HR Changemakers Festival 2023
Tom and I had the privilege of attending the new age HR Changemakers Festival of 2023, where some great relevant topics were discussed and very thought-provoking. Here are some key takeaways and starting points for your team/company discussions.
Navigating the Rainbow
Martin King spoke about LGBTTQIA+ experiences, people’s mindset and how to navigate and adapt in the workplace. There is a major shift in the younger generation looking for employers that will encourage employees to feel accepted and able to bring their whole selves to work, organisations see a huge improvement in engagement, wellbeing, and productivity, as well as employee attraction and retention.
Organisations who are active and proud in their support for rainbow communities see great improvement in brand reputation, customer engagement, as well as stakeholder value.
Do you ask LGBTTQIA+ questions in engagement and culture surveys?
Do you include pronouns in the business?
Have you thought about gender-neutral uniforms?
You might have a swear jar – why not make it a queer jar?
Allyship
This was mentioned throughout the day and is about building that safe space in a work culture, we hear of “above the line and below the line behaviours” and allyship in the workplace can mean using your personal privilege to support colleagues from historically marginalised communities. Allies wield their influence to amplify the voices and elevate the employee experience of their underrepresented coworkers.
Speak up and call out bad behaviour (bullying, racism, sexual harassment)
Racism
Jarrod Haar did a great presentation on “Are NZ workplaces as racist as F#@k?!”. This also made the media and has got people talking about the stats, check them out below:
2021 research found 93.6% of Māori, and 95.9% of Pacific employees reported any racist behaviours at work in the past six months.
Racism was linked detrimentally to mental health and key outcomes (job satisfaction and engagement). These all influence performance and thus $$$!
Co-workers and other employees account for ~50% of racist behaviours, with managers ~20% Even customers and clients feature!
Some great takeaways and discussion points to introduce in your next meetings, starting dialogue and gauging staff members’ points of view and awareness around these key topics is a great initiative for building an inclusive company culture! If you would like support with helping to develop your culture and EVP (Employee Value Proposition) in 2024, reach out to us!
Katie Lander
People Partner