Tag Archives: diversity

News

How to be inclusive when hosting meetings or presenting online

Running a business would be simpler if everyone did things the same way, but we know just how different people are.

 

The increase in the use of Zoom during the pandemic provides a useful example, (other cloud-based video conferencing services are available). If you’re hosting a meeting, you merely login, click a few buttons, send out the invites, admit people as they arrive, and off you go.

 

Easy? Yes, for most of us.

 

The thing is, human minds produce an infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning, and for many living with neurodiversities and disabilities, online interaction is not always straightforward and stress-free. The good news for hosts of online gathering is that there are a few simple things that can help make the experience easier for more people.

 

Around ten percent of people in the UK have some degree of dyslexia. People with dyslexia can be extremely creative thinkers and skilled problem solvers, but they can experience difficulty with information that is written down as the order of letters in words can appear to be jumbled when they read.

What can you do to make slides clearer and easier to understand?

 

First, alter the background colour. Whether you choose pink, blue or green, doesn’t really matter, provided you avoid bright white. Also, include a strong contrast between the background colour and font colour.

Fonts should be simple. For online slides, you want Sans Serif, such as Arial or Helvetica or Verdana; Verdana was designed to be read on screens. Also, boost your font sizes, and avoid, reds, blues and greens, as people with colour-blindness might find it challenging to read.

 

For the layout, again, simple is best. Don’t squish things together or try to be too fancy. Your goal is effective communication, not winning a design award! Good line spacing is essential, and make sure ideas are also clearly separated and differentiated.

 

Those are a few ways to improve the experience of your online gathering for people with issues with written communication, but what about verbal communication?

 

70+ million people in the world stammer. Stammering can take three forms:

 

  1. Repeating sounds or syllables of a word
  2. Making sounds longer
  3. Words getting stuck and not coming out

 

People can work to ensure their stutter is manageable—Golden Globe winning actress Emily Blunt, and President Joe Biden are all proof of that—but many people who have issues with stammering can be triggered in moments of anxiety or tension. As an online host, you can take steps to reduce potential stress.

Rather than just picking on someone randomly to answer a question, after asking your question, say that before turning to (name the person) to share their thoughts you will give people a moment to consider the question. During interactive sessions, if you allow people to just call out, someone with a stammer may feel that because they are unable to get their words out quickly, they might be overlooked, and so remain silent. A way to mitigate this is either ask people to raise their hand, or ask them to write a comment in the chat box.

 

If someone in the meeting begins to stammer, patience is more helpful than jumping in to try to rescue them. Rather than attempting to fill in what they are saying, just listen without interrupting, giving them the space and time to say what they want. By doing this, you make it clear that there is value in their contribution, and that what they have to say is more important than how they are saying it.

 

You may want to give participants in your online event the opportunity to flag up any special requirements, and it is best to do this in advance, perhaps in the form of a survey that allows for anonymity, with the option to get in touch with you direct.

To recap, here are the things to avoid:

 

  • Too much text on a slide
  • Red, green and blue fonts
  • Glaring backgrounds
  • Lots of links and buttons to click on for a meeting
  • Singling out someone or rushing someone

 

Things to do:

 

  • Use a Sans Serif font
  • Use large font sizes
  • Contrasting background colour with font colour
  • Creating an anonymous survey so people can say what specialist requirements they need.

 

As a business owner or manager, you want to empower everyone you work with. Being inclusive in all your online presentations, webinars and meetings is a key element of this as is giving plenty of positive reinforcement by being attentive, patient and relaxed throughout.

 

By Kellie McCord, Toastmasters International

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellie McCord is a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest club, visit www.toastmasters.org

 

 

News

International Women’s Day; what does it really mean to you? A crowdsourced article

By Ruth Cornish, co-founder and director of HRi

International Women’s Day falls on March 8th 2021. This year the theme is choose to challenge. Because – put simply- a challenged world is an alert world. We can all choose to challenge by calling out gender bias and inequality. Likewise, we can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements too.

But what does International Women’s day mean to me? And how do I choose to challenge?

Well as someone who entered the workplace having become a parent as a teenager, it has been my privilege as a senior HR professional to spot and call out unconscious bias and challenge gender stereotypes. My advice to all women is to be clear on what you personally and professionally stand for and ensure every action reconfirms this. My mantra is to always make it my mission to choose to challenge anything that needs my intervention and I truly hope others follow suit with this too.

With this in mind, below are a number of comments from some truly inspiring people talking about what International Women’s Day (IWD) means to them and how they have also made it their mission to choose to challenge the status quo.

Take a read to find out more in our crowdsourced IWD blog…

Sophie Cornish, Managing Partner Busby & Fox and Founder notonthehighstreet.com:

“International Women’s Day has gained so much momentum in the past decade. As our agendas have changed and developed over those years, so has the meaning – for me – of IWD. What I see in this year’s theme, #choosetochallenge, is a fresh generation of young women who are challenging us all to think and live differently. Whether they’re addressing issues of discrimination, inequality or the environment, I think we should celebrate the new wave of female activists who are finding the voice and the following that’s needed to make ours a better world for everyone.”

Lucinda Carney, CEO of Actus:

“We need to be more mindful than ever in 2021 about the gender inequality caused by women continuing to do the lion’s share of unpaid work caused by homeschooling and homeworking and the associated stresses. I would love to see managers actively encouraging homeworking fathers to ensure that they are sharing these burdens more equally”

Matt Stark, Partner at Mazars:

“In helping to build the foundations of a fair and prosperous world, Mazars has a responsibility to create a diverse and inclusive environment, with true equality of opportunity and the ability for each of our people to bring their whole selves to work. This is at the heart of our commitment to inclusion and diversity, and underpins our work towards ensuring that gender balance is represented at all levels of seniority across the firm. In 2021 we are proud to celebrate International Women’s Day and support its message to #ChooseToChallenge.”

Sir Peter Estlin, Alderman of the City of London Corporation:

“Diversity of thought is a critical component of the boardroom, yet few boards seldom fully reflect the breadth of their stakeholders, the people they employ, or those they serve. As we mark IWD again, let’s recognise what it represents and think about how each of us can bring greater diversity to our boards, to the decisions we make and the outcomes we seek.”

Debbie Leverson, Head of HR at Coverys Managing Agency Ltd:

“Commencing my career as an HR professional within largely male dominated environments, I have observed over the last few years a very positive shift, with conscious and effective steps being implemented by organisations to be more inclusive and diverse. The role of women especially in leadership has significantly improved and I am proud to be a part of this change. I am excited for the future, not only diversity and inclusion as a whole, but the role of women in my company expanding in a positive and collaborative way across all levels.”

Anabela Yourell, Director of Stress Free HR Ltd:

“Having suffered pregnancy and maternity discrimination with my first child, a time that was supposed to be full of joy, I know first-hand the effects of that type of prejudice. I have unfortunately had the pleasure of successfully supporting many friends with this too… I believe there is still a lot of work to be done to educate management on how to treat the news of a newly pregnant employee, unconscious bias and effective communication and inclusion during the maternity leave period!”

Clare Hodcroft, Director at Spark People Solutions:

“I have learnt so much from some fantastic senior female leaders, but the biggest learning was to stay true to who I am and what I believe in. Don’t ever compromise your values or try to be someone you are not; if it is not working find an organisation with a culture that is right for you, life is too short! This year continues to be tough, be brave, be kind, be realistic, be a great role model for other women. As Judy Garland said “Always be the first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

Lynne Ingram, Managing Associate, Freeths LLP:

“IWD means to me a time to reflect on the “firsts”. These “firsts” may arise from a conscious challenge to gender injustice (to name a few the Ford Machinists Strike which led to the Equal Pay Act 1970, Kathrine Switzer who defiantly ran the Boston Marathon even though women were barred, or more recently #metoo movement). The “firsts” may also be girls globally having equal access to education or women undertaking roles for the first time such as lawyers (100 years ago) firefighters (30 years ago) or even refereeing a champions league football match (1 year ago). All of these “firsts” contribute to my hope for 2021 and onwards that if we (and by we I mean all genders) keep challenging – our daughters, their daughters and granddaughters will have equal opportunities available to them not based on their gender but their attributes, skills and values.”

Katy McMinn, co-founder and director of HRi:

“When working in professional services, I was involved in addressing gender equality and was incredibly proud to be a part of that movement. The key thing I have learnt is that for women to be successful and challenge gender stereotypes, we need to stay true to our own individual values, rather than trying to behave in a way that fits the mould of what is traditionally expected from senior professionals.”

Karl Goose, Managing Director, Ferrovial Construction:

“I have been in the engineering industry for over 25 years and have had the chance to work with amazing professionals across the board. The reality is that there is still a lot to do on gender-balance. We live in times of transformation and opportunity. As a leader, I cannot see a better moment to be an agent for positive change. At Ferrovial, it is my mission to promote an environment which support, empower and foster progression of our female talent. From mentoring schemes to improved benefits (including launching one of the best maternity schemes in the industry) to support better work-life balance, we are on a quest to make our company an Employer of Choice.”

Mary Asante, director of HRi:

“There are still a significantly high number of men working in the technology sector than there are women. Highlighting the innovative and positive contribution that women in tech can and are making to changing the world, will encourage more women to be inspired to join the industry. Mentoring and supporting upcoming female professionals will also be key to attaining gender balance in tech too.”

What do you #choosetochallenge this year for IWD?

Education, Law, News

The University of Law appoints Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The University of Law (ULaw) has appointed Patrick Johnson as its Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

With a career in higher education spanning over 20 years, Patrick joins ULaw from The University of Manchester, where he led the institution on all areas of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for the past 13 years. Joining ULaw’s Executive Board, Patrick will report directly to the Vice-Chancellor, supporting the University’s key priority of diversity and inclusion.

As Disabled Students’ Commissioner, Patrick helps universities and colleges to remove the barriers preventing disabled students from accessing and succeeding in higher education, further ensuring students have the best possible experience during their studies. He is also the Deputy Chair of Research England’s Research Excellence Framework 2021 Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel and a member of Wellcome Trust’s diversity and inclusion advisory steering group.

With a huge breadth of experience in widening participation initiatives, Patrick is experienced in supporting strategy and engaging with local communities, groups, employers and educational establishments to support young people in their journey through education, training and employment.

Commenting on his new role, Patrick said: “I am really excited about joining The University of Law at what feels like a pivotal moment in its growth and development. In relation to diversity and inclusion, I have already seen great work taking place across various campuses and I am looking forward to working with colleagues to develop this further.

“My hope is that as a global university we will lead the way on diversity and inclusion in the higher education sector and beyond.”

Professor Andrea Nollent, Vice-Chancellor & CEO at The University of Law, added: “We are delighted to welcome someone of Patrick’s calibre on board as our Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We believe passionately in creating an environment and support services, where everyone, from any background, can succeed.

“We look forward to working with Patrick closely on these matters as we continue to lead the way in providing the best opportunities for all students and staff both present and future.”

To find out more about The University of Law, please visit: https://www.law.ac.uk/

Awards, Diversity, HR News, News

Minority ethnic talent progression impossible without the “deep work” of stakeholders, report finds.

New report calls for senior leaders to use the new year to “surgically diagnose” their HR data to take action against the practices and bad actors that produce disproportionate outcomes for ethnic minority professionals.

A new report released today by the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) in partnership with J.P. Morgan, identifies the gross failings of businesses to collectively address and act upon racial disparity in the workplace.

The report, The Middle: Progressing Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Talent in the Workplace Through Collaborative Action*, is one of the only reports to offer actionable frameworks for businesses, specifically tailored to addressing the challenges of the UK market.

The first framework for action addresses how to create a collaborative task force that unites the efforts of different stakeholder groups into a coherent, effective and strategic solution to improve the career experiences and representation of minority ethnic professionals at senior levels.

The second framework for action builds on the understanding that tackling inequity is not the responsibility of minority ethnic professionals alone, and describes how to build a race allies campaign which spreads the responsibility to members of privileged groups.

The BBBAwards, which has been at the forefront of the movement to improve diversity in UK businesses since 2014, analysed qualitative insights gathered through the lived experience data of four key D&I stakeholders: Human Resource Directors, Network Leads, Diversity and Inclusion Practitioners, and Executive Sponsors from 30 organisations.

The research found that these stakeholders are the key catalysts for organisational change, yet businesses are failing to collectively leverage these roles and address the pervasive barriers that each of them face.

In addition, the report highlights the perception disparity between Executive Sponsors and their people experts, with senior management often having a much more positive view of how the company is addressing race than the people doing the work on the ground.

BBBAwards offers five key guidelines for organisations who are serious about tackling the lack of diversity as they move into 2021:

1. The tone must be set from the top and connect to key performance indicators;

2. People managers must act responsibly and take accountability;

3. There should be alignment and stronger partnership inside organisations;

4. Map the journey;

5. Normalise discussions about race and establish a shared vocabulary.

Sophie Chandauka, Global COO of Shared Services and Banking Operations at Morgan Stanley and co-founder of the BBBAwards, states: “We have seen many charters and pledges signed and publicised over the last year, but pledging is no longer enough. As we begin this new year, senior leaders will need to surgically diagnose their HR data to identify practices and bad actors that produce differentiated outcomes for ethnic minority professionals when it comes to high profile work allocation, mobility opportunities, talent ranking, compensation and promotion. The Middle provides strategic recommendations for cultural and organisational change. There is no quick fix; organisations must commit to the journey in order to provide assurance to shareholders and other stakeholders that deep work is being done to drive meaningful change urgently.”

Melanie Eusebe, co-founder of the BBBAwards, states: “As we enter into the New Year, we are calling on company Chairs, CEOs and HR Directors to identify practices that must be stopped to avoid exacerbating issues and reinforcing barriers for minority ethnic talent progression. There is no better time to begin speaking openly about race, which is the first step towards addressing the problem.”

Tia A. Counts Global CIB and EMEA Head of Advancing Black Leaders of J.P. Morgan, comments in the Key Partner’s Foreword: “It is encouraging to see leaders around the world seize this opportunity to re-commit to doing the hard work it takes to create more inclusive companies. Innovative thinking is just what is needed at this time to move forward. The Middle is a great example of this. Intelligent and specific, its methodology applies a local lens, addressing the specific challenges of the UK market.”

Diversity in Tech, News

14 Binge-worthy Podcasts About Race and Diversity

Sophie Chandauka, co-founder of the Black British Business Awards shares some of her favourite podcasts on race and diversity for 2021:

To start 2021 off right, we’ve assembled a list of binge-worthy podcasts on the topics of race, diversity, and inclusion. Ranging from informative to entertaining, from thought-provoking to soulful, you can be sure to find at least one show which captures your interest.

Where to start

In About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge, bestselling author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, heads up a podcast that takes the conversation a step further. Although there are only a handful of episodes, this podcast still ranks at the top of the list. Eddo-Lodge interviews MPs, activists, artists, journalists and more to discuss anti-racist activism and how it impacts politics today. Listen here: About Race https://www.aboutracepodcast.com/

Emmanuel Acho does not believe that ignorance is bliss. If racism is a disease of the mind, it can only be fixed by recognising and speaking openly about it. He joins famous celebs for uncomfortable conversations about white privilege in America, being brave enough to go where most other people shy away. Listen (or watch) here: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man https://uncomfortableconvos.com/

Diversity and Inclusion – at work and in life

The Diversity Gap podcast focuses on the space between our good intentions and our good impact, specifically on the topics of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Host Bethaney Wilkinson has a goal: “to discover promising practices for closing diversity gaps in our everyday lives and work!” The episode library ended in 2020, but don’t stress. The podcast is continuing in 2021 under a new name. Listen here: The Diversity Gap https://www.thediversitygap.com/podcast-1

Inclusion Works explores how we can build inclusive cultures at work and in life. With new episodes every fortnight, this is a must-listen for anyone interested in tackling the topics of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. You will walk away with information which you can use to drive lasting change. Listen here: Inclusion Works https://www.hivelearning.com/site/inclusionworks/

Professor Binna Kandola OBE, expert on racism in the workplace, interviewed a panel of guests to look at the history of racism and how it comes into play in the workplace. The show doesn’t shy away from tough topics, including discussing micro-aggression and the importance of setting the right tone from the top. Listen here: Racism at Work https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/racism-at-work-podcast/id1471383724

Dr Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey, PhD from LSE, is a global authority on Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. In his weekly podcast, he uses news and trends as the foundation for topical discussions on diversity at work. You might want to start with an episode from last month: Why Diversity & Inclusion Is A Quick Fix For Pandemic Problems. Listen here: Element of Inclusion https://elementofinclusion.com/podcasts

Industry-specific podcasts

Julia Streets, a city entrepreneur with more than 25 years in the financial services industry, hosts DiverCity® Podcast. This podcast focuses on the value of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in the financial services industry. Each episode highlights an area which needs greater focus in order to drive change. Listen here: DiverCity® Podcast http://divercitypodcast.com/

SideHustlePro claims to be “The first and only podcast to spotlight bold, Black women entrepreneurs who have scaled from side hustle to profitable business.” Creator and host Nicaila Matthews Okome used her own experience of shifting from side-hustler to successful entrepreneur in building out this show. With an impressive guest list of Black business owners, this show should interest anyone – male or female – who is keen to start up their own business. Listen here: SideHustlePro https://www.sidehustlepro.co/

Celebrating Your Identity

Hosted by sustainability consultant and creative director Emma Slade Edmondson, and Nicole Ocran, writer and co-founder of The Creator Union, Mixed Up is a podcast for, about, and by mixed heritage people. The show talks about the lived realities a life spent straddling two different heritages. Listen here: Mixed Up Podcast https://mixeduppodcast.libsyn.com/

New York Times bestselling author and teacher Layla F. Saad hosts the Good Ancestor podcast, where she interviews change-makers and culture-shapers. Her aim is to live and work in ways which will leave a better world for the generations to come, specifically Black girls and Black women. Listen here: Good Ancestor podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6Atahbqw5vurttEHrjR7TR

In the 37, and still counting, episodes of Growing up with gal-dem, Liv Little and Charlie Brinkhurst Cuff take a fresh approach to interviews by having their guests look at their own personal journeys. In each episode someone is invited to respond to old diary entries, text messages, or letters from their younger selves – nurturing important conversations about growing up. Listen here: Growing up with gal-dem https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/growing-up-with-gal-dem/id1509199829

Black and British

BBC produces George the Poet’s award-winning and critically-acclaimed show Have You Heard About George’s Podcast? Updated weekly, George the Poet uses a mix of storytelling, fiction and music to provide a look at life in the inner city. Listen here: Have You Heard About George’s Podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07915kd/episodes/downloads

Black, working-class women take over the microphones on The Echo Chamber Pod. Jade and Ez talk about topics which they believe interest Black British people, whether that be working life, family life, emotions or wellbeing. Listen here: The Echo Chamber Podcast https://linktr.ee/TheEchoChamberPodcast

Dope Black Dads is a digital safe space for fathers to discuss their experiences with being Black, a parent and masculinity. In their podcast, together with their special guests, the Dope Black Dads discuss everything from mental health to relationship ups and downs. Listen here: Dope Black Dads https://www.dopeblackdads.com/podcast

The start of a new year is always a great time to focus on self-improvement and education. These podcasts will help you improve your awareness of racism and its impact on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community. Through storytelling, interviews, humour and essays, these podcasters offer something for everyone. Pop in your earbuds and give a few of these a try.

News, Science, South East

Kent med-tech company celebrates International Women’s Day

Every 8th March for over 100 years, International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrates the economic, cultural and political achievements of women as well as building and accelerating women’s equality1. Local med-tech company, Bedfont Scientific Ltd., is proud to celebrate and share its statistics this IWD.

A small second-generation family business of 48 employees, 46% of Bedfont’s workforce is made up of women and so is 50% of their management team.

Bedfont takes pride in being an innovative and progressive company and have taken many steps to improve their employee welfare over the past couple of years, including establishing Well-being Warriors, training up Mental Health First-aiders, building a break-out room for their employees, and much more.

Niki Carter, Office & HR Manager, comments,

“We strive to create a great culture here by defining a diverse and inclusive atmosphere. How we treat our employees has a direct impact on economic growth – happiness leads to increased productivity, creativity, and innovation. It’s really great to see the strides the company are taking to look after us – we see ourselves as the Bedfont Family.”

HR News, Recruitment

3D diversity is the key to winning top Gen Z talent

According to the latest whitepaper from global talent acquisition and management firm, Alexander Mann Solutions, to truly make strides towards a more desirable Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) state, businesses must adopt a three dimensional perspective towards diversity.

In the whitepaper, “Early careers recruitment: What are the opportunities from digitalisation, STEM and Diversity & Inclusion?”, Alexander Mann Solutions goes into detail on the generational perception on Diversity. Previous generations saw diversity as race, gender and religion, however emerging talent now view diversity as three dimensional. This encompasses true cognitive diversity – differences in lifestyle, culture, political beliefs and thinking.

The report also explains how a real commitment to change, which may mean shifting the company culture, is crucial to firmly embed D&I into organisational strategies. For global MNEs, regional nuances must also be factored in.

Diversity quotas may also be ineffective as a long-term sustainable solution to creating three-dimensional D&I workforces. While they can be a quick fix to boost numbers for under-represented groups, targets are more suitable for achieving lasting success. That’s because targets send out a positive signal that diversity is a business imperative.

Commenting on the importance of taking a 3D approach to diversity, Global Head of Emerging Talent Consulting at Alexander Mann Solutions, Jane Clark, said:

“Where once diversity was seen purely in 2D terms – age, ethnicity, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, the definition of diversity to the new generation of workers goes much further and incorporates other facets of a person’s makeup, their different experiences, knowledge and opinions. Often referred to as ‘cognitive’ diversity, it is this mix of different perspectives, ways of thinking and information processing styles that allows teams to solve problems faster. Embracing true cognitive diversity won’t just be beneficial in attracting and retaining top graduates but will also help create more productive and creative workforces.”

Commenting on the emphasis of D&I during training, especially during the induction period, when new joiners can choose to attend workshops on topics of interest, such as LGBT or women’s leadership, Louis Ng, Senior Manager for Early Careers Talent Acquisition at Fidelity International, said:

“I can tell you, it’s something most of the graduate and intern population – more than 78% – is interested in. If you invite them, they will definitely join in, feel a part of the community and want to contribute. So, we encourage those graduates to play an active role in those diverse and inclusive networks.”