Created by the fantastic Emiliana Hall, PregnaHub® is a comprehensive and inclusive digital wellbeing platform designed to support employees throughout pregnancy and early parenthood. Offering expert-led pregnancy yoga, relaxation sessions, midwife Q&A chats, and an extensive e-learning library, PregnaHub® helps organisations provide inclusive, accessible support for their workforce. Available as a corporate benefit, PregnaHub® empowers workplaces to nurture their teams through every stage of pregnancy and beyond.
Our Community is a directory of amazing specialists that can help with all sorts of EDI related issues and challenges that you might be encountering on your journey. Supporting the expectant parents in your workforce, is just one way you can show your appreciation and make your workplace more inclusive.
Starting the journey shows genuine commitment to improving EDI for their people. As a trusted solar panel and battery installer and B-Corp, they are proud to be making a meaningful impact on the environment and the community through their installations and this step shows they are serious about making meaningful impact on the world of work too.
Interested to know what starting the journey could mean for you? Please get in touch to find out more.
Founded by the brilliant Joanna Theis and Gemma Harris (FLPI), Developing Growth is a Learning and Development consultancy that believes learning should be accessible for all. With nearly 20 years of combined experience in learning and development and professional coaching, they pride themselves on designing and delivering programmes that drive positive change that impacts performance, growth and business success. They are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued.
Our Community is a directory of amazing specialists that can help with all sorts of EDI related issues and challenges that you might be encountering on your journey.
Founded by the brilliant 🌍 Tarrah Nhari, with their official launch today 🎉 Tammwe are dedicated to bridging the gap between global businesses and African freelancers. Their marketplace provides a trust-driven platform for freelancers and businesses to discover, connect, collaborate, and transact with each other.
Our Community is a directory of amazing specialists that can help with all sorts of EDI related issues and challenges that you might be encountering on your journey.
This message is even more powerful and important now, than it was 5 months ago when we originally posted it.
Why? I hear you ask…
There is currently so much negative noise out there about EDI (DEI, DE&I or however you want to arrange the letters!).
Headlines suggesting EDI is dead, needs rebranding etc. 🙄
In light of what is happening in the US, it is easy to see why some people, organisations and the media are jumping on that particular bandwagon right now. Having Trump as a friend, rather than an adversary, probably seems a sensible option.
However, if you are an organisation with principles (and nothing to gain from having Trump as your mate), that understands it’s people are it’s greatest asset, why wouldn’t you show them you have their back?
Cancelling, re-branding or down-playing EDI sends a very clear message to your people (especially women, disabled, LGBTQ+, global ethnic majority, religious, neurodiverse, low socio-economic etc.) and customers:
✅ You are OK with them being discriminated against. ✅ You don’t want to have to treat them ethically/fairly. ✅ You don’t really want them working for/buying from you.
It might take a little while to feel the affects of this move, whilst they start looking for jobs with an employer (or products/services from a supplier) who does value them.
But they will vote with their feet soon.
At a time when division and hatred seems to be all around us, NOW is the perfect time to take a stand, be proud to be different and show how much ALL your employees and customers matter to you.
Founded by the fantastic Cecilia Harvey, Cultural Nexus design data-informed frameworks that embed inclusion, drive innovation and create lasting impact. Utilising the GC Index and their Cultural Intelligence Assessment they help organisations turn diversity into a strategic advantage.
Our Community is a directory of brilliant specialists that can help with all sorts of EDI related issues and challenges that you might be encountering on your journey.
In Race Equality Week it seems particularly appropriate to talk about Ethnic underrepresentation
Understanding the benefits having a diverse workforce brings to an organisation, shows it is an issue that shouldn’t be ignored by companies wanting to attract the best talent, to innovate and be market-leaders. Yet it is a complex and challenging issue, one that many organisations still struggle to address effectively.
We are often asked if introducing quotas is the best way to address representation. The simple answer for us, is “no”. No-one wants to be hired because of the colour of their skin (or any other characteristic). People want to be hired to do a job well, because they are the best candidate for the job. We acknowledge hiring is just part of the solution, talent retention and development are also essential to address underrepresentation, long-term, but will save those topics for another day!
Many organisations believe they hire on meritocracy, but actually need to closely examine their policies and processes to understand the barriers to entry that often exist (unintentionally, or otherwise), which have created inequality in the status quo – and therefore underrepresentation.
Whilst we aren’t a fan of quotas, the first step to addressing underrepresentation is to diagnose who is missing from your workforce. Analysing your existing workforce, by level and job role is an essential starting point.
Considering factors such as location and industry are also important in understanding your talent make-up.
If an organisation is based in rural Cornwall the demographic of available, local talent will be very different than if you are based in central London and may require additional effort.
Historically many industries were dominated by a particular ethnic group or gender. Knowing your industry, the challenges or opportunities that brings, is also essential to successfully address representation.
Understanding how your workforce compares to the population helps you identify who is missing. You can then begin to identify why they are missing. This is rarely as straightforward as bias (unconscious or intentional) from hiring managers during the interview process.
Insisting a candidate has 10 years of industry experience, when historically the industry has been dominated by White talent, immediately eliminates all candidates of Ethnic heritage who are, otherwise, brilliantly qualified for the role. Likewise, requiring candidates to have a degree, doesn’t necessarily guarantee their suitability or aptitude for a role.
Often job descriptions, policies and hiring processes are outdated and need to be completely reimaged to attract and measure talent effectively for today’s workforce. Doing what you’ve always done, simply perpetuates the inequalities and barriers that have been created historically. Review what you are asking for in a job description. Is it relevant to the role? How could it eliminate some groups of people? Revisit your policies and processes to ensure they are fit for purpose. AI based recruitment and talent platforms are also prone to learning bias quickly, so ensure human and AI learning is unbiased and genuinely removing barriers for everyone.
Many organisations (if they monitor EDI data during their hiring process) often conclude the “diverse talent” they hoped to attract, does not exist if “they” don’t apply for a role.
Lack of applications is not usually an accurate reflection of the talent that exists – it simply reflects the talent that is attracted to your organisation.
Lack of attraction can occur because unreasonable hiring criteria eliminates the talent you want, as mentioned above. But is also hugely impacted by what a candidate sees when they look at your organisation. Does it appeal to them? Do they believe they would be welcome and enjoy working for the company? Seeing someone like you represented is powerful if you are from an ethnic or marginalised background. It sends a clear message, you are welcome, you belong and you can flourish here!
The challenge to attract diverse talent can be made harder when the route into an industry, as a whole, is also historically un-diverse (Construction, STEM, Financial Services etc.) and requires intervention much earlier.
So, what do you do if your organisation or industry is not diverse? The answer from an organisational perspective starts with more analysis. Review your messaging and imagery – does your website and social media appeal to your target audience? Does it signal to people they are welcome? Get external feedback from the audiences you want to attract. If changes are required, make sure they are authentic, not tokenistic.
If you are in an industry where ethnic talent is underrepresented, undertaking proactive initiatives that reach that audience and raise awareness of the routes into the industry is essential. Reaching and engaging young people in education and early stage career events creates pathways for fresh new talent, helping to level the playing field.
Publicly showing your support and investment in these initiatives and actively inviting young talent to your business increases your future talent pipeline and is a powerful tool for attracting all talent that exists now. By being a trailblazer in your industry, you automatically become the employer of choice, attracting both active and passive talent.
The Land Collective is one such initiative working to address the barriers that prevent young people from underrepresented backgrounds from accessing careers in the real estate and built environment sectors. These industries have historically relied on established networks and traditional recruitment pathways that often exclude those without prior exposure or industry connections. As a result, many talented individuals are unaware of the opportunities available or struggle to navigate hiring processes that don’t account for different starting points.
To tackle these challenges, The Land Collective focuses on both awareness and preparedness, ensuring that young people not only see real estate as a viable career option but also have the skills and confidence to succeed. Their programmes in partnership with employers provide structured routes into the sector, equipping early talent with industry knowledge, technical training, and professional development opportunities. By embedding employer engagement into these programmes, they help businesses build relationships with diverse candidates long before they enter the formal recruitment process, strengthening their early talent pipelines in a meaningful way.
A proactive approach makes a real difference, not just in attracting applications from underrepresented groups, but in ensuring long-term career progression. Many of the young people they work with go on to secure roles in the industry, and continued support beyond the initial hiring stage helps them to thrive. For employers, this means rethinking how they connect with talent, moving beyond passive recruitment strategies to actively investing in the next generation.
Employers who take a long-term approach to inclusion, supporting talent from the early stages of their career through to leadership, will be the ones driving real change across the sector.
As mentioned, attracting and hiring diverse talent is only part of the equation to improve representation. Like the proverbial leaky bucket, if you are then losing your diverse talent, it will be a never ending challenge to fill the bucket. This is where retention and development are crucial.
To tackle underrepresentation at Leadership level in organisations of every size, retention and barriers to progression (glass and concrete ceilings) must be tackled. Cultures and environments must be inclusive for everyone – allowing people to perform and thrive as their authentic selves.
This month the brilliant Lydia Charilaou, CEO & Founder of Labyrinth Consultants Limited has been discussing the importance of goal setting. Her insights reminded us how essential goals are for advancing EDI initiatives.
Lydia emphasises the importance of effective goal setting, whether personal, professional or both (Click https://lnkd.in/dT4BDciS to watch the OnDemand recording). She highlights the importance of humanising goals by connecting emotions, thoughts and behaviours to the process. Lydia also shares valuable insights on establishing the “why” behind goals, especially for measuring impact and identifying benchmarks, milestones, and achievements.
From an EDI perspective, clients often come to us with the broad goal of “improving EDI”. They know they need or want to make improvements but aren’t sure exactly what or how to begin.
Identifying what needs to change, and why, is often the hardest task. Without that understanding, EDI goal setting becomes vague and immeasurable. This lack of direction can lead to a loss of focus and enthusiasm. Importantly, when success measures have not clearly been defined nor has consideration been given on ways to measure impact (and often ROI), Leadership may withdraw budget and support.
To address these challenges Labyrinth Consultants’ ‘Humanising Goals for Impact’ masterclass delves into the alignment of personal values with professional aspirations. It explores creating adaptable and meaningful goal-setting processes that truly resonate with individuals. Additionally, it highlights how enhancing employee morale and productivity can be achieved through better goal alignment.
Founded by the brilliant Lydia Charilaou, Labyrinth Consultants specialise in creating environments where every voice is heard and valued. Their mission aligns perfectly with ours, to transform toxic, challenging workplaces into inclusive, high-performing spaces.
Our Community is a directory of brilliant specialists that can help with all sorts of EDI related issues and challenges that you might be encountering on your journey.
If you are B-Corp Certified, or working to become certified soon, you will know they are undergoing the biggest evolution of their standards in their 17-year history.
There has been speculation about them introducing a minimum scoring standard in each pillar. So, what might that mean for B-Corps who achieve most of their score in two or three categories?
In our recent research, we found that 50% of UK B-Corps listed Workers as their number one priority for becoming certified, closely followed by Community.
After some examples of poor people-practices in B-Corps hitting the headlines this year, we’re predicting a tighter focus on Workers and Community in the new standards.
In B-Corps in the UK, employing over 50 people, the average Workers score is 32.4. The highest Workers score is 73.3 and the lowest, a worrying 12.9.
The average Community score is 19.1. With highest and lowest scores being 39.8 and 5.6 respectively. The highest DEI score is 12.
EDI News 