COMMENT If we truly want to welcome the diversity agenda in real estate and build a diverse industry then we must focus on the culture of our organisations, not simply numbers and targets. Until our businesses are places where people from all backgrounds are welcome and feel welcome, where they are encouraged to thrive and achieve their potential, our bid for diversity will always fall short.
At Octopus Real Estate, we are conscious of being inclusive at every part of the employee lifecycle, not just at the hiring stage. We want people to be confident to talk about their experiences and to share their stories so that the wider workforce can understand what makes other people tick, what challenges them and what could be holding them back. We have run a series of events and released personal blogs via our diversity and inclusion group to get those conversations going, conscious that we need to break down the stigma of speaking about many of these issues.
The difference we have seen in recent years has been the willingness of non-diverse people to step up and become advocates for those who might not previously have had a voice. Where our diversity and inclusion group used to be made up of mostly women and those from diverse ethnic backgrounds, a number of others now want to join. Many understand that there is an issue but are unsure how they can help. However, they are willing to learn.
One of the most powerful examples was a normally vocal member of our team who attended a meeting of the diversity and inclusion group and stated that he had simply come to listen. Where previously people had ignored issues that did not directly affect them, now they want to stand up for those who might risk being marginalised. We have heard individuals speak about their childhood experiences of racism and from mothers struggling to return to work after maternity leave, among others. Now many of their peers want to know how those people can be better supported.
Tools for success
Achieving diversity must be about treating everyone the same, while simultaneously adopting a tailored approach to each individual in order to help them flourish. All our employees have access to our senior managers, as well as their line managers who undergo rigorous training in people management in order to best support their teams. We have also recently developed careers pathways so that everyone can understand what they need to do to progress in their chosen career paths. We are keen to equip our employees with the tools they need to succeed, and all this has been set up to encourage people to break through those traditional ceilings.
If we want our boards to become more diverse in the future, we need to develop our teams internally and work together as an industry to build a pipeline of leaders who represent a more varied experience. We cannot be working in silos; this has to be a cross-sector effort to consciously include everyone, not simply a box-ticking exercise as we chose the next graduate intake. Being an inclusive workplace is a win-win situation: it improves staff retention and engagement, and produces a workforce who bring a wide variety of views to the table.
There is no doubt that after the last year the way we work is going to have to change. For parents, caregivers and those with disabilities, the option to work from home more could be the boost they need to step up into a role they previously thought untenable. For many others, an improved balance between work life and home life will be welcomed.
Reaching a place where the industry is genuinely diverse is about seeking a long-term cultural shift, not something which simply happens overnight. But if you get inclusion right, diversity is much more likely to follow.
Zoe Cooke is HR business partner at Octopus Real Estate
