IWD 2024: Inspiring Inclusion

What does inclusion mean for you and your company? 

We solve business problems for our clients through creativity. The end result might be anything from a brand to a campaign to a film to an interior scheme. The best way for us to get to the best outcome is not to follow the path of least resistance, to embrace chaos in the problem-solving process. This requires a myriad of voices, skills, approaches and relationships. It’s what makes our workplace tick and what inclusion means to us.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a bigger spotlight on inclusivity in the workplace, how has this affected your space? The first step is recognition and making the change, if there was a turning point or a highlight for change in your organisation, what was it and what did you do?

There was no particular turning point for us; we’re proud to support and advocate for that bigger spotlight, but we didn’t feel the need to make specific changes, just to continue on the path we outlined above.

Is there a specific figure which symbolises International Women’s Day or Inclusion that you/your company looks up to? 

So many.

But today I’m going to choose a country – France. By no means without its challenges like all countries, but the vote the French parliament have taken this week to ensure that women have protected freedom to choose abortion enshrined as a constitutional right, sends such an important message about women having agency over their own bodies. So as a symbol of IWD, it can’t be overstated in in my opinion.

What role can allies and senior leaders play in advocating for equality in the workplace and championing the advancement of anyone into leadership roles?

Never stop listening and learning – from each other, from each new workforce generation. Always resist the urge to rest on any perceived laurels. There’s always more to do.

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The focus for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Inspiring inclusivity’ – is there anything that you have actioned in your business that has made an impact that you’d like to see other companies try/do

KER Communications is a digital marketing collective of talent based anywhere! 

We are a collective of hybrid, innovative thinkers. We push boundaries, encouraging brands to be bolder and more inclusive. With our strategic mindset, deep understanding and love of culture, and creative intuition, we have redefined what it means to be a communication agency. We seamlessly navigate the realms of online and offline – sitting at the crossroads of digital, creativity and culture.

At KER, we haven’t just adapted to flexible working – it’s at our core. The pandemic made me reevaluate a lot about life. Having spent over ten years in London, I decided to return home and begin my business in Yorkshire. My location wasn’t going to prevent me from working with amazing clients and talent. And I knew that for the business to thrive, everyone needed the freedom to make work ‘work’ with their life. 

There’s no such thing as a perfect work-life balance. It’s about embracing what each day throws at you. I’m very against a typical work day – the 9-5 is old-fashioned. As a business owner, let’s be transparent, that can sometimes be 7am-10 pm, but on the flip side, there are days when I finish early just because the sun is shining! I want my team to run their timetable. I don’t need to know the hours they work. What’s important is the work we produce, and their ability to stay inspired and curious! 

Over the last few years we’ve seen a bigger spotlight on inclusivity in the workplace, how has this affected your space? The first step is recognition and making the change, if there was a turning point or a highlight for change in your organisation, what was it and what did you do?

To me, inclusion means belonging and togetherness.

Never ME always WE.

For me a successful business at its heart is a thriving community.

Choosing the right person, giving them the flexibility to do an incredible job and also be themselves – I strongly believe that’s how you get the best from people. I’m focused on cultivating a positive environment with inspiring individuals. When it comes to hiring, I often prioritise a curious mind, positive attitude and emotional aptitude over technical proficiency. Traits such as kindness and integrity hold greater significance to me. 

Is there a specific figure which symbolises International Women’s Day or Inclusion that you/your company looks up to?

It’s always nice to name-check those who are doing great things to change the world – but then that leaves so many amazing, strong, fierce, hard-working and incredible women without their name up in lights. And it’s all these women who work to make our place in the world an equal one who deserve our respect and admiration, their collective power – that’s inspiring.

What role can allies and senior leaders play in advocating for equality in the workplace and championing the advancement of anyone into leadership roles?

Allies and senior leaders play a crucial role in advocating for equality in the workplace and championing the advancement of individuals into leadership roles.

We all make mistakes! As senior leaders we need to normalise failure, it’s all part of the process. It’s how we learn and develop into leaders, it’s completely normal to do things wrong sometimes, and we don’t always get it right the first time. 

We need to celebrate the journey, the ups and downs, and the hurdles we’ve had to jump through, life is never linear and often we demand that in the workplace when we look at advancement and career progression. Let’s embrace the ‘wonky’ road! 

Always remain optimistic and breed positivity into your team – a smile can go a long way, optimism is infectious and inspires confidence and ambition. One of my favourite quotes is ‘no rain, no flowers’. A positive mindset will always set you apart, anything is achievable with a smile!

As I grow and develop, my understanding of success has evolved to encompass a wider outlook. I now believe that a truly fulfilling career journey requires a deeper sense of purpose and meaning rather than solely focusing on material gains and promotions. Finding meaning in both work and beyond is a common goal for us all, let’s celebrate that!

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The focus for International Women’s Day 2024 is inspiring inclusivity – is there anything that you have actioned in your business that has made an impact that you’d like to see other companies try/do?

Appreciate the potential, passion and fresh perspectives of young people, especially young women. According to McKinsey & Co in 2023, young women are especially ambitious. 9 out of 10 want to be promoted to the next level, and 3 in 4 aspire to become senior leaders. One of the benefits of working as a startup is that we aren’t tied to traditional or internal promotion structures and therefore we can encourage and reward emerging talent at a higher rate. It would be great to see larger companies taking a more flexible approach in this area, where possible.

What does inclusion mean for you and your company?

At HACE, we are active advocates for the ethical development and application of data and technology, especially AI. A significant part of this is diversity in the data and technology workforce, and so we are conscious of the challenge of promoting diversity in the development of AI. It goes beyond gender, it’s about representation of many viewpoints, opinions, and roles alongside all underrepresented groups. It’s about data scientists, social scientists, clients and the communities who may be impacted by the AI systems all being equally gripped with the input and development process as much as the output. HACE provides sufficient mastery, autonomy, and purpose to help people stay motivated and achieve success. This is in line with working on exciting technology with a Tech for Good purpose – helping to sustainably eradicate child labour in global supply chains.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a bigger spotlight on inclusivity in the workplace, how has this affected your space? The first step is recognition and making the change, if there was a turning point or a highlight for change in your organisation, what was it and what did you do?

 HACE is a small startup with limited resources and a team of only 4 people, and so we have to find creative solutions to issues like these, which go beyond recruitment and expanding the team too early. For example, as we are passionate about the ethical applications of AI in our business, we bring in many independent stakeholders such as our independent Academic Expert Working Group, to increase our diversity of thought in technical development.

Is there a specific figure which symbolises International Women’s Day or Inclusion that you/your company looks up to?

I certainly find a lot of my inspiration as a woman comes from my network and people that I know on a personal level.

What role can allies and senior leaders play in advocating for equality in the workplace and championing the advancement of anyone into leadership roles?

Allyship is absolutely fundamental when advancing equality in the workplace, and I believe there is a big role that education plays here. Allies need to not only know the data on the issues around inclusivity and equity but they also need to build trust with women in the workplace, which means both listening to and hearing their voices and experiences, as individual allies and as a company in terms of governance. One way to achieve this is by encouraging both internal and external mentorship of women. I also think there is a role that wider society plays and that education on the issues affecting women needs to be taught much earlier, to address the root causes and real issues rather than retrofitting current systems. 

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As cousins and Founders of Zealous Agency, we share the ultimate female influence: the free-spirited, before-her-time, absolute legend that is our grandmother Hilda — a German Prisoner Of War and escapee under Hitler’s rule. Hilda is still our biggest inspiration. A huge activist for women and human rights, she’s a reminder to always do everything with conviction and for the good of others.

We’re a women-owned business in the recruitment world, which means that a diverse and inclusive team is a part of our DNA. We’ve built our culture around collaboration and equality so that the team feel empowered to be their authentic selves and support one another. We want to promote talent for women in areas with disparity (like tech and development), while challenging stereotypes that continue to have a hold on our industry with damaging effects.

This year, we celebrate five years of Zealous! We’ve partnered with some truly amazing clients in this time, and built an awesome team who drive us as founders to achieve even more. Inspired by Hilda, we’ll continue to break down barriers and help create environments where women are respected, valued and always know their worth.