Guest blog: Why diversity, equity and inclusion is so important to OneFamily

Something that I’ve noticed more and more in recruitment and promotion interviews is that people want to be part of a team that they know they’ll thrive in, writes OneFamily’s Chief Financial Officer, Philippa Herz.

The talented applicants that I’ve met often say that the diversity within our business makes us more attractive as an employer. Being able to see someone who is like you at all levels of the organisation means that you know you’ll have a voice; that you’ll be heard.

We’re very lucky at OneFamily that our diverse workforce is reflected from our Board and Executive Team to our most junior roles. It’s something we’re very proud of. We want those differing perspectives at all levels, because we are mirroring the society in which we are existing. So, diversity is also essential in helping us to understand our customers.

It’s important for those who are in the early stages of their career to be able to look at our Executive Team and our most senior management layers, and see someone that they relate to.  We want them to be able to think, ‘That person is a bit like me,’ – and to aspire to move up the organisation. 

Similarly, it’s vital that women are involved in all levels of our organisation – our Board is over 50% women. This isn’t because we’ve actively recruited women, they’ve simply been the best people for the job. But in terms of representation, if you look at our customers, a very large proportion of them will be women. And it’s very often women who are making the financial decisions in their households.

As an inclusive employer we seek to have an environment that supports people whose circumstances might not enable them to work a traditional nine to five; five days a week. For example, those with caring responsibilities - whether that’s people looking after older relatives, parents or even grandparents who look after their grandchildren – these are all people with skills and experience that we value. They shouldn’t be lost to the jobs market because of a tunnel-visioned view of employment bound by inflexibility. So, we actively seek to accommodate people with other responsibilities or who need additional support to enable them to be able to do their job.

The point I’m making here is that we’re all different – and that’s a wonderful thing that needs to be embraced and celebrated by organisations. We each bring something new to the conversation and we all deserve the opportunity to shine.  Why should people’s life aspirations be limited simply because of who they are or their life circumstances? That’s simply unfair.

It makes good business sense too. To be relevant to our customers, we need to make sure that our own management and decision making reflects their communities.  Having a diverse team positively influences the products and services that we develop, and how we talk about them.

Because representation is as important to our customers as it is to our colleagues.