By HOLLY PARTON
Senior Manager
I joined Hays in 2011 after moving up to London from Winchester eight years ago, and have spent that time building on my expertise within construction and property recruitment, and more specifically facilities management. This is an area currently seeing huge growth and investment, and over the years I have worked on some really exciting, innovative projects, won some big accounts, and seen candidates I have placed actually become clients.
I love the industry I work in, and feel I am able to give my professional best in part due to the diverse and inclusive working environment that Hays provides. An organisation that makes everyone feel that their opinion is respected and their personal differences appreciated is one that gets the very best out of their employees, and so here are a few key benefits of working at an organisation that fosters diversity and inclusivity:
1. You perform better when you’re able to be yourself
I believe that employees are better able to fulfil their potential in a working environment that prioritises inclusivity and respects and appreciates the different backgrounds and experiences that people can bring to the table. Hays works hard to make people feel involved, connected, and enabled to give their best, which in turn helps our business tap into a greater wealth of ideas. Fostering diversity within an organisation drives innovation by gauging a range of opinions that both reflect the society in which we live, and help to shape the way that the business will evolve going forward.
2. You gain a sense of belonging
Embracing diversity and inclusion within an organisation helps to develop a culture that is both caring and supportive. For Mental Health Awareness Week this year I organised a ‘Come Dine with Hays’ lunch event, where everyone brought in a different dish that they’d made. It encouraged everyone to move around and speak to people who they might not have normally, demonstrating how initiatives that raise awareness around the importance of recognising people’s differences can be used to champion kindness and understanding. Closer and more united teams are better able to align ideas and execute them to achieve excellent working results.
3. You can help to lead the way
Whilst real progress has been made on the diversity and inclusion agenda in recent years, there is still much to be done and Hays is proud to be helping to lead the way in terms of thought leadership and diversity and inclusion policies and practices. We have helped thousands of employers recruit and retain a diverse range of talent through our expertise and extensive network, and helping to spearhead this movement through an active role in people and culture is a personal objective of mine.
I am currently helping to take the lead on creating a ‘Pride’ network at Hays, which is a staff community designed to represent and support LGBTQ+ professionals throughout their careers with us. This is a project I am extremely passionate about, and I look forward to working with Hays as they continue to act as catalysts for change – modelling diversity and inclusion best practice internally and helping the organisations we work with to do the same.
Find out more about the opportunities available and start your Hays story today.
