xactly a year ago , I was invited to co-deliver an in-person workshop on inclusive leadership to 19 event industry agency leaders . During the session with agency owners / leaders there were some key challenges highlighted that called attention to the different challenges and concerns compared to that of their employees .

I tried to address these concerns , this is what I shared .

Diverse hiring just being a tick-box exercise

Tick-boxing should never be an issue or concern if we are selecting a wide range of candidates to interview for a role in the first instance . We shouldn ’ t be trying to find one Black or Brown person , or person with a disability to give the appearance of diverse hiring practices , while then pitting them against 15 able bodied , white candidates . Of course , it will look and feel like a tick-box exercise if the Brown person is chosen in this case . Therefore , we need to widen the candidate pool , which may mean updating current hiring practices and training around hiring bias .

How do we do this ? Research and engage with organisations who are working to highlight , showcase and support diverse talent . Connect with their community online and offline , support their work and partner with them .

Gabrielle Austen-Browne

Leaders say — “ We just want the best person for the job ”

Meritocracy can only truly work when every young person has been given the same education , support and opportunity to grow , progress and learn . But they haven ’ t .

Meritocracy doesn ’ t take into account systemic inequality . So , instead , as an industry we should look at addressing the talent pipeline . We could be offering scholarships to increase access to education opportunities for underrepresented students , like the REACH Scholarship fund , offer and engage in mentoring and reverse mentoring for those new to the industry , take on apprentices and offer paid internships , work with grassroots organisations , schools , youth organisations and universities to provide more

“ We shouldn ’ t be trying to find one black or brown person , or person with a disability to give the appearance of diverse hiring practice .”

opportunities to access our industry . Let ’ s make our industry attractive to up-and-coming talent .

“ You can ’ t say anything anymore ”

Just a few years ago we ( well , mostly men ) were concerned with sexual discrimination or sexual harassment complaints . We ( they ) complained how we can no longer “ banter ” or engage in mild flirtation ( even if the attention wasn ’ t wanted ) or make inappropriate jokes . But we managed to navigate that , didn ’ t we ? We just changed our behaviour and acknowledged what was acceptable and what wasn ’ t acceptable in the workplace .

Change is challenging , but as humans we are meant to learn , adapt , grow and evolve . It just takes being open to learning , admitting when you don ’ t know something , time and commitment . The same commitment we are demonstrating around environmental sustainability .

What do most of the employees we have spoken to want ?

Most employees want to work in a diverse , inclusive and fair workplace and expect their leaders to listen to their needs and make this happen . They have a good grasp on the systemic issues and want positive change to take place as quickly and authentically as possible . CN