To mark International Women’s Day, we were delighted to welcome Pamela Jones to the podcast. EW Group Client Solutions Manager, Nana Umoh, and Pamela discuss the significance of the day and how organisations can better support women in the workplace to excel rather than just survive. 

Rather than just a day’s focus, Pamela stresses the need for gender equality to be an ongoing conversation, focussed on transformation change which tackles issues such as how women are positioned in the workplace, what their contributions stand for, and how they are recognised.

Pamela comments: “More work is needed around really speaking to power structures. How do we start engaging with organisational power structures to bring this parity to women? I think there needs to be more than just a policy. A lot of the time I speak to CEOs and Managers and they say, ‘we have a policy for that’. Whilst policies are useful, they are redundant unless put into practice and mobilised effectively.”

Nana and Pamela also speak about the work needed to increase the representation of women in the workplace at all levels, and the additional challenges faced by women from under-represented groups. 

Pamela Jones is an equality and diversity specialist, executive coach, public speaker and mentor who has held multiple leadership roles within financial services in the UK and internationally. She also sits on EW Group’s parent company’s (eQS) Board as a Non-Executive Director.

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in DEI or get in touch to find out how we can help you build a more inclusive workplace.

In this episode, Yvonne Howard is joined by David Latten, Head of Procurement at Logitech, a multi-national consumer electronics manufacturer, to discuss the power the procurement function has to influence DEI across the supply chains they work with, and how Logitech has been working to drive gender equality in the tech and gaming industries. 

With a career spanning over a decade, David has a wealth of knowledge in finance and procurement. He comments “Being in the pivot point between the internal and external there is a huge and untapped potential for what procurement can do. Procurement can be a huge force for good and that’s really exciting. No one can do everything, but we can all do something.”

Sharing insights into Logitech’s values and its focus on promoting gender equality, David discusses Logitech’s partnership with Gender Fair, a coalition of companies focussed on influencing large consumer organisations to work towards gender equality and live up to the United Nations’ Women’s Empowerment Principles.

Yvonne and David also touch on the importance of diversity data reporting, policies, the role of leadership in driving change, ERGs, women in leadership and the challenges of hybrid working.

Connect with David on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/david-latten

The Coalition Home Page: https://genderfairprocurement.com/

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in DEI or get in touch to find out how we can help you build a more inclusive workplace.

It's time to change the narrative on menopause at work. A one-size-fits-all approach cannot be applied to a diverse group of people who experience menopause and peri-menopause symptoms. So how can employers better support people affected by its symptoms and account for intersectionality?

 EW Group Managing Director, Rachael Wilson, spoke with two workplace menopause experts - Mel Healy and Jane Stubbs - about how organisations can take an intersectional approach to workplace menopause support. It is crucial businesses and leaders understand the health inequalities and cultural nuances that mean women from different groups (whether race, religion, disability, LGBT+, class or any other identity) will experience, vocalise and receive support for menopause symptoms very differently.

Sharing their own personal experiences, they also discuss the different approaches organisations can take to support those experiencing symptoms of the menopause in the workplace, from awareness training and staff consultation sessions, to reviewing policies and procedures.

Mel Healy is a sports therapist, bio-medical scientist and lecturer with a passion for EDI. She is particularly interested in how our different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicity and cultural pressures affect us in the workplace. Follow Mel on Twitter at @MelinaHealy, and on Instagram at lets_talk_menopause.   

Jane Ordaz is a menopause awareness advocate and the Founder of a Facebook community group, the Global Menopause Community, to help other women experiencing menopause not living in their passport countries, offering non-country-based support.   

This is part 1 of a 2 part series discussing menopause at work.

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in DEI or get in touch to find out how we can help you build a more inclusive workplace.

In this episode, Tash Thomas is joined by Dante Frederick, Diversity and Inclusion Partner at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the rail industry and the important DEI work GTR has been undertaking. 

Exploring some of the DEI challenges facing the rail industry, Dante shares insights into the initiatives GTR has put in place to improve diversity in their workforce, from inclusive recruitment practices to appeal to a more diverse range of candidates, to developing an inclusive culture where all employees feel valued are able to be their authentic selves. 

Tash and Dante discuss the lack of gender representation in particular roles in the rail force, and the success that GTR’s initiatives have yielded so far, such as a doubling in the number of female applicants applying for train driver roles and achieving a 50/50 gender split of new train driver hires. 

On the benefits of diversifying the workforce, Dante comments: “It’s not just a tick box exercise. There is so much value in diversity of experience and perspective. If you have a team made up of the very top of whatever the focus is, if they are all from the same background and same perspectives, there will have the same blind spots and they will make the same mistakes. And as soon as you diversify, even a little bit, that really opens things up for creative problem solving and catching things that otherwise may not have been seen. There is tons of data that speaks to this.”

Tash and Dante also explore the benefits of employee resource groups (ERGs) and share tips for successfully setting them up and how to take account of intersectionality in your approach to ERGs. They also discuss the importance of collecting diversity data and how this can help inform business decisions, but also the sensitivities many may feel sharing data on their protected characteristics. 

Follow Govia Thameslink Railway on LinkedIn.

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in DEI or get in touch to find out how we can help you build a more inclusive workplace.

In this episode, Rachael Wilson is joined by Lateesha Osbourne to discuss her pHD research into black students’ sense of identity and belonging within higher education.

Lateesha is a psychologist who applies a DEI lens to her work and in particular has significant expertise in race equality. She has worked with EW and Challenge since 2015 when she joined our team as Training and Business Development Officer and, after being away for a little while studying for her doctorate, is now back as a consultant working on a range of innovative client projects. 

Lateesha explains the findings from her research which included gathering insights through focus groups with Black students on their experiences of racism. Lateesha analysed how experiences of racism affected the students’ sense of identity and belonging, and the strategies that they adopted to navigate the campus culture. Her findings provide us with a microcosm of other institutions and workplaces and an insight into the experiences of minority groups. 

Rachael and Lateesha discuss how these findings can be used to inform the ways in which we go about breaking down workplace barriers to inclusion and belonging. They discuss how creating a culture where employees feel able to speak up is crucial to employees’ wellbeing, progression and performance.  

Follow Lateesha Osbourne on LinkedIn or Twitter to keep up-to-date with her latest news and work. 

Follow EW Group and Challenge Consultancy on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in diversity and inclusion or get in touch to find out how we can help you build a more inclusive workplace.

In this episode, Sush Bastola, Sales Director at the EW Group and Challenge Consultancy, meets Graci Harkema to discuss overcoming adversity and creating a culture of belonging in the workplace. Graci is a US-based diversity specialist. 

Graci shares her moving and inspirational personal story from being born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during civil unrest with little chance of survival, to being adopted, moving to the USA, realising her sexual orientation and ultimately  accepting herself for who she is. 

Graci says: “I was living for others’ expectations instead of accepting my own identities. For so long I saw my identities as my shame instead of my strength.”

Sush and Graci also discuss how employers can develop authentic leadership and truly be inclusive to support an internal culture which makes employees want to stay. Graci shares insights into how her past colleagues and employer supported her through her journey and helped her feel a sense of belonging in the workplace where she could be her authentic self. 

With increasing pressure from customers, staff, networks and communities to develop more ethical and inclusive practices, they explore how fostering an inclusive culture not only gives organisations a competitive edge in the marketplace, but also positively impacts the bottom line as a result of stronger collaboration and teamwork which directly contribute to the productivity and service the organisation provides. 

Follow Graci Harkema on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit her website. Graci’s memoir ‘Rising: From a Mud Hut to the Boardroom - and Back Again is now available for pre-order and will be released in Spring 2023. 

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in diversity and inclusion or get in touch to explore how we can work with you to build safe and inclusive environments at work.

In this episode of the reWorked podcast, Karen Fonseka, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, talks to Edmund Newell, Principal and Chief Executive at Cumberland Lodge, about social mobility.  Edmund is an economic historian and priest in the Church of England, he was previously a Research Fellow at Nuffield College in Oxford, Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, where he was the founding Director of the St Paul’s Institute, and Sub-Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.

Sharing their personal stories, Edmund and Karen discuss social mobility in education, through to recruitment and the workplace. They explore some of the obstacles facing individuals and how organisations can help support and make their roles more accessible and workplaces more inclusive. They also discuss the need to improve accessibility to the workplace through apprenticeship schemes and mentor programmes which focus on developing practical skills needed in the workplace. 

Edmund also shares an overview of the work Cumberland Lodge does to empower and help people overcome social division. Cumberland Lodge is a charity and educational foundation with a mission to empower people, and tackle the causes and effects of social division, with a particular focus on nurturing young talent. 

Follow Cumberland Lodge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in diversity and inclusion.

EW Group and Challenge Consultancy have worked with organisations to build more diverse and inclusive cultures for over 30 years. Get in touch to explore how we can work with you to build safe and inclusive environments at work.

In this latest episode of our reWorked podcast, Polly Shute and Tash Thomas, EW Group Diversity & Inclusion Consultants, discuss how organisations can create authentic communications to acknowledge LGBT+ History Month in February in the UK and Pride in June.

With 2022 marking its 50th year, Tash and Polly share insights into the history of Pride as a protest, how it has evolved over the years and explore how brands can meaningfully support the LGBT+ community and Pride all year round.

Polly said: "It is important organisations remember Pride is an emotional brand and make sure they understand the history of Pride and what it actually means before creating an internal or external campaign. Discuss with your ERG networks, colleagues, communities and charities to engage with it effectively and make a positive contribution to your employees and clients."

Tash commented: “One of the challenges is some companies may not even be aware of what their staff demographics are – Out Now’s research in 2020 found only 45% of LGBT+ people in the UK feel able to be out to everyone at work. Just because they might not be visibly out and proud, doesn’t mean they don’t exist in the organisation.”

You can also download our factsheet with 10 top tips on how brands can meaningfully engage with Pride.

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in diversity and inclusion.

EW Group has worked with organisations to build more diverse and inclusive cultures for almost thirty years. Get in touch to explore how we can work with you to build safe and inclusive environments at work.

As December is Disability History Month, the topic of today’s podcast is disability in the tech industry. Winston Ben Clements, EW Group Disability & Inclusion Specialist, talks to Matthew Gough, HR Business Partner at Element, about the bias in algorithms and ways we can improve disability awareness in the tech industry.

Winston said: "As we start to think about the ways we can counteract bias, we need to look at our technology and processes. The people inputting the data project their own biases into the programmes and algorithms they are creating, introducing inherent bias into the system."

Matthew also shares insights into the culture at Element and the work EW Group has been supporting them with to build disability awareness across the organisation and a more inclusive culture for all.

Matthew said: "It's an exciting time within Element from a diversity and inclusion perspective. As part of our DE&I programme, EW Group recently facilitated a fantastic workshop on resilience and coping strategies, with a particular focus on those with disabilities. We are excited to continue our journey and build on our progress to date to create a more inclusive workplace for all. By building policies, processes and best practice, diversity and inclusion will become organic and engrained within the organisation."

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in diversity and inclusion.

EW Group has worked with organisations to build more diverse and inclusive cultures for almost thirty years. Get in touch to explore how we can work with you to build safe and inclusive environments at work.

Nicki Pritchard is a Managing Partner and Founder at executive search firm Anderson Quigley, who specialise in working with and supporting organisations who have a social purpose in the public sector, from health and education to non-profit and beyond.

In this episode, Rachael and Nicki discuss the importance of the recruitment industry in driving diversity and inclusivity, and how Anderson Quigley has embedded EDI and social purpose throughout their business. Exploring how organisations can affect change and bring greater inclusivity, Nicki explains the culture at Anderson Quigley and the steps they have taken to encourage diversity at all levels of the business.  

Nicki says “We always champion new people who are coming into the business and bringing new skill sets, experience and backgrounds with them. It’s this breadth and depth of diversity that we really value – it’s what makes us a really good team to be a part of but it is also this diversity that makes our business hugely successful.”

EW Group has been working closely with Anderson Quigley for over three years, delivering training, consultancy and coaching support. Rachael and Nicki explain the impact of EW’s programmes and how they have helped Anderson Quigley create an inclusive culture which values diversity. 

How do you engage those groups who don’t consider themselves ‘diverse’ in the diversity conversation? This is one challenge our clients all have in common at EW. During the pandemic, many of us have been working from home, some juggling childcare and homelife between partners in a way we had not done before. In some cases, fathers have spent more time with their children. They’ve been there for bath time instead of on a commuter train. And they’ve experienced first-hand how flexible working can enrich their lives. 

As Elliot told us when he visited the EW podcast, now is the time for organisations to consider better supporting the fathers in their workplace. The benefits are tangible and measurable: from talent retention to productivity. 

Elliot and Rachael also discuss the intersection of fatherhood with race, disability and sexuality. Elliott speaks candidly about the emotional labour of being a black man in the diversity field.

 http://musicfootballfatherhood.com/
https://twitter.com/MFFonline_

Follow EW Group on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and thinking in diversity and inclusion.

EW Group has worked with organisations to build more diverse and inclusive cultures for almost thirty years. Get in touch to explore how we can work with you to build safe and inclusive environments at work.