Creating a company culture that attracts and retains people from diverse backgrounds is increasingly on the business agenda for many senior leaders. Taking action to open up opportunities to individuals from socially diverse backgrounds is also vital if businesses are going to access untapped talent.
However, how often does that commitment visibly leave head office and impact those across the wider organisation in a meaningful way?
To create a workplace that “works for everyone”, a critical factor is to ensure everyone is included in the discussions and feel they have made a contribution to the outcomes. Although many companies focus on finding out what other companies are doing, one element that is often missing is communicating with their own employees, to really hear their views.
It is important to remember that one size does not fit all and what is critical in London may not be the key issues across the rest of the UK. For example, employment opportunities and expectations are different from city to city and how an organisation tackles that may be different in Manchester, and different again in Birmingham.
To respond to the challenge, a business forum called Creating Inclusive Cultures (CIC) brings organisations together within their own cities to work together on developing diversity and inclusion strategies that create high-performing teams. CIC has already launched in Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham, and will continue to broaden their reach across the UK in 2017.
