Group HR Director, Debra Russell, outlines our DEIB strategy and the results witnessed thus far
Bluefield developed and launched a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) strategy in 2022 which has been an on-going area of focus and commitment for the Group of Bluefield Companies.
The aim of our DEIB strategy is to: strengthen our diverse and inclusive culture to enable everyone at Bluefield to grow and reach their full potential. With an inclusive and equitable culture, we can help to create a fairer environment.
Our strategy is focussed around 3 pillars of Culture, Talent, and Community:
We knew we needed engagement from all areas of the Group to create and deliver our strategy and to embed DEIB within the organisation. We developed a working-group, which is chaired by our Group HR Director.
The group works collaboratively to generate ideas, collect and provide feedback and support the development and execution of DEIB initiatives at Bluefield.
We created an action plan and developed initiatives for each strategic pillar. Here, we share some of the activity we are proud of to date.
Culture
We aim to strengthen our culture of inclusion and belonging through acknowledging and celebrating our differences. We recognise the importance of mental health awareness and frequently hold sessions tailored to the needs of our workforce.
Since our strategy launch, we have marked and celebrated many national and home-grown events. Most notably is our annual ‘World food day’ celebration where we sample the culinary skills of our team members. It is a day were our employees come together, get know each other better and appreciate the different elements that make us who we are, through the global language of food. Additionally, we have recently launched a menopause policy and delivered training to raise awareness of the menopause and its impact in the workforce.
We ask our team members annually to provide feedback on our culture and working environment. Our survey respondents in 2024 represented 80% of our workforce.
This is what they told us:
- 89% of employees either agree or strongly agree that Bluefield is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all colleagues
- 80% of employees either agree or strongly agree that they can act true to themselves in the workplace
- 78% either agree or strongly agree that those they work with consider their wellbeing
Talent
We are proud of our cultural diversity in Bluefield, as of October 2024 we have 20 different nationalities represented in our workforce! We aim to have a workforce that is representative of all sections of our society, and we actively encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in Bluefield.
We have partnered with 10,000 Black Interns and GAIN (Girls are Investors) and created internship opportunities throughout 2023 and in 2024. One placement resulted in a permanent position in Bluefield.
We also recognise the importance of representation at all levels, and launched a Women in Leadership programme in 2023 to encourage our female Leaders to reach their full potential and minimise barriers to their success.
We are proud to have reduced our gender pay gap across our businesses since we launched our strategy, and we have more women in leadership positions than ever before.
Community
We are committed to providing opportunities to connect with our communities.
We encourage young people into our sector and demonstrate that a career in renewables is accessible and rewarding. We frequently attend local careers events, and have partnered with Earth Energy Education to provide young people with opportunities to learn about renewable energy and biodiversity on our solar farms.
Our positive impact continues into 2025..
We are focussed on developing an internal Mentoring programme which will be launched in 2025.
This programme will provide an opportunity where internal mentors can share experiences and insights to mentees who are at an earlier stage in their career. The programme will empower mentees to identify and take their next steps by providing a confidential space to freely discuss goals and objectives. If successful, we will create opportunities where Bluefield can mentor young people outside of our organisation.
We continue to create opportunities and hold events to celebrate our differences and enhance the well-being and mental health of our employees.
We are proud of the inclusive culture we have created – and look forward to further developing our DEIB strategy in the months and years to come.
This article has been produced by Bluefield Partners LLP, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with firm reference number 507508.