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Breaking Barriers: Advancing DEI Strategies in Organisations

In February, Nigel Wright Group held its latest HR Leaders Breakfast at The Aspire in Leeds. We were delighted to welcome three Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) experts – Gareth Whalley, Wendy Ramshaw, and Rowena Cooper – to lead a panel discussion on how to approach DEI within organisations and overcome challenges. Over 30 senior HR leaders participated in the event, sharing their personal experiences of this often difficult and complex topic.

Diversity beyond the checkbox

Rowena Cooper is a seasoned HR professional with over two decades of experience leading people, talent, and resourcing teams for renowned organisations, including the UK Infrastructure Bank, Grant Thornton LLP, and Bupa. Her dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion earned her the prestigious Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Equality, Diversity & Inclusion award during her tenure as Head of Talent for St. Modwen Properties.

In the ever-evolving modern workplace, diversity is not just a checkbox but a key driver of success and innovation. Drawing on her time spent in the male-dominated property sector, as well as her current role at the UK Infrastructure Bank, Rowena encouraged a proactive DEI approach. She highlighted the importance of avoiding unconscious exclusion and creating an environment that values and includes all individuals. This, she emphasised, sets the stage for a more diverse and inclusive workplace where each team member feels seen and appreciated.

Embedding DEI considerations into routine decision-making processes was another key aspect of Rowena’s recommendations. From supplier relationships to performance ratings, succession planning, and award shortlisting, she advocated for a conscious application of the DEI lens. This ensures that decisions are made with equity in mind, contributing to a more inclusive organisational culture.

According to Rowena, businesses aspiring for change require senior-level sponsorship. She underscored the critical need for executive buy-in, arguing how it is essential to channel energy and effectively drive DEI strategies within the organisation. This sponsorship validates the importance of these initiatives and provides the necessary resources for their successful implementation.

Rowena acknowledged, however, the challenge of getting top leadership to prioritise diversity and inclusion. By linking these issues to profitability and ensuring ownership and sponsorship at the board level, companies can drive more significant and sustainable change. Sharing personal tactics for engaging executives, she noted the need to understand individual motivations. Framing diversity and inclusion in a way that aligns with executives’ interests or concerns, can secure genuine support from the top.

Language, both in everyday use and formal policies, played a pivotal role in Rowena’s proposals. She advocated for changing everyday language by promoting more inclusive terms and addressing gendered language. By doing so, organisations can again contribute significantly to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and valued.

Rowena concluded with practical advice, urging companies to avoid asking for salary history during recruitment. She accentuated the importance of promoting diverse hiring decision-makers and utilising three-person interview panels with gender diversity to enhance decision-making. These concrete steps, she argued, contribute to a fair and inclusive recruitment process. By implementing these practical decisions, businesses can embrace the principles of equality and unlock the full potential of their diverse teams.

Navigating neurodiversity

The second presenter of the morning was Wendy Ramshaw. Her journey is typified by a proven track record of driving positive change in diverse sectors, including leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives for a global law firm. Wendy founded Inclusivity First in 2023, a consultancy on a mission to help organisations foster inclusive workplaces and drive tangible results.

In an illuminating talk, Wendy passionately explored the intricate neurodiversity landscape, unveiling its significance within the broader framework of DEI. According to Wendy, neurodiversity is increasingly taking centre stage in DEI discussions, marking a significant shift towards recognising and valuing the diverse ways individuals’ brains function. She emphasised the growing prominence of this topic, underlining the importance of weaving neurodiversity into inclusion initiatives.

As neurodiversity often involves hidden disabilities, it’s imperative to create supportive workplace cultures, thus allowing neurodivergent people to thrive without feeling compelled to disclose their conditions. This approach enhances the well-being of neurodivergent individuals and contributes to a healthier and more productive workplace overall. Drawing from personal experiences, Wendy highlighted a learning journey filled with both successes and failures.

Her talk then centred on defining neurodiversity, exploring associated conditions, and presenting statistics reflecting its prevalence and challenges. This included outlining common traits among neurodivergent people, shedding light on challenges with organisational tasks, prioritisation, working memory, social interactions, and executive functions. The concept of a “spiky profile” was discussed, emphasising its impact on mental health and well-being.

Assessing the commitment of the executive committee to bring about change was again underlined, with a call for honest conversations. Wendy highlighted the need for a cultural shift and proposed strategic data usage along with controlled pilot schemes to test innovative approaches. Toward the end of her talk, Wendy proposed three pillars for a neurodiverse-friendly workplace:

The subsequent audience discussion delved into the ongoing debate on labels and diagnoses, differing perspectives on labelling, and the importance of choice for individuals. It addressed challenges in creating objective criteria for performance evaluations, particularly when neurodivergent conditions may not be immediately apparent.

In conclusion, Wendy stressed the importance of collaboration, holistic support, and a person-centred approach in creating workplaces that celebrate neurodiversity and champion DEI principles.

DEI and the consumer experience

Our final presenter was Gareth Whalley, currently the Head of DEI for Europe at Levi Strauss and Co. With an HR career spanning over 20 years, his journey into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion began at Coca-Cola, where he spearheaded the business’s global inclusion practice. Gareth’s passion for DEI stems from recognising its potential to significantly impact individuals’ experiences at work.

He began by discussing the challenges of implementing DEI initiatives in a global organisation like Levi Strauss. Gareth emphasises the importance of penetrating the retail workforce, warehouses, and distribution centres, rather than solely focusing on corporate populations. He stressed the need to adapt DEI efforts to local environments, highlighting the success of Levi’s Retail DEI Ambassador Program, known as the JDEI Program, which focuses on grassroots initiatives within stores and gives store staff the opportunity to share their DEI knowledge and passion with colleagues.

Consistency in DEI initiatives is a key point of discussion, with Gareth underscoring the significance of leadership coaching to tailor approaches to leaders’ individual journeys. He outlines five key drivers of strategic DEI – representation, hiring, retention, promotion rates, and the crucial factor of inclusion. The global strategy measures these drivers to evaluate the effectiveness of DEI efforts, emphasising the importance of understanding individual experiences through annual surveys.

According to Gareth, measuring DEI poses challenges, especially regarding voluntary disclosure of personal demographic information. He highlighted the importance of communicating the “why” behind disclosure, focusing messages on inclusion and equity, rather than compliance or reporting. Providing evidence of positive outcomes resulting from the collected data is also a critical step.

Bringing DEI considerations into the consumer-facing business is a topic that Gareth approaches with enthusiasm. He outlines initiatives integrating DEI thinking into consumer experiences, such as Levi’s implementation of the WelcoMe platform that aids disabled consumers in communicating their needs before visiting a store, and helping store staff prepare for their visit. Gareth noted the importance of starting small, accruing evidence of success, and gradually expanding initiatives to enhance the consumer experience based on the organisation’s values.

While Gareth acknowledges Levi Strauss’s progress, he admits that they haven’t perfected the gender piece in clothing, for example, mentioning challenges in providing size-inclusive options and breaking away from traditional gendered collections. Gareth underlined the complexity of addressing practical realities such as inventory management while striving for greater inclusion in sizing and all-gender offerings.

In the final segment, the conversation addressed initiating DEI programs in diverse workforces, especially in smaller locations. Gareth recommends conducting an objective assessment of an organisation’s current state using maturity models like the Deloitte diversity and inclusion maturity model. Prioritising initiatives based on the company’s current maturity level allows for a gradual, strategic approach, setting achievable goals and building momentum over time.

About Nigel Wright

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