Diversity and inclusion

To work together to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves.

We have 3 key goals:

1. Build a diverse and inclusive workforce and workplace
2. Ensure individuals are supported, respected and have a voice
3. Encourage a workplace and culture where opportunities are open to all.

• We are a group of over 500 talented people from 31 countries, who are based in the diverse cities of Liverpool and London.
• We recognised that we were in the early stages of our journey and still had some way to go to achieving our goals. Our D&I programme is directly linked to our business strategy, and our purpose and our values are at the core of our approach.
• We have focused on five key characteristics: gender, identity, multi-cultural backgrounds, ability and social mobility.
• We researched best practice, engaged with external partners, listened to our staff through working groups, interviews and surveys, and secured full executive support and governance for our plans.
• In 2020 we focussed our strategic priorities on each stage of the employee cycle – through recruitment, onboarding, and development and progression for all employees - including supporting our future leaders and attracting diverse candidates at senior executive and board level.
• Our programme team collaborates across the business: our co-sponsors engage with the executive and board. We have an implementation team, design group, and 31 D&I Champions who are our conduit and link with every member of staff.

• To achieve sustained, long-term success we needed to understand where we were and where we wanted to be, so we established a baseline in key areas at the start of our journey in 2020, 80% of our colleagues provided voluntary diversity data so that we can better understand our demographics.
• From this, we identified goals and targets for the next 5 and 10 years, with a range of metrics to track our progress and help us identify areas for further focus, including:
  • reporting on the progress of our D&I programme deliverables;
  • understanding our workforce demographics, throughout the employee journey;
  • analysing and responding to results from our regular employee engagement surveys;
  • setting ourselves specific targets to increase the proportion of employees from minority ethnic backgrounds, and further increase our gender balance across the organisation (including within senior roles and at board level).

• developed more diverse talent pipelines; implemented a range of measures (such as blind CVs) to ensure objectivity throughout our selection and assessment methods, and established guidance for hiring managers to deliver a positive experience for all candidates.
• set up an Internship programme, across both our sites, for the summer of 2021, with 15 interns joining us from a range of backgrounds.
• integrated our D&I work into our career’s website and onboarding programme.

• identified the behaviours that underpin truly inclusive leadership and incorporated them within our behavioural competency framework to help leaders to understand what good looks like.
• designed an inclusive leadership programme to ensure our leaders feel empowered and equipped to role model inclusive leadership in the way they manage their teams, thereby supporting the diverse needs of their staff.

• engaged an external D&I L&D supplier and commissioned a suite of D&I training programmes for all staff from board level to the frontline.
• celebrated and raised awareness of: Pride, Eid al-Adha, Senior Citizens Day; World Menopause Day, Black History Month, and National Inclusion Week.
• delivered educational sessions on careers and pensions for sixth form students as part of our Social Mobility plans, enlisting volunteers across the business to deliver this in local schools.

• implemented flexible working during the pandemic and lockdowns, so that our colleagues feel connected, engaged and safe, and that we have maintained our service to employers.
• equipped all staff to work from home with flexible working patterns and considerations for staff with family and caring responsibilities.
• conducted a policy review through a D&I lens e.g. ensuring inclusive language and our recruitment policy.
• built D&I principles into our supplier code of conduct and procurement documentation to ensure a common commitment to D&I.
• reviewed and enhanced our existing benefits and implemented new providing inclusive benefits for staff.
• provided a regular programme of support and development in a range of mental health matters for employees.

• set up external partnerships to drive our D&I journey and establish best practice – e.g. Social Mobility pledge, 100 Black Interns, SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunities).
• established a regular D&I Roundtable, engaging with Universities to network and share best practice on D&I, especially looking at the impact of Covid-19 on equality.
• signed up to the Social Mobility pledge to enable us to network with experts in driving our social mobility plans.
• evolved our ESG Responsible Investment proposition through a D&I lens.