National Inclusion Week 2019

Posted by Foundation Recruitment on 27th September 2019 -

As it’s National Inclusion Week, we wanted to share some of our inclusion initiatives to inspire inclusivity amongst other businesses.

To raise awareness internally, this week we are running ‘INCLUSIVI-TEA’, encouraging all staff to take a break and grab a tea/coffee with a colleague they wouldn’t ordinarily interact with.

However, we believe inclusivity should be championed all year round, not just this week. Below are just a few of the initiatives we run:

Meetings

We conduct morning meetings (almost) every day, sharing what new projects or roles we’re working on, market news and positive achievements from the previous day/week.

We also have weekly 1-1 meetings, giving all employees the opportunity to highlight any issues or concerns, as well as receive recognition for success.

Interviews

When interviewing potential new team members, we include employees at the second stage (not just Directors). This gives the interviewee an insight into our culture and a different viewpoint whilst involving the wider team in business growth.

Social Events and Rewards

• On the last Friday of the month, the whole company finishes early and goes for team drinks – funded by the business to ensure everyone can attend. This really encourages different members of the team to socialise and get to know each that don’t ordinarily interact at work.
• Monthly presentations and awards are delivered to share wider business growth plans, any changes, achievements and updates on targets.
• We host quarterly events to celebrate individual and company-wide achievements. This includes a company presentation, dinner, drinks and a team activity which has included York races, Bowling, Pizza Making and Go-Karting, amongst much more!
• There is a ‘brag board’ in each office to encourage peer feedback and provide an opportunity to celebrate individual wins and achievements – no matter how big or small!

Holidays and CSR

We celebrate and support a wide range of holidays throughout the year such as PRIDE, Christmas, Breast Cancer Awareness and Children in Need, to name a few – creating an inclusive and fun environment! We also partner with The Mustard Tree, a homeless charity in Manchester, and encourage all employees to get involved with the initiatives and campaigns we run.

Associations

We strive to deliver the highest standards of employment practice and in 2018 we were proudly awarded our third consecutive Investors in People Gold accreditation – an accolade only 16% of Investors in People’s worldwide community have achieved.

We are also active members of the ENEI (Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion) to inform and support us with the evolving nature of diversity and inclusion.

Additional Benefits

We have recently reviewed and added to our benefits package to ensure they appeal to all employees and support an inclusive environment. After listening to employee’s suggestions, we now offer work from home days, dress down Fridays and a free subscription to the Calm app, amongst much more!

We also have a Mental Health First Aid Champion in situ to observe and be a confidante to employees on their work-based stress levels and provide the support needed.

Employee Contribution

We conduct bi-annual surveys to allow employees to give anonymous feedback on all areas of the business, from which we adjust and change procedures, benefits etc. where possible.

Team Environment

• All employees conduct a psychometric test. We share these results with the team to help employees understand how to best work with colleagues.
• We all sit in an open-plan office, including Directors, so employees can always listen and learn from experience as well as gain support and feedback.
• We encourage employees (at all levels) to run office initiatives and games that they enjoy and feel motivated by.

Katrina Whitehead