Businesses that are on the front foot will be able to show their employees that the creation of a more inclusive workplace is a priority to them and, ultimately, these are the businesses that will find it easier to retain and attract talent.
The networks helped shape our parental leave policy and support ongoing efforts to hardwire diversity and inclusion into our HR processes, such as talent and recruitment. For example, we now use software to remove gendered language from our job adverts, encouraging a more diverse set of applicants.
Our networks are employee-led, but they also have a sponsor at leadership level to maintain a direct link with management. I sponsor Balance, a network committed to promoting an inclusive working environment and improving gender balance at all levels of Standard Life Aberdeen.
My peers and I have found this system incredibly rewarding. It also supports a culture of transparency, which is something advice businesses of every size can adopt easily.
Greater transparency is gradually being enshrined in legislation. However, businesses that are on the front foot will be able to show their employees that the creation of a more inclusive workplace is a priority to them and, ultimately, these are the businesses that will find it easier to retain and attract talent.
Data collection is essential on this front. But finding out as much as possible about the people that work for you and their experiences, through employee surveys and as a part of the recruitment process, is also the best way to identify areas for improvement.
This can lead to impactful changes that do not cost much to implement, such as reviewing the promotion process.
Making a business more inclusive does not happen overnight, and as an organisation we still have a lot of work to do.
But I am encouraged by the steps we and others in our industry have taken so far and I am confident that with a concerted effort we can reserve negative perceptions and foster a culture that people from every background want to be a part of.
Noel Butwell, chief executive, Adviser (division) at Standard Life Aberdeen
