What was the challenge you wanted to address?
At Good Energy, our commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace is not just a goal – it’s a shared journey we embark on every day. Being an Inclusion Champion means actively contributing to a workplace where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. It’s about creating an environment where diversity is celebrated, and each person’s uniqueness is recognised as a strength. Their role is to champion inclusivity in everyday actions. It involves promoting awareness, fostering a culture of respect, and advocating for inclusivity in our policies and practices. As remote working becomes ever more popular, they also help to ensure that staff remain aware of the various support networks available.
Describe your Approach
The establishment of an Inclusion Champions group was approved by Good Energy’s executive team and is advertised on our intranet and via inductions. All staff are welcome to join. Members include colleagues from People & Culture, Product & Propositions, Customer Operations, Communications and other departments. Monthly meetings feature an ‘open floor’ forum which allows members to shape the agenda and contribute to the discussion. Colleagues suggest areas for improvement, monitor progress, and arrange access to training and development opportunities covering a wide range of topics such as hidden disabilities, unconscious bias, neurodiversity and inclusive leadership. They also share their own stories and learning. Their contributions have led to important changes, such as recording neurodiversity as separate to disability in the company’s diversity data.
They also plan social events to bring staff closer together. These include a Pride picnic, lunchtime sports such as football, badminton and basketball, and even boardgame evenings.
What was the outcome?
Staff feel able to bring their true selves to work. Our latest staff engagement survey found 87 per cent agree that we live up to our inclusive values. They also have the confidence to work with Good Energy’s communications team to share their stories with the media, hoping to raise awareness of important issues and drive change in other businesses and sectors.
One champion shared his experience of living with autism as part of World Autism Acceptance Week while another shared her experience of ME as part of ME Awareness Week.
Their stories have been featured on the BBC, on local radio and in daily and weekly newspapers.
Good Energy also helped to promote National Inclusion Week, with the Inclusion Champions co-chairs featured by the local media, and this year the company is the headline sponsor of Chippenham Pride. (with the communications team providing pro bono PR support).
What were the key lessons learnt?
Good Energy’s support for the group demonstrates its commitment to being an inclusive employer where everyone contributes, and everyone feels valued and appreciated. The company is willing to be challenged if needed, and strives to go beyond what might normally be expected. Inclusivity is an asset. We live and breathe it in our values. It provides access to a broader range of opinions and perspectives, strengthens networks, improves engagement, and encourages innovation. It’s also an increasingly sought-after quality for jobseekers, who want to know they are joining a modern and forward-thinking business which truly values its staff and allows them to shine. The Inclusion Champions are helping the company to build a business that attracts and retains talented people from all walks of life.