The Empower pillar of inclusion

Empower case study: Role model campaign to show representation

Read on to learn more about the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) role model campaign and how this led them to score highly in the Empower pillar and receive Bronze Standard in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2023.

The Inclusive Employers Standard assessors reflected that IOSH “demonstrated a great example of how to utilise a role model campaign to share colleague stories and show meaningful visibility and representation.”

Empower by sharing stories

The purpose of the IOSH “Stories campaign” was to “improve awareness, reduce siloed working, encourage individuals to celebrate difference and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work.” These objectives are aligned with the purpose of the Empower pillar of inclusion.

The IES assessors were impressed because IOSH’s approach allowed them to “visibly profile colleagues by linking the campaign to different inclusion events and feature colleagues at all levels.”

The IOSH launched the role model campaign by “showcasing a junior colleague sharing her role, hobbies, family life and South Asian Heritage. The article was deliberately highlighting a junior colleague who worked in an operational role, to recognise that inclusion role models come from all areas and levels of the organisation. The campaign went on to share stories from other role models who “chose to speak about topics such as health conditions, the importance of the correct pronunciation of names and inclusive behaviours.”

Authentically celebrating inclusion and diversity

Why did IOSH chose the Stories campaign? “The campaign was proposed by staff as part of a wider EDI development plan. The internal communications team use a specific structure and guidance to allow them to collect and present information in a way that avoids tokenism and stereotyping and portrays the individual accurately and authentically, rather than simply highlighting an underrepresented characteristic. A great importance is placed in ensuring the individuals profiled always have full control over their stories, controlling the narrative and reviewing the final product.”

Inclusion was a consideration at every stage of the Stories campaign, including presentation and communication: “these articles were presented in engaging and easy to read formats to increase accessibility and impact and were communicated through a range of different internal channels. Senior leadership were also involved in the project both to support the communication and share their own stories to highlight the importance of inclusion in the organisation and demonstrate top-down inclusive role modelling.”

Laura Mack, Senior People Business Partner, IOSH, highlights the impact of the Inclusive Employers Standard: