The benefits of becoming a diverse and inclusive media and events business

The movement by organisations and employers to truly inclusive and diverse has been growing in strength for years. Their aim is to stop it being a box-ticking exercise and instead for it to be a normal practice that is echoed in actions by employees across the whole business.

As well as being a legal obligation, (employers are governed by The Equality Act 2010 to make sure their workplace is fair to all) the benefits of being an inclusive and diverse employer are huge. As a recruiter to the media and events industry, in the 10 plus years, I’ve been helping clients find the right talent, I’ve seen how businesses have benefited from being diverse and inclusive. I’m thrilled to say businesses in this sector are very good at being inclusive. But that doesn’t mean, there isn’t room for improvement!

Read on to find out why becoming a diverse and inclusive employer is good for your business, and simple steps you can immediately implement to drive change in your business.

What is a diverse and inclusive working environment?

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines a diverse and inclusive environment as, “one in which everyone feels valued, their contribution matters and they are able to perform to their full potential, no matter their background, identity or circumstance”.

The benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce

I’ve spoken with numerous businesses who have implemented diversity and inclusive policies into their workplace and from their feedback, the top three benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce are:

1. It has the ability to bring you closer to your customers – when your workforce represents the customers you serve, you have a better understanding of their needs. This knowledge allows you to adapt your service or product offering to fulfil this need
2. Teams are more productive – teams that are diverse bring different skills to the table and such are able to offer different solutions to problems. A study by Deloitte echoes this belief. This study found that innovative thinking by employees of businesses who are supportive of diversity increased by a staggering 83%
3. Helps in hiring and retention– having a policy that outlines the company’s approach to diversity and inclusion has proven to help in the hiring of staff. Research by PWC shows that 54% of women and 45% of men, research a company’s policy on diversity and inclusion before applying for a role. If you have one but aren’t publicly communicating it, you could be missing out some top talent. In addition to this, employers also reported that since implementing a diversity and inclusion policy their employees feel more valued and respected, which can result in staff staying in their roles for longer

Steps to becoming a diverse and inclusive employer

If you are looking to implement a diversity and inclusion policy into your business or are looking for ideas to bolster the one you currently have, here are some simple steps you can take to ensure your business is diverse and inclusive:

1. Ask your employees if they feel the business is diverse and inclusive. Based on the feedback you receive you can follow this up by asking for suggestions on how to make it more inclusive
2. Review past job applications to see if you’re attracting a diverse range of candidates
3. Check your job posts and other recruiting documents to see if they reference gender or contain biased wording
4. Review your company’s interview processes to ensure they don’t alienate any sectors of society
5. Ensure managers are supported in making changes
6. Any changes to processes should be made slowly, one or two at a time, any more than this and it can be overwhelming for all involved
7. Review your internal promotion processes and ensure staff are actively encouraged to apply for senior roles
8. Create a culture where differences are valued, and where staff feel confident to share their ideas

Sources of support and advice

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are a big issue, and from the outset, it may seem daunting, particularly as there’s a legal obligation (and moral obligation) for you to get it right. But, don’t panic, you don’t have to do it on your own, there are several organisations who are on hand to support you and offer advice. Here are just a few of them:

• Business in the Community – http://www.bitc.org.uk/ – fight to resolve issues around unfairness in society and work for a more sustainable future
• Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion – http://www.enei.org.uk/ – leading UK employer network promoting equality and inclusion in the workplace
• Equality and Diversity Forum – http://www.edf.org.uk/ – collection of organisations that work across the areas of equality and human rights
• Inclusive Employers – http://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/ – membership organisation for employers who are looking to build an inclusive workplace

These organisations (and others) regularly hold events and seminars throughout the year which offer valuable insights to businesses of all sizes. Additionally, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) also hosts a large conference covering this topic, further details can be found on the CBI website.

As someone who deals with company CEO’s and hiring managers on a daily basis, it’s part of my role to assist you with being an inclusive employer. We are proud to say we put forward candidates who we believe will be an asset to your company and who share your passion, irrelevant of their background. To discuss how we can help you with your requirement needs, give us a call on 0779 9898 346 or email me on helen@jbrecruitment.co.uk.

Changing jobs is a big decision and one we recommend you consider carefully before putting on your best suit and stepping into an interview.

Why you are thinking of changing jobs?

Working out why you want to leave you company is key to ensuring you don’t end up in the same situation again. This quick check list may help you start to think about your job & career:

• Are you happy when you are at work, are you enjoying your job?
• Do you feel challenged?
• Are you appreciated by your team and management?
• Do you feel pleased when you pay cheque arrives?
• Can you see the next step in your career with your current employer?
• Do you feel you are still learning and developing your skills?
• Are your values, ethics and goals still in-line with your employers?
• Are you goals and ethics in line with the businesses?
• If something specific has caused you to consider leaving can your employer rectified or change this?

What are the options?

There are lots of great job opportunities available in the events industry. You could consider working for a company which is:

• Small / medium sized, privately owned businesses
• Large International corporate organisations
• New or recently formed Start up events companies
• A niche player in the events industry
• Located overseas – relocate?

You could consider setting up your own events business or Freelancing for different companies.

The Job

Think about what you do enjoy about your job & employer and what you would like the next position to include such as; work on bigger events, niche events, international conferences, manage a team, launch a new portfolio, focus more on topic generation, grow a business etc……

Consider the type of company you would like to work for; where they are located, the people who you would be working with, their values & ethics, their vision for business. Having synergy across these areas can be critical to feeling on board and part of the team.

Salary (basic, commission and benefits) is important, Jackson Barnes Recruitment will advise on the industry averages across marketing, conference production, sales and event management and offer specific salary guide based on your personal experience & skills.

Often looking at job descriptions can inspire professionals to consider where to go next in their career. Please register with us to receive the latest job updates or contact one of the team for advice on your personal job search 0203 488 2620 email helen@jbrecruitment.co.uk

LUNCH FOR LESS

An eye opening survey recently found that workers spend around £1580 on average a YEAR just on their lunch, not including extra snacks and drinks. Eating out is definitely easier than making food and planning lunches, but for cost conscious graduates, is it really worth spending so much money in this area?

There are plenty of benefits of bringing your own food into work. Not only does it save money, but it’s normally healthier (depending on what you bring) as you know exactly what ingredients you’ve used. Plus, shop bought items often come in endless plastic containers, whereas you can use reusable Tupperware or bags, so it’s more environmentally friendly. Also, if you don’t want to go completely cold turkey, why not bring in lunch but still buy snacks and drinks? Or, bring in food for three or 4 days of the week and eat out once or twice.

It doesn’t have to require lots of planning ahead either. For example, using leftovers from the night before for lunch is cost effective and saves waste. It’s often easier to cook in bulk, such as a pasta bake or lots of roasted veg, that will keep for the rest of the week and make a few meals. To keep costs down, buy staple cupboard ingredients that last for a long time e.g. lentils, pasta, couscous, beans and chickpeas. Any of these can be mixed up with some vegetables and meat if you wish. Lunch doesn’t need to be fancy – a simple sandwich or a wrap can be made with ingredients already in the fridge.

Here are some recipe ideas that are budget friendly, quick and healthy:

• Tuna salad https://studenteats.co.uk/recipes/fish/the-ultimate-tuna-salad-recipe-6366.html
• Vegetable and chicken couscous https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5-day-couscous
• BLT pasta salad https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/blt-pasta-salad
• Homemade hummus https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/simple-houmous/
• Greek salad wraps https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/greek-salad-wraps.html