As soon as an issue becomes important to any one of us who works here at Enterprise, we are encouraged to raise up the flag and get our colleagues involved. Then, once a groundswell of support is secured, the business itself gets involved and puts its weight behind our cause.
This is exactly how, six years ago, we came to be a Diversity Champion with Stonewall, an inspirational organisation that has been making a positive difference to LGBT people’s lives since its inception in 1989.
When you look at the culture we’ve cultivated here, our partnership with Stonewall is no surprise. To have a working environment where your employees feel comfortable enough to come out to their work colleagues before they do in their private life speaks volumes about who we are as an organisation.
A group of us went to Stonewall’s annual workplace conference last month, where we listened to some awesome speakers and inspired action alongside representatives from some of the UK’s most forward-thinking employers. We’re happy to report that the charity, event and community are just as vibrant and exciting as ever.
From the reception in the morning to the thought-leading speakers, breakout sessions and networking opportunities throughout the day, the conference was packed with really interesting stories that brought unique insight to us companies looking to be progressive in this area.
Every Stonewall conference I’ve been to has been perceptive and dynamic in its own way. But the personal stories of the individual speakers are always what impact me most.
Events like this provide vital support to Enterprise’s mission to make our work environment a fun and friendly place to be. The more we reinforce the truth that our employees come from a diverse range of backgrounds, the more we are able to ensure everyone feels comfortable when they are here.
As an Enterprise employee of 24 years and LGBT champion myself, having a diverse team is one of the things that has always inspired me. Diversity is something our employees naturally gravitate towards because we were advocating for it before we even defined it in our values. Our doors have always been open, to customers and employees alike.
I guess the biggest takeaway from this fascinating, eye-opening conference is the importance of giving people the space to tell their story. It is crucial that people can hear those stories and meet role models who have gone through something similar to their own experience.
Stonewall’s activism reinforces exactly why we encourage our own people to tell their stories, raise the issues that matter to them and feel comfortable being their authentic selves at work.
The fact our partnership was inspired by one of our own employees makes it even more powerful.
Want to be part of an inclusive working culture? Look out for the fantastic graduate opportunities, internships and jobs we currently have available and make sure you’re following us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.