Guest blog: How employees’ voice matters by Akeesh Khokhar, Senior Recruitment Consultant, Harvey Nash and Megan Johnson, D&I and Employee Experience Co-ordinator, Nash Squared
As co-chair of our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Council, I am continually inspired by the dedication and passion of our employees towards creating a more inclusive workplace. At Nash Squared, we firmly believe that every voice matters, and it's this belief that propels our efforts in fostering an environment where all individuals feel valued, respected, and heard.
Today, I want to shine a spotlight on the invaluable contributions of our employees' voices to our D&I initiatives. Our commitment to inclusion isn't just a top-down directive; it's a collaborative endeavour where every team member plays a vital role. Through various channels such as surveys, focus groups, and town hall meetings, we've actively sought out and listened to the diverse perspectives and experiences of our workforce.
One powerful tool that has amplified employee voices within our organisation is the Hive platform. The results from Hive have provided us with invaluable insights into the thoughts, concerns, and aspirations of our employees regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.
By leveraging this data, we've been able to identify areas for improvement, implement targeted interventions such as addressing unconscious bias in hiring and promotion processes to fostering a more inclusive culture through targeted training and leadership development programs. The feedback received through Hive has been instrumental in guiding our strategic priorities.
Amplifying employee voice through our ERGs
It was also following feedback in Hive we extended our Employee Resource Group (ERG) Network to include NASHability. We now have 4 ERGs - NASHpride, ethNASHity, wo+men@NASH and NASHability, who work to ensure we foster an inclusive environment and that the voices of underrepresented groups in the organisation can be heard.
We are now three months into FY2024, and we wanted to highlight some of the remarkable campaigns from our ERGs to connect the business and drive meaningful change.
- In February, ethNASHity organised an Unconscious Bias webinar featured by the esteemed speaker DeLibra Wesley which focused on tools and strategies for fostering inclusion and navigating challenging discussions effectively. We had an incredible 124 people across the globe join us live and ethNASHity provided each person with a handout of key takeaways.
- NASHability, launched the ‘Inclusive Insights’ communication series, aimed at educating and promoting greater understanding on certain topics and by doing so, helping build a more inclusive culture. We have so far seen two articles one on Seasonal Affective Disorder and one on Microsoft’s Ability Summit. NASHability will continue to share Inclusive Insights at the end of every month.
- In March, wo+men@NASH launched the EmpowHER Inclusion awards aimed at recognising and celebrating the remarkable achievements of women and men who go above and beyond to inspire empower as well elevate other women in Nash Squared. We had an incredible 24 winners and over 300 nominations across the globe. We look forward to running these awards annually.
- This April, NASHpride launched Nash Squared’s Poetry Anthology aimed at bringing everyone together, through poetry. The anthology will be made up from a collection of existing published poems chosen by employees and personal submissions by employees and their family members.
"Join the Global ERG Network: Be Part of Something Big!"
Joining the Global ERGs isn't just about networking — it's about catalysing real-life change. We want our ERG network to be representative of our global reach so we can leverage collective insights, experiences, and resources to drive meaningful change on a local and global scale as well as being a trailblazer for our clients and candidates.
Your voice matters, and by being part of this network, you're not just a passive observer — you're an active agent of change. So, let's come together, harness the power of diversity, and build a more inclusive future for all. Our future at Nash Squared.
For more information on how to join one of the ERG networks, please reach out to your People & Culture representative or contact Akeesh Khokhar, Megan Johnson or Helen Hadley.