Advance Inclusion in your workplace
Lead the way to create inclusive workplaces with expert support, tailored resources, and a vibrant member community. Inclusive Employers membership gives you the tools and insights to advance inclusion and make a lasting impact.
1. Can you tell us how you came to be in your role
I moved back home to the UK after living in Australia for 11 years and wanted to continue the work I was doing with the federal government on Inclusion, Diversity and Wellbeing. I knew Inclusive Employers were very highly regarded and were looking for people with global experience, and I am happy to say, we were a perfect match!
2. Can you share an ‘inclusion moment’ with us – a time when you have felt included either at work or in your personal life?
I had one very recently at a work gathering. I was asked in advance about my sensory needs, how best the event could be inclusive for me as a neurodivergent colleague and given a very clear overview of where to go, what the venue was like and what to expect from the day.
There was no pressure for me to eat in front of people, which can be an issue for me, and a colleague saw me struggling with my thermal comfort levels. I was massively overheating in the London summer (I live in the Highlands; we aren’t used to the heat), and she promptly gave me a fan and a quiet seat by the door. Nobody batted an eyelid at me fanning myself or sitting in the corner away from the bright lights, and I knew then I was in a safe space.
Become an Inclusive Employers member“I love hearing about the wins and the progress members are making in their inclusion and diversity journeys and the day-to-day impact they have on their culture and their colleagues.”
3. What do you love most about your role?
Working with my members. I love hearing about the wins and the progress they are making in their inclusion and diversity journeys and the day-to-day impact they have on their culture and their colleagues. It is not always easy, and sometimes I just create a safe space to debrief on challenges, but I do feel like I am making a difference after every interaction by bringing solutions, reframing challenges and celebrating the wins.
4. What is a typical day like for you?
A good mix of energising meetings with members, delivering training sessions on various topics on inclusion and diversity, continuously learning from my colleagues in our CPD sessions, writing resources, sharing best practice tips and researching topics for clients.
5. What’s been your most memorable moment in your inclusion career?
Being told by colleagues about the impact of my work through strategies, policies, but also through sharing my stories and empowering my team to continue the work. We could read the improved survey results, which were great, but it wasn’t until I left my last role in Australia and read my leaving card filled with hundreds of heartfelt messages and feedback that I realised that I had made a difference, which was humbling and incredibly special.
Do you have more questions for the Inclusive Employers team?
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Advance Inclusion in your workplace
Lead the way to create inclusive workplaces with expert support, tailored resources, and a vibrant member community. Inclusive Employers membership gives you the tools and insights to advance inclusion and make a lasting impact.
Get to know more of the Inclusive Employers team
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