For our 100th birthday year we shared our D&I vision where we outlined our commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive environment here at Hymans. We know that achieving inclusivity is dependent on how people feel – do they feel welcome, can they be themselves and bring their full selves to work. We also know that it means different things to people, that’s why we asked some of our people what inclusion means to them, read on to find out what they had to say. We’ll be sharing more perspectives on inclusivity over the coming months from more of our colleagues.

Gill Tait

For me, inclusion is something quite dynamic, it is something that needs to be nurtured and never to be complacent about. Early in my career, before I joined Hymans Robertson, I witnessed what overt exclusion looks like and it was pretty ugly. Whether it’s run-of-the-mill misogyny or outright racism, all forms of ignorance and prejudice are intolerable.  But it’s not always so overt and obvious, so equally bad are the less obvious and insidious forms of exclusion, which are often down to a simple lack of consideration for others. Inclusion, therefore, is about being kind and taking the time to listen, seeing someone else’s perspective, understanding where they're coming from and appreciate the validity in a different way of being or thinking. Over the years I have learned so much from my colleagues, challenged my unconscious biases and gone back to school. The benefits I’ve felt personally have not only been at work, I’ve taken what I now know into my whole life and I hope it's made me a better colleague, parent, grandparent and friend. I admire those who suspend judgement of others and look to them as my role models and channel that into playing my part in creating and sustaining a work place where everyone feels happy, heard and contributing their best selves – it’s an excellent and worthwhile endeavour.

Lucy Steers

I often tell my two girls (7 and 3) that the most important thing to be in life is kind. As it starts so early – the playground struggles, children feeling left out, feeling they need to fit in. I’m sure we’ve all experienced these feelings at some point in our lives, whether in the school playground, or later in life in the workplace or other situations. I know I have. It’s upsetting and it’s draining. And it’s awful to think some people feel this way all the time. That’s why inclusivity for me is about being kind to yourself and to others. Being able to be yourself and to feel comfortable in your own skin. It also means making other people feel able to be themselves around you. There’s a reciprocal dependency there about how we behave impacting the way me make others feel and vice versa of course. As the old saying goes: treat others how you’d wish to be treated. By being kinder, more open-minded and ready to embrace differences, we can all play our part in creating a more inclusive environment. Differences are to be celebrated – after all, what a boring world it would be if we were all the same!