Feature
“ A lot of the time leaders do not realise what biases they may have , it is not just unconscious biases , but it is also affinity biases which can prevent our industry from becoming more diverse .”
“ Then we also had people who are working for businesses , who are trying to have the conversations with managers and directors about how the company can start to implement D & I within the company culture . We also interacted with a few people who were new to the industry and wanted to bring D & I to their new role .” Diversity Ally ’ s expertise is in the D & I space , therefore advice on creating a diverse team and highlighting D & I as a core value are her bread and butter . I asked what advice she would give to the different
Gabrielle Austen-Browne
segments she spoke to onsite at International Confex , something to kick start the conversation within an organisation . Austen-Browne said : “ With regards to leaders , we tend to find that there ’ s typically objections around the route to implementing D & I . So , the first thing that a board or directors should do is have a workshop in which they can openly speak about what they think their business challenges are when it comes to implementing D & I and what their thoughts are around this . A lot of the time leaders do not
realise what biases they may have , it is not just unconscious biases , but it is also affinity biases which can prevent our industry from becoming more diverse . So , it is a lot around education , as once we do these workshops , a lot of the time we find that leaders have a deeper understanding of why D & I is so important . “ For employees I think that going online and utilising resources there around allyship within the workplace is a great starting point . Connecting and following the example of businesses within the industry that are doing D & I well is also a great route to increasing inclusivity across our sector .”
Diversity trail at International Confex A first for this year ’ s International Confex , the team set up a Diversity Trail , aimed at highlighting exhibitors that had D & I credentials . The trail was set up by Diversity Ally and selected businesses based on thorough research of inclusive workplaces and projects invested in by each company . The Diversity Trail had the aim is to connect businesses ,
Pictures by Jonathan ‘ JT ’ Taylor , Aniseed Photo
Autumn — 45