Case Study: Zendesk increases representation and scales inclusive recruiting with Textio

Increasing representation through a multi-layer DEI strategy with Textio

Zendesk, a 6,000+ employee SaaS company, needed to scale a company‑wide DEI strategy to attract, develop, and retain a more diverse workforce across distributed hiring teams and 70+ recruiters. To align teams and standardize recruiting language, Zendesk adopted Textio in 2019, using its inclusive language guidance for job posts and LinkedIn recruiting to create consistent, scalable hiring materials.

Textio’s guidance was embedded across Zendesk’s recruiting workflows (including Workday ATS and LinkedIn integrations), producing company‑wide Textio scores of 90+, gender‑neutral job posts, faster job‑description revisions, and reduced recruiter friction. The program saved recruiters time, increased DEI awareness, enabled hiring‑funnel accountability (including a commitment to hire URGs at three times attrition), and contributed to improved gender balance and increased U.S. Black representation—measurable gains tied to Textio’s implementation.

Zendesk

Alejandra Quiroz

Senior Talent Operations Analyst