ACR Journal

October 2022 | November 2022 EQUALITY 32 Lisa-Jayne Cook explores the challenges of creating a diverse and inclusive workforce for the RACHP industry. Men as allies Volume 8 No.6 It is far from a secret that even in this modern age the RACHP industry is dominated by men. Slowly but surely, the need for a diverse workforce is gaining recognition, but how many employers see the value of diversity? I’m not simply talking about increasing the number of women in organisations, but true diversity, beyond protected characteristics and into areas only now beginning to show on our radars, such as neurodiversity, behavioural diversity, and social mobility. A diverse workforce should not be seen as “nice to have”, nor should it be seen as a problem to solve. Diversity is an opportunity. When you get it right, diversity will give you a competitive edge; diversity drives innovation, diversity increases collaboration, diversity improves employee experience and sense of belonging, diversity improves customer satisfaction, diversity improves financial performance, diversity increases corporate reputation and diversity strengthens your brand. There is no quick fix, creating a diverse and inclusive workforce takes time. Just like any other cultural change, diversity and inclusion need to be embedded into the very fabric of your business. And for some businesses, this is going to be a very big shift. Behaviours, assumptions, herd mentality, and unconscious biases all need to be addressed to make this change. The time has come to stop paying lip service to diversity through Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policies. Policies that are often a tick-box exercise, once written they are quickly forgotten, and the very essence of their intent is never translated into positive company culture. Let us take these words and transform them into reality, rethink our approach, open our minds, and make our commitment to change. Yes, it will be hard work at times and will require true leadership, but if we can progress to a culture that embraces diversity from the top to the roots, it will very much be worth it. Call to action Men, this is your call to action, since you hold by far the largest share of leadership positions, I am looking at you to be the catalyst for this change. We need men, in your positions of privilege, to become allies; to advocate and take action to support those who are less represented within your teams. Use your resources, knowledge, and influence to build a working environment where we are all winners. Tasks like culture change come with many great intentions and can seem very promising at the start but will frequently fail due to the enormity of the venture. Some leaders will feel From left, William Torrie (Barclays), Stephen Gill (World Refrigeration Day / Carbon Trust), Vanessa Valley OBE (We Are the City Founder / CEO), Daniel Lopez (Olio), Lee Chambers (Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing Founder / CEO), Sam Cooper-Grey (Global Head of Market Strategy and Engagement, HSBC Business & Global Co-Sponsor HSBC Change Maker), Julia Streets (Streets Consulting CEO) at the Rising Star Awards Lisa-Jayne Cook