Why diversity & inclusion should be on your training agenda

Diversity and inclusion is increasingly recognised as being vital to business success because the benefits are clear. A range of backgrounds, faiths, genders and ethnicities bring new ideas, innovation and practices that can vastly improve operations.

This means that all companies’ policies around diversity and inclusion must continue to evolve, Kathryn Beaven, Global Sustainability Director at DP World, tells HR Grapevine. “DP World is a global company, with different cultures, laws and challenges in each region. So, we have made investing in our people one of our global commitments, as part of Our World Our Future, our company-wide sustainability approach. Encouraging diversity and inclusion throughout our business is part of that programme.”

One aspect Beaven is proud of is their Human Capital and Global Diversity and Inclusion working group, which helps drive the subject around the organisation. “This is especially important because it’s an evolving subject that needs to be continually evaluated and adapted to the audience and region it’s being applied to,” she explains.

“We are also focused on making sure the importance and impact of diversity is part of our business. We introduced an online training course which can be used in any location and has proved very popular with almost 1,000 employees registered during our campaign last November. Our training course on diversity and inclusion is part of iLearn, the company’s internal training and development resource containing modules on everything from safety to tackling the transport of illegal wildlife. The specific modules on diversity and inclusion included important sections on gender equality, which helped engage our employees on these vital issues.”