I joined Hays in 2019, having previously worked mainly in in-house recruitment. I have spent that time building my experience in financial markets, an area I was interested to learn about. I was drawn to Hays by the international reputability of the brand and from day one felt so welcomed – the culture is fantastic.

I truly believe an organisation that makes everyone feel their individual differences are appreciated is much more likely to get the best out of their employees, but it’s important to remember that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and cultural change can take time. Hays has come very far already, but there is always more to be done, and only through consistently positive action, understanding and dedication can we achieve real equality at work.

So, with that in mind, here are three ways feeling accepted and welcomed at work can help enable you to give your professional best:

I personally believe that it’s so important for organisations to provide safe spaces where people feel they can speak openly and ask questions confidentially without fear of judgement.

One of the things that really struck me when I started at Hays was how actively I was encouraged to use my voice. My manager always made it clear that I could talk to them about anything that was bothering me, and I’ve always felt able to be my genuine and authentic self at work. It’s this feeling of inclusivity that’s given me the confidence to be able to work with different teams, adapt to new environments and continue to hone my skills.

I believe I’m much more able to fulfil my potential as part of an organisation where I’m friends with my colleagues. Recruitment can be a fast-paced profession, but when you’re surrounded by a supportive team you feel much more empowered to both perform at your professional best and draw on the wealth of knowledge you have to contribute new ideas.

I believe organisations that show respect and appreciation for the diverse range of backgrounds and experiences that people can contribute are in a much better position to not only get the best from their employees, but to continue to innovate and explore new approaches to problem-solving.

I try to take an active role in perpetuating a culture of inclusivity at Hays and have been heavily involved with the ‘Pride’ network, a community designed to represent and support LGBTQ+ professionals throughout their careers with us. I’ve been involved in a number of activities – booking guest speakers, coordinating email awareness campaigns and even helping to organise an event where the whole office came in wearing different colours of the rainbow.

The pandemic has certainly presented additional challenges when it comes to feeling connected to your teammates, but we’ve all made a conscious effort to keep that feeling of unity going and regularly take part in quizzes and coffee catch ups. I believe that a strong culture isn’t confined within the walls of our workplaces alone, and look forward to working with my Hays teammates on the next phase of our diversity and inclusion journey.

Find out more about the opportunities available and start your Hays story today.