Our CEO Jonathan Murphy has joined UK business leaders to sign an open letter committing to reporting on sustainable and long-term actions to address Black inclusion in the workplace.
The letter, instigated by diversity and inclusion in business campaigners Audeliss and INvolve, is led by Suki Sandhu OBE and sets out positive steps for business including:
- Diversifying the face of our organisations: setting targets for diverse candidate slates for every position and holding recruiters accountable for presenting diverse shortlists. More specifically, setting targets on Black talent in our candidate slates.
- Measuring: investigating the specific challenges and barriers faced by Black talent in our organisations, starting to track ethnicity data and conduct focus groups or listening sessions to properly understand the experiences of our Black and minority colleagues
- Joining us on our journey of learning: educating ourselves on the experiences of Black people in the workplace and in society at large
- Starting the conversation: being vulnerable with our people. Admitting we haven't done enough and that the work is just beginning
- Elevating Black voices: people know discrimination and racism are a lived, everyday reality now - but do they know what forms it takes every day in the workplace? We must start these conversations. We will also do more to celebrate Black leaders and talent in our organisations and the wider business community
- Committing to specific actions: we've posted on our corporate lnstagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, but now we must show what our organisations look like truthfully and what more we are doing to change it.
Jonathan said: “As a business serving the NHS, an organisation with one of the most diverse workforces in the country, we know that a truly inclusive approach to our talent, for our customers, in the spaces we create and through our innovation for the future is how we will deliver ever-better for the communities we work in. We have a long way to go but these actions offer a clear roadmap.”
The full letter of commitment and full list of signatories can be read here. All of these signatories are calling on other business leaders to commit to reporting on the actions they have taken to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement.
If your business is interested in joining us in committing to clear actions, then please contact [email protected].
Suki Sandhu OBE, Founder & CEO of Audeliss and INvolve, said: "We must do more when it comes to driving Black inclusion in business. Organisations must step up and hold themselves accountable when it comes to turning well-intentioned aspirations into clear, concrete actions for change. It's fantastic to see more and more signatories going beyond solidarity with #blacklivesmatter and committing to creating a workplace where Black and other ethnic minority individuals have an equal opportunity to thrive."