Best DE&I Innovation (Gender Equity) Award Shortlist
news published date 9 September 2024
Capco’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, respect, and integrity forms the foundation of the business and professional lives within the company. Embracing and sharing diverse perspectives is seen as essential to fostering the innovation and creativity that define the world-class solutions Capco delivers to its clients. The Be Yourself at Work (#BYAW) campaign is a key initiative that highlights individual perspectives and contributions, promoting an environment where employees are encouraged to be their authentic selves.
Be Yourself at Work is a global movement at Capco, designed to remove barriers and create opportunities for self-expression in the workplace, underpinned by the belief that diversity powers innovation. The initiative reflects Capco’s commitment to fostering a work environment where all employees feel comfortable and empowered to be their true selves.
Capco believes that continuing to create a truly diverse and inclusive working environment is not only the right thing to do for employees, but also for clients and the wider community. By promoting a culture of belonging, Capco celebrates differences and supports individuality, ensuring that every employee’s unique perspective contributes to the company’s ongoing success.
It is estimated that one in six couples face infertility and one in four pregnancies end in loss, either during pregnancy or at birth. Despite these challenges affecting many people of working age, there is often a lack of open conversation in the workplace around these sensitive issues.
Founded in 2021, the Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) Fertility and Baby Loss (F&BL) Network has transformed how the organisation supports colleagues through the emotional and complex journey of starting and growing a family. The network was established by three friends in Group Audit who, after experiencing recurrent miscarriages, recognised a gap in support and guidance. They sought to create a space where colleagues could openly share their experiences.
The F&BL network has broken down barriers by fostering conversations, establishing support groups, and influencing new guidance and training for managers and staff. Now boasting over 600 members, the network includes those directly affected, as well as colleagues who support friends, family, or want to better understand how to assist their staff.
Now part of the LBG Family Matters Network, the F&BL network has positively impacted company policies, such as doubling the minimum leave after pregnancy loss and introducing paid time off for fertility treatment, improving support for colleagues across the organisation.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, it has become increasingly difficult for established companies to find profitable growth, particularly given the societal and legislative pressures surrounding ESG. Deloitte’s RISE for Growth addresses this challenge by elevating the importance of inclusivity and sustainability, helping clients achieve growth in an ethical and responsible manner.
Faced with the task of enabling colleagues to address client issues using responsible business frameworks, Deloitte developed the RISE for Growth framework. This new proposition is designed to unlock growth opportunities through the intersection of inclusivity, sustainability, and ethics, reframing ESG as a driver of business growth.
The RISE for Growth framework includes a suite of tools to help Deloitte practitioners plan and deliver their work in a more inclusive and sustainable way. These techniques enable clients to deliver value authentically, resonate with their customer base, future-proof against legislative requirements, and positively impact the planet. Central to this framework is Responsible Intelligence (RI), a collection of AI agents hosted on Deloitte’s bespoke Generative AI Large Language Model. These agents act as coaches for Deloitte practitioners, embedding RISE thinking into their work to drive sustainable, ethical growth for clients.
The Parenthood Network at KPMG is a passion project founded by three determined mums who sought to make the workplace more inclusive for all, particularly supporting parents and women at all levels. The Network eliminates barriers to success by promoting KPMG resources, offering support groups, and providing one-to-one coaching to help parents thrive in the workplace.
In early 2024, the Network launched a breastfeeding awareness campaign, aimed at supporting employees returning from maternity leave by making the balance between breastfeeding and working more manageable. With a long-term goal of seeing more women in senior leadership roles, the initiative aligns with KPMG’s 40:40:20 gender equality commitment, which targets a minimum of 40% women in senior positions.
Over the past four years, the Parenthood Network has made significant strides in supporting parents from the moment they decide to become parents, through their return to work, and as they navigate parenting young adults. The Network has grown to 1,400 members and continues to adapt based on feedback, fostering a strong community of peers. In 2024, they will again host “Bring Your Child to Work Day,” following last year’s successful event where 350 children, aged 0-16, enjoyed a fantastic day at KPMG’s CSQ office.
It takes a village to raise a family, and NatWest Group’s The Village community was created to provide just that for working parents, prospective parents, and their allies. It offers a space for colleagues to connect, learn from others with similar experiences, hear from industry experts, and build relationships with mentors and buddies who can help them advance their careers while raising a family. Most importantly, The Village gives colleagues a place where they feel seen and heard.
In 2023, NatWest Group introduced its Partner Leave policy, offering all parents—regardless of gender—six months of fully paid leave, whether their partner works for the bank or not. In its first year, over 1,200 colleagues utilised the policy, and The Village welcomed them through quarterly initiatives.
With hundreds of participants engaging in these sessions, The Village has expanded into “Returner” coffee catch-ups, both face-to-face and virtual events, held globally. This initiative has played a significant role in shifting the organisation’s culture and is actively supporting NatWest’s goal of achieving a gender-balanced workforce by 2030. The Village continues to be a vital community for those balancing career and family life at NatWest.
NatWest has shown a strong commitment to gender equity in technology through its innovative Ukraine Women in Tech Reskilling Programme. Launched in March 2023, the initiative tackled the dual challenges of gender disparity in the tech industry and the integration of displaced Ukrainian women. In partnership with Code First Girls and Capital City Partnership, the programme offered free technology training to 53 women, successfully placing 9 of them in full-time tech roles at NatWest.
The programme stands out for its immediate impact, offering not only tech training but also language support, cultural integration, and tailored mentorship. This initiative is a reflection of NatWest’s broader diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, which focuses on continuous development, inclusive recruitment, and supportive employment frameworks.
Key achievements of the wider Women in Tech Reskilling Programme include a 95% retention rate of female software engineers and impressive diversity metrics, with 65% of hires from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds and 19% identifying as neurodiverse. These outcomes highlight NatWest’s ability to attract and retain diverse talent while making a positive social impact.
NatWest’s innovative approach and measurable results showcase the financial services industry as a powerful driver of societal change.
The KPMG Women in Banking Steering Committee is responsible for overseeing and managing the Women in Banking Network, which champions the success of women within the Banking Audit practice. The network is dedicated to empowering and connecting women, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes professional growth and collaboration. Recognising that true success requires bringing everyone along, the committee actively seeks allies and advocates to support its cause, viewing this as essential for creating a more sustainable banking audit practice.
Each committee member is committed to encouraging, supporting, and mentoring women within the department, with a focus on gender equality, wellbeing, and fostering mutual support among women. The committee dedicates significant time, alongside their busy schedules, to plan and promote the network’s initiatives.
These initiatives include organising department-wide events on a quarterly basis, running the senior manager sponsorship programme, which pairs 17 female senior managers with partner mentors, and hosting quarterly events for this group. The committee also engages with network members to understand challenges and escalate these to relevant stakeholders. Additionally, they ensure the voices of women across the department are brought to leadership meetings monthly and collaborate with other networks across the firm to share resources and best practices.
Women in Finance Programme – Lloyds Banking Group
In 2024, the Lloyd’s Banking Group’s Finance Division transformed its traditional talent development programme to place a stronger emphasis on technical upskilling, alongside collaboration and external insights. Historically focused on interpersonal skills, the updated programme introduced modules centred on emerging technologies such as generative AI and the Metaverse, reflecting the growing importance of tech proficiency.
In partnership with the established women’s network, the division also launched a five-part podcast series, addressing a wide range of topics relevant to career growth and development. This initiative aimed to broaden participants’ perspectives and engage them in meaningful conversations. A key feature of the programme was the inclusion of external guest speakers, bringing fresh insights from outside the organisation.
Unlike previous years, the programme featured six external speakers from across the country, each offering unique perspectives on topics such as leadership and emotional intelligence. This new approach aimed to “bring the outside in” by fostering relationships with external networks and organisations, ensuring participants gained a well-rounded and forward-thinking experience. The programme’s evolution reflects the division’s commitment to equipping top talent with both technical skills and diverse insights to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.