Blog: Why Diversity Matters
Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) and why it is so important in the workplace.
We caught up with Head of People and D & I Lead, Vicki Lomas, who shares her thoughts…
“At Onward we’re committed to creating positive spaces, which extends not only to our customers in the communities we serve but to our workplace, providing positive spaces that are open, diverse and inclusive.
For us, diversity is about celebrating difference and acknowledging the benefit of having a range of perspectives in decision-making. We have an inclusive working environment in which everyone feels valued, that their contribution matters and that they can perform to their full potential, no matter their background, identity or circumstances.
Our People
Our latest colleague survey (Oct 2021), show 79% of our employees are engaged with Onward (with an impressive 84% participation rate). Their feedback is critical to our successes – put simply all our employees have a role to play in making a positive impact, telling our story, spotting opportunities, and delivering the outcomes that make #TheOnwardDifference.
We have created a sense of belonging within Onward and we hope this is attractive for future candidates to want to join us too. On average our employees have been with us for 8 years; a testament to their commitment to delivering services to our customers but also our dedication to creating a great place to work and for colleagues to reach their full potential.
Onward’s Diversity and Inclusion Forum
Having an active and engaged Diversity and Inclusion Forum with colleagues from different backgrounds, is our positive safe space to discuss, comment and inform our developments on policies and ways of work. This creates a place to raise broader issues that matter to individuals and helps drive our approach.
We are committed to being an inclusive hiring employer and continuing to showcase what Onward has to offer that makes us unique.
We know that future candidate expectations will be less about performance but more about our culture and how we offer flexible and inclusive working options, our employee benefits to enable them to thrive and be their best, and the social value contributions we deliver now and our aspirations for the future.
Our commitment
We are a Disability Confident and Real Living Wage Employer. In 2021 we were proud to be awarded the Investors in People Silver accreditation and will continue to ensure that we create partnerships that support and drive our approach to diversity and inclusion.
Final thoughts…
If we all thought the same, looked the same, behaved the same and shared the same skills and interests, where would we find our inspiration to create greater things. A diverse workplace is an important asset and fundamental for maximum productivity and overall business success. So, for Onward it makes business sense! “
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