Inclusion at Harvey Nash Group
Although I’m a fairly new member of the Harvey Nash Group I am becoming ever more familiar with our family. Like all families we are not perfect, although I do believe that every day we strive to improve.
As I have learnt more and more about our Group, one topic that has never been far from my mind is diversity, equality and inclusion.
Recently this has been brought into even greater focus with the horrific death of George Floyd in the U.S., and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Like many people, the incident really made me pause and think. I felt shock, concern, and also – honestly speaking – a sense of being unqualified to talk about such an unjust death, other than my response as a human who cares deeply about people. As many of you will have seen, we published a message in support of Blackout Tuesday.
These recent events, which occurred as we entered Pride Month, have made me think much harder about the important role we play in driving progress, and the things we could and should do to influence change.
With all of our wonderful culture and openness, inclusion is still a ‘work in progress’ at Harvey Nash Group. I am the first female CEO of the company, and one of only three female board directors the company has ever had. Our BAME representation at every level of the company is lower than we would expect if we look at the wider societies we are part of.
We need to continue building on our culture, ensuring that there are no barriers to success, and that opportunities exist for everyone regardless of their gender, culture, age, disabilities, sexuality, ethnicity and beliefs. It’s not just about fairness, it’s about business success. An inclusive company is more successful because of the diverse voices and ideas that are brought to the table. It’s a place where talented people want to work.
There is no simple fix; for us, or anyone. If there was we would have done it. But what I do know is that as we evolve as a business, inclusion is one very clear goal we need to set ourselves.
This is our business, our work family and just like the old saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ I strongly believe that it takes all of us, leaving nothing to chance, and that we all need to ensure voices are heard, and that opportunities are open. We must model for ourselves what we recommend to our clients, so that we help the progression of inclusivity in the wider societies in which we live.
This is what I want for our business, a place where we all want to be, where we are all welcome and where we are all valued for the humans we are and the skills we bring. Let’s start now on ensuring this is our reality.
I will return to this topic over the coming months, but as ever if you have any thoughts and ideas please let me know.
Bev White
CEO Harvey Nash Group