work out of the San Francisco office for a period of not less than one week, during which the Foundation will pay his or her living expenses. The purpose of this will be to orient and acclimatize the new person. At the discretion of the Executive Director, and in circumstances in which it meets the Foundation's goals, the Foundation may choose to extend a new remote worker's stay in San Francisco for a period of up to three months.


 * The Wikimedia Foundation will stage one all-staff meeting per year, at its San Francisco offices. All non-San Francisco staff will be invited to attend this meeting.


 * When the Wikimedia Foundation engages workers outside the United States, it will compensate them appropriately. The Wikimedia Foundation will not attempt to engage in hiring or contracting processes that unfairly disadvantage workers outside the United States, relative to those who work in the United States.


 * In the event that a successful job candidate is located outside the United States at the time of hiring, but needs work visa support in order to relocate to work in the San Francisco office, it will be provided. Offers extended to applicants who do not have, at the time of offer, the legal right to work in the United States, will be conditional upon the successful receipt of a work visa.


 * Our standard practice is to offer employees support with TN or H1B visas. However, we recognize that these visas are temporary in nature, and that it is not possible to predict or ensure renewal. Therefore, in the interests of stability in staffing, the Wikimedia Foundation will support work visa employees to transition to U.S. “permanent residency” status, in circumstances in which 1., the employee desires to make the transition, 2., the employee has (or nearly has) successfully completed his or her probationary period, and 3., the transition supports Wikimedia Foundation goals and objectives. Permanent residency status will only be pursued with the approval of the Executive Director.


 * Nothing in this document is intended to contravene or circumvent any relevant employment-related law. It is the intention and goal of Wikimedia Foundation at all times to comply with any such applicable laws. Nothing herein shall permit basing employment selection on an individual’s national origin, race, ethnicity or any other basis protected by law.