What strides are you making to ensure your agency is more inclusive and diverse?

James Brown, head of commercial at Comtec Translations, says this is at the heart of what his agency does.

“The nature of our business, having a network of people all over the world, means we are a naturally diverse business,” he says. “Over the years, we’ve always done lots of charity work, and we recently became the first translation agency in the UK to gain B-Corp status.”

James has also been part of the Agency Hackers D&I council, which has opened his eyes to what more can be done to champion D&I in the agency world.

“As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I was always very well-versed in my own experiences. But you’re not going to know how someone else experiences the world without educating yourself and speaking to people from different backgrounds. Through speaking with other leaders, I’ve been able to bring greater awareness into the business.”

James and his team have introduced an array of things into the business to further champion diversity and inclusivity:

• They now do an annual team survey. “This was about looking at the demographics of our business, looking at who our team really are, where they come from, and what they stand for.”
• They’ve overhauled their employee benefits. “We used to offer things like discount vouchers, which the team weren’t really using. We then looked at what was actually beneficial for everyone and have introduced things more tailored to wellbeing – travel allowance, private health insurance, and support with childcare.”
• They offer support and guidance for their wider network – including them as part of the team as much as possible, with live events, Zoom webinars, and newsletters.

Even with these changes, James is aware there’s always more to be done when it comes to diversity.

“We’ve got majority female staff, with a good age spread, and LGBTQ+ representation, which is great. And while we’re attracting remote, more diverse candidates, we’re always striving to do better.”

When it comes to making a conscious effort on the D&I front, James says it’s a constant battle.

“There are things you want to do, but it’s all about balancing the quick wins with the long-term goals you want to achieve,” he says.

“Putting together a D&I strategy, finding a consultant to help you – those are long-term things that will take months, and not a change you can make overnight.”

In this month’s HR and people mastermind, we’re talking to James about how his agency is striving to be more inclusive and diverse – we’re also asking YOU how you’re doing this too.

Come along and share what matters to you, and what you’re doing to make a change.