Ok, so your organisation has become a Diversity Agenda member – now what? Let us help you walk the walk, and not just talk the talk. So get those laces tied up tight…
Make a public commitment.
You’ve joined the movement – so tell everyone about it. Use your business’ social media channels to let people know you’re a Diversity Agenda Change Maker. (You’ll find your membership brand kit within the members only resources section of our website)
Understand where you’re at.
Data is your friend. Really know your employees by reviewing your business such as by gender split, ethnicity spread, gender pay gap, ethnic pay gap and employee satisfaction. Take a look at your approach to flexible working and returning to work for those on career breaks. Ask for honest feedback from your people on where you can do better in making your workplace inclusive.
Find the success stories.
Talk to other Diversity Agenda members, using the members only Connect directory within our website. Find out how they’ve put diversity into action and look for mentors who can help you make the changes you need to. You can also check out our News & Insights for case studies and interviews with those already making waves.
Make it everyone’s responsibility.
Diversity and inclusion isn’t just your issue; it’s everyone’s. Make sure all your employees know diversity and inclusion is a priority for your business – and that everyone will be expected to walk the talk. Make it a formal part of people’s objectives, just like health and safety. Encourage everyone to bring their best ideas to work and make room for everyone to be heard – so all your employees can reap the benefits.
Address unconscious bias.
We all have unconscious biases – the ingrained beliefs about our society that we aren’t even aware we have. Unaddressed, it’s toxic for the workplace. But the good news is we can make it conscious. Try the Harvard Implicit Association tests, you might be surprised about your own biases. Identify and challenge it on an individual and a group level. Create an environment where people feel able to call out inappropriate behaviour.
Help all your employees fulfil their potential.
One of the main reasons women leave engineering and architecture is a lack of opportunities to advance. Take a look at your senior management team, your executive team and your Board. What’s the gender split? Move beyond talk and symbolic hires and invest in career development for all your employees. Encourage women to apply for senior roles. Introduce formal mentoring programmes. Review your hiring practices to root out any biases and barriers that could be preventing your best people from making progress.
What gets measured gets done.
Research shows organisations that set and measure diversity targets are more diverse. We all measure health and safety – it’s time to think about diversity in the same way. So set goals, measure your progress and be publicly accountable by sharing your data in your annual report. Have an ongoing conversation in your company about what’s working and what isn’t.
Trust your people.
Richard Branson famously offered staff at Virgin unlimited time off, saying “treat people as human beings, give them that flexibility, and I don’t think they’ll abuse it. They’ll get the job done.” Why are flexible working and an inclusive workplace culture good for your business as well as your employees? It creates loyalty and it helps you recruit, and retain, the best talent. Trust your employees. They won’t let you down.
Be the change.
Your employees – and your future employees – already care about diversity and inclusion. A lot. They consider it when they’re weighing up their career options. Leadership on this issue needs to come from the top, so be vocal about what you’re changing, why you’re changing it and how it will benefit your business and your workplace culture.
And lastly, sign the Diversity Agenda Accord!
The Accord is our flagship commitment, and means you’re making the ultimate commitment to drive real behavioural change within engineering and architecture. You’ll commit to a set of principles, agree to measure and monitor your organisation, and attend an annual peer accountability summit.
