Steven Evans
Head of Wellbeing & Inclusion, Specsavers
By implementing a range of innovative diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives, companies can achieve a diverse workforce and an inclusive, gender-balanced culture. When they do, everybody wins.
Informed organisations understand how important it is to be diverse and inclusive, so they work hard to ensure they have the right D&I policies and initiatives in place.
Why D&I initiatives are important for businesses
Take high street opticians and audiologists Specsavers. The company says it’s committed to diversity and inclusion and has built a caring and supportive culture ‘where everyone feels welcome, valued and proud to belong’ and can reach their full potential — wherever they work in the business and whatever their background. Steven Evans, the company’s Head of Wellbeing and Inclusion, says D&I is in their DNA.
“We’re a company whose purpose is to change lives through better sight and hearing, so caring is at the heart of what we do,” he says. “Yes, diversity and inclusion are important for commercial reasons because they can lead to more innovation; and we want to reflect the communities we serve. Moreover, D&I is fundamental for us because two of our core values are doing the right thing and caring for each other.”
Making diversity and inclusion meaningful
Companies starting their diversity and inclusion journey must first make it meaningful for their employees. “We’ve put a lot of effort into explaining what D&I is to our colleagues and the value it can bring,” says Evans. “We know our people are receptive to D&I but may not always be sure what they can do to sustain it. So, this year, we launched our first global D&I development offer for all 11 countries, offering practical tips and ideas that will help them contribute to an inclusive culture.”
It’s all part of keeping people connected.
Keeping colleagues connected with D&I initiatives
The company also celebrates big events on the D&I calendar — such as International Women’s Day, Pride and International Men’s Day. This year, it has introduced a theme of ‘allyship’ to focus on how colleagues can support and elevate others. Plus, it has a number of colleague network groups (including neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+, women and ethnic minority groups) for under-represented employees, although these are open to all.
“It’s all part of keeping people connected,” says Evans. “To understand where there’s room for improvement, we need to have platforms where people can tell their stories and where the organisation can listen.”
Gender equality in support offices is a big priority for Specsavers, notes Evans. “We want to ensure there’s fair and equal representation at all levels in our support offices, which is necessary for effective, inclusive and innovative decision-making,” he says. “As a result, we’ve introduced a range of gender-balanced initiatives.”
Finding the best talent from diverse backgrounds
These include using gender-neutral language in job adverts, so roles appeal to everyone, and establishing balanced shortlists to gain access to the best talent. The company has also introduced training for hiring managers — plus gender-balanced interview panels for senior roles — to help remove bias from decision-making.
To encourage applications from diverse candidates, it has introduced strong messages around the importance of hiring people for culture ‘add’ — not just culture ‘fit’. “That’s about looking for people who think differently,” says Evans. “Those who bring something new and innovative to the company, rather than simply fitting into the culture we’ve already established.”
Demand for inclusion at work
Ultimately, D&I can be a deal-breaker for potential employees, insists Evans. “People want to work for inclusive organisations,” he says. “They want to know how comfortable they would be there, and if they can see themselves in senior positions. For us, D&I is a way to find the best talent from diverse backgrounds, so we can enrich our culture, products and services — and meet the needs of all our customers.”
