“People reach their full potential when they can truly be themselves”
Our differences, backgrounds and experiences are what make us a better place to work and a more effective organisation. “People reach their full potential when they can truly be themselves,” says Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Mo Kebbay
Treating people properly: Our approach to Diversity and Inclusion
We believe that it is this uniqueness of individuals that is valuable and should be celebrated. We recognise that people reach their full potential when they can truly be themselves, and to unlock this potential, we must be thoughtful, build a sustainable approach with specific objectives, measurable outcomes and clear expectations for leaders and colleagues.
Our Diversity and Inclusion Plan, Inclusive by Instinct, sets out the aims, objectives and actions that we have put in place to set the foundation for our future direction. We will refer to it as a roadmap, which will ensure we are accountable and meeting the milestones we have set for ourselves. It sets out how we intend to engage employees and our members, visitors and communities to heighten our understanding of their needs and address them appropriately.
Our D&I plan will guide us in our journey to becoming a more inclusive organisation that fosters a culture of belonging, and cultural and social equity. We will be bold and brave in our approach to tackling the issues surrounding inequality and take an active approach to ensure we are ready both for now and the future.
Inclusive by Instinct is about all of us working in a supportive and flexible environment led by inclusive and effective leaders. It is only through us taking ownership, collectively and individually, that will bring about positive change.
How will we monitor our progress?
Establish a D&I Steering Group
We will set up an internal action group comprised of internal people who are passionate about D&I. The Steering Group will guide the RHS on how best to progress the work set out in the D&I Plan and detailed Action Plan. The Steering Group will set and oversee our strategic approach and will be accountable to the Leadership team.
How will we measure success?
For our people, it will mean working in more diverse, inclusive and supportive teams. Colleagues from under-represented groups will see themselves better reflected throughout our organisation and in the horticulture sector. They will have more confidence that there is equal access to jobs, promotion and development opportunities.
Our managers will be recognised for helping develop a workplace environment that empowers employees to prioritise their health and wellbeing and role-modelling inclusive leadership behaviours. They will encourage and lead more diverse teams. They will understand whether there are any barriers to diversity and inclusion and work to remove them.
For our members, visitors and customers, success in diversity and inclusion will mean more consistently accessible and inclusive experiences at RHS Gardens and Shows with facilities that are easier to navigate.
We will continue to challenge ourselves to do better, and we will celebrate the progress that the RHS makes, because success matters.
What have we achieved so far?
- Introduced an inclusive recruitment process for all hires, which includes training all our People Managers on inclusive recruitment including implementing best practice on job descriptions, undertaking structured interviews, using interview panels, and assessing candidates on our behavioural framework.
- Inclusive policies and benefits to make sure that all our people are supported.
- Expanded our range of people networks, led by our people and supported by the D&I team to help us to create an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive and have a rewarding career. There are currently four established networks covering LGBTQ+, Menopause, Parents and Neurodiversity and our ambition is to have a further two in place by the end of this year.
- Sharing our diversity data with all colleagues. Our diversity dashboard allows us to understand the representation of employees by gender in different areas and levels of our organisation. All senior managers can view the dashboard for their functional areas to understand how diverse they are through anonymised data such as recruitment and promotion trends and identify where best to focus their action.
- Carried out accessibility audits at RHS Flower Shows and RHS Gardens to help improve the accessibility and inclusivity of our spaces to meet the needs of our visitors.
See also:
- Equality and diversity policy for RHS Qualifications
- RHS Qualifications Equal Opportunities Policy
- Gender pay gap
- Hear our award-winning gardening podcast
- Diversity and inclusion policy
- Inspiring the next generation of talent with our New Shoots programme