WE NEED A BIGGER TABLE... AND MORE CHAIRS
The importance of allyship in fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.
Words: Tamie Hutchins
Photography: Giulio Mazzarini
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CONTINUES TO RISE UP THE CORPORATE AGENDA, WITH AN INCREASINGLY LOUD AND EXPECTANT VOICE, AND IS NOW MORE THAN EVER FRONT OF MIND FOR EMPLOYEES AND CONSUMERS.
And to that I would say… too right and about damn time! As a woman of 50, it won’t be a surprise that I have experienced times where the workplace was not inclusive or appreciative of difference and getting ‘over it’ on your own was seen as an achievement, a battle scar. It wasn’t. Looking back, I see this – and the similar experiences had by other woman, people from different ethnic backgrounds or the LGTBQ+ community – as a missed opportunity for us and the companies we worked for.
So, I’m pleased to say that Diversity and Inclusion will be a central focus of our new sustainability strategy, Sustainable Future 2030, which launched in 2023. And there is one concept within the area of D&I that will be vital – the concept of ‘allyship’.
For me, allyship means recognising my privilege and influence and actively using this to benefit and enable those from minority groups to have access to all the opportunities open to me and people like me. To educate and challenge my peers to take the actions needed to build an inclusive culture that will ensure all of our people can contribute to our success and thrive as individuals.
This idea might not be new, but it is central to our plans as we drive forward in becoming a solutions-focussed business. Because the more we involve ideas and experience from across our wonderfully diverse workforce, the more we benefit.
But to get there, we need a mindset shift. I’m proudly Gen X (as my Spotify playlist attests) and my D&I education was strongly ‘compliance first, benefit to the business second’. My more recent learning - thanks to some inspiring colleagues and my children - has shown me that younger generations have moved D&I along… a lot. Their focus is less on compliance and more on the benefits that come from diversity. These benefits coming from a combination of experience and outlook that delivers solutions to business challenges, new ideas and outcomes. And ultimately, a better place to work.
Diversity and Inclusion will be a central focus of our new sustainability strategy, Sustainable Future 2030
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First, there is still work to do on the basics. We need clear metrics and, from this, we can identify areas of improvement and ensure compliance. Second, we need to get better at listening to and learning from the ideas and expectations of all of our people and, in particular, making sure we hear those voices who – up till now - may not have had a place at the table. We need to get a bigger table and some more chairs.
And finally, I’d like to encourage people to join me in taking the following simple actions to instil allyship throughout Finlays (and beyond):
Lend the privileges your position gives you to others, including giving access to people and opportunities.
Take every opportunity to learn from those who are different from you about who they are and the challenges they face.
Coach and mentor others – privilege often comes after years of hard work, use the experience you’ve gained to coach others.
Keep an eye out for exclusion, recognise it, and take action to correct exclusion or discrimination.
Tamie Hutchins is Finlays' Global HR Director
