'Why diversity, inclusion and belonging are central to building a Great Place to Work'

Insight’s Europe team led by EMEA President, Emma de Sousa, just collected an award for Best Place to Work in Europe 2022, ranking 22nd out of a total 3,000 companies nominated. The recognition follows a number of other accolades the organisation received this year, including Best Workplace for Wellbeing and Best Workplace for Women awards. De Sousa reflects on why she sees diversity, inclusion and belonging (DI&B) as central in building a great place to work, and how the technology industry is changing its DI&B stance.

Diversity has always been a topic very close to my heart. To me, building a workplace culture that includes DI&B means promoting individuality, celebrating and accepting different viewpoints, backgrounds and cultures, and working as a team. Combining all of these factors and realising them in your workplace leads to a thriving office culture. I wholeheartedly believe that DI&B is central to building a great place to work.

Today, the topic of diversity is becoming more important than ever, especially in the technology industry. A recent study showed that within the UK tech workforce, only 19 per cent are women. Less than a tenth (9 per cent) of all IT specialists have a disability, and only 8.5 per cent of senior leaders in the UK tech industry are from ethnic minority groups. When looking at these figures, it is fair to assume that the tech industry still has a considerable journey ahead when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Yet there are positive changes that can be observed as well.

The Great Resignation trend has caused a shift in mindset. People are reorientating themselves and are redefining their priorities - and diversity is playing a part in this shift. A recent study suggests 76 per cent of employees site a diverse workforce as an important factor when evaluating an employer. Individuals want to work for organisations that support and champion diversity - ultimately shining a spotlight on DI&B.

Many employees consider DI&B as an important topic. I can see proof of this through my working day, watching teammates at Insight embrace DI&B initiatives. Our Teammate Resource Groups, representing minorities across the organisation, are led entirely by teammates. They consistently start great conversations around diversity and action projects to drive change and create awareness. Reverse mentoring also allows me to meet with members of the Teammate Resource Groups regularly to listen and learn from the viewpoints, feedback and suggestions.

Speaking about diversity, sharing viewpoints and raising awareness is just as important outside the organisation as within. Initiatives such as TC4RE create opportunities for businesses to meet and share experiences, strengthening ethnic minority representation across the technology industry. I believe communicating and exchanging best practices between organisations can speed up diversification of the tech industry - by working together and speaking up.

For instance, statistics highlight that diversity in recruitment is still an area of concern. A recruitment report found that 51 per cent of its respondents do not have business processes in place for setting diverse hiring goals. Sharing best practices and projects that strengthen diverse recruitment can benefit the industry as a whole. At Insight, we have initiated the Skills Academy to support the hiring of diverse talent, giving individuals with no background in technology an opportunity to enter the field. Early career talent, returners to work and jobseekers from various backgrounds are trained on the job and given the chance to become part of the Insight team.

Whilst DI&B initiatives can be hugely beneficial to a workplace culture, they can also benefit the business as a whole. A study by McKinsey suggests that organisations with more diverse teams have 36 per cent better financial returns. Beyond that, PWC found a positive correlation between diversity and business innovation. The opportunities that DI&B offer an organisation are huge, whichever way you look at it.

We have had a phenomenal year so far at Insight, with our EMEA revenues increasing 16 per cent YoY and the UK growing even faster, as we continue to see our growth outpace the market. But what fills me with even more pride is the steps we are taking at Insight, and more importantly as an industry, to shine a spotlight DI&B initiatives. There is always more to be done, and I see integration of DI&B within a business not just as essential to building a great place to work, but also as a positive step for the wider tech industry.

Emma de Sousa is EMEA president for Insight