After months of unsuccessful job hunting in London, Henrique De Sousa changed his name to Henry De Sousa. Success came immediately: If he had not received a single invitation for an interview before, he could have presented himself to several companies.
De Sousa said her coach in London would advise her to change her name. In doing so, he was able to follow the example of people from Asia who often adopted simple, western names, since their own names here were hardly pronounced and certainly not readable. The stars of the entertainment world would also adopt stage names that would later belong to them.
Names don’t count on eBay
After ten years as Henry, it’s a strange feeling for him when family or old friends in his hometown call him by his original name. “Today I am Henry,” he says.
Native Brazilian now lives in Switzerland. He believes that the business that Henry De Sousa holds today would have been given his original name, Henrique. The 39-year-old works in eBay Switzerland and is responsible for various assignments there. He primarily works as an executive assistant to global finance managers. But she also volunteered for diversity, equality and inclusion issues, and mental health. De Sousa was reached through an outside agency that found him through his LinkedIn profile. “Only my experience, knowledge, and personality matter here at eBay—not my first name or geographic origin.”
eBay’s dedication to all the issues for which De Sousa is responsible is embedded in the company’s culture and policies. “eBay wants to be around everyone, both inside and out,” De Sousa says. This is not a trend eBay has embraced, but is deeply rooted in the history of the origins of today’s globally active online marketplace with over 10,000 employees. “The principle of company founder Pierre Omidyar was that eBay offers everyone the opportunity to buy and sell something. No one should be excluded, neither as a customer nor as an employee.”
Decisive for economic success
De Sousa believes the company’s successful development over the 27 years since its founding has been closely linked to eBay’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. But if you create such an environment, it is possible to unleash the creativity that makes growth possible. “A lot of people work on eBay with very different personal stories and backgrounds. They only do their best when they feel good, accepted and able to grow personally.” The key here is that everyone can identify with their job and employer.
However, the work environment is not only more important than ever for employees, a company’s culture is also becoming more and more important for customers who want to buy and sell on an Internet platform. “They ask how a company behaves, what values it lives by, and whether it is reliably committed to them,” De Sousa says. This development is not yet complete. “On the one hand, global competition is becoming more and more challenging for the economy, and on the other hand, customers have more and more options for action.” A clear positioning is therefore important.
More than 30 countries work on eBay Switzerland
De Sousa sees no difference in the handling of these matters on eBay by those responsible in the United States, Europe or Switzerland. The reason for this lies in globality, which also plays a role in Switzerland. “We have a small number of employees here, but we have more than 30 different nationalities,” he says. Even in a small company location, diversity is great, so inclusion is even more important.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are indescribable fields for De Sousa, they are all intertwined. For example, she is responsible for a program on eBay called United in Pride, which campaigns for gender equality. “We care about our LGBTQIA+ community and make sure these employees have a safe place with us and don’t hide anything about themselves. Your voice is heard with us.” Only then is it possible for these people to reach their full potential. “I think there is nothing worse than getting a job and having to act.”
«I have always helped foreigners»
Where does this commitment in De Sousa come from? His family, school, and church in Brazil had a strong influence on him throughout his childhood. “Justice was an important issue for me even when I was a student, I always helped the marginalized and oppressed,” he says. “And even then, I experienced that we can solve problems by talking and communicating.”
Author: This is a paid post sponsored by eBay
Source : Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
