RBS' Director of Strategic Partnerships & Head of Inclusion Initiatives, Heather Melville, says "stop thinking of diversity as something we do to people"

Businesses need to change the way they view diversity, according to RBS' Director of Strategic Partnerships & Head of Inclusion Initiatives, Corporate & Private Banking. 

Speaking to HR Grapevine, Heather Melville says: "We need to stop thinking of diversity as something we do to people; it needs to be something that's fully integrated in to the business so that you don't think of it as a separate initiative." 

She continues: "We have a tendency to think 'let's fix women' or 'let's fix LGBT' or 'let's fix black and ethnic minorities' by putting these initiatives in place, when actually, what we need to do is understand what needs to be done to include/develop these groups within the workplace, ensuring we have an inclusive strategy that brings together all the best people needed for a successful business. 

"The real key is to create the right culture, and to create the right culture you need to be very accepting that everyone is different. Bringing different business skills to the table.”