Susan’s recommendations include:

1. Create your own traditions that don’t have to be centred on a particular week or celebration. For example, try a week where the focus is on having courageous conversations
2. Consider ways to facilitate employee connections in order to boost cultural awareness and sensitivity.
3. Engaging senior leaders through roundtable discussions and workshops is essential.
4. Leverage communal knowledge and experience about racial inclusion. Creating a safe space for colleagues to share their lived experience goes a long way in retaining diverse talent.
5. Review governance so the focus on racial inclusion isn’t lost in broader D, E&I goals, make it specific and visible.

Progressing the D, E&I strategy

An effective D, E&I strategy can help you create a diverse culture within your business and offer inclusive solutions.

Employee resource groups and networks are an excellent way of supporting and progressing the D, E&I strategy and with good governance in place can help to keep focus and momentum for race equality and other strands; this also has the impact of encouraging all networks to work together and become truly intersectional.

The key points of structure, governance and impact enable the employee networks at HS2 to operate effectively and support the DEI strategy.

• Structure, aligning the employee networks to the HS2 values and DEI strategic goals means their objectives, activity and measures of success support the central DEI values and aims.
• Terms of reference for each network define the expectations of them and what their funding will be, network Chairs are part of the DEI steering group providing a direct link between both parties.
• Senior leaders have objectives and accountabilities related to the networks.
• Openness and transparency – regular updates enable the networks to share activity and feedback with the DEI team and understand the latest DEI updates and diversity data so that everyone knows what is successful and what is harder to change.
• Participation in activity and employee feedback is used to measure impact and progress.

But it’s not just once a year, at HS2 a constant drumbeat and activity of monthly sessions and courageous conversations are central to change.  Linking the networks to the HS2 values has been core to keeping members engaged and improving their understanding of organisational values and how they work day to day.

Staying on course

Bola Gibson, Head of Inclusion and CSR at law firm Osborne Clarke reflected that networks can be very powerful but they can also flounder easily.  Race networks are challenging to run as much of the activity can be emotionally taxing.  It’s important to put a lot of thought into how they’re set up, the activities and support for the people who run it.

Her top tips include:

• Governance is incredibly important, especially where networks have started organically. Define the roles will people have, who their stakeholders are, where accountability lies and how they link with Exec sponsors and formal teams e.g. accounting or HR.
• Networks need to be clear about their role and objectives, a critical friend that challenges the organisation to do better.
• Terms of reference are essential to keep activity focused and on track.
• Plan ahead with 3,6 and 12-month plans so that activity is thoughtful and strategic.
• Agree on how progress will be measured.
• Take the time to reflect and consider the well-being of the people within the network. Big events like Black History month are good opportunities to reflect on the network’s achievements and the people that made it happen.

Discussions in employee resource groups showed consensus that employee networks have a major role to play in advancing the D, E&I strategy through their ability to keep momentum and focus, and create safe spaces for employees to share their experiences.  However, success requires transparency and a whole organisation approach from senior leadership through to all employees.

Get in touch with The Clear Company to find out more about our Clear Diversity Audits to identify inclusivity barriers within your policies, or to learn about our inclusive coaching to advance inclusion in your workplace.