Why we're committed to diversity and inclusion at Centrica.
As the Global Diversity Director, I am part of the team that is committed to help our business to deliver our strategic priorities through our people agenda. This means making sure that each one of us can bring our whole self to work and in doing so, unlock our fullest potential, irrespective of our background.
Last week we celebrated National Inclusion Week. This is an annual campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce. Inclusion is about making sure that people feel valued, respected, listened to and able to challenge; inclusion also drives innovation and better business outcomes through fresh ideas and different perspectives to problem solving.
We held events rights across the business, with virtual global panel debates broadcast internationally to over 20 of our offices. It was fantastic to see our people coming together to discuss how we can make inclusion part of our everyday agenda and debate ways in which we can continue to improve how we do things at Centrica.
We have a range of employee networks to support our people and it was great to hear from them during our NIW events, too. Our employee networks are critical to our success because they enable our people to share ideas and have conversations in a safe environment. This month we also celebrated a year since the launch of our new company values. These speak closely to the topics of D&I and the things that we can collectively influence.
Our Carer’s policy and practice is recognised as a benchmark by external organisations and Government bodies. Everyday, 6,000 people become carers in the UK and often do not know where to do go to for support. It makes good business sense for us to be able to respond to this, equally it is a great example that plays to the Centrica values, notably Courage and Care.
However, our commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I) doesn’t end because National Inclusion Week is over! As we position ourselves to be a 21st Century energy and services organisation, we must all value difference, support inclusion within the workplace and use our range of channels and tools to drive innovation and quality of service for our customers.
We recognise that there is more to do to drive the inclusion agenda forward and we can all make a difference. I encourage you to:
- Role model the change you want to see and share your thoughts on how we can better understand the backgrounds, values and prospective of others
- Be curious and ask questions, and better understanding the perspective of others
Thank you for making this a great place to work. I look forward to working with you all.
Simi