2022: The view from here is inclusive

Posted: March 14, 2022

“Diversity is a fact; inclusion is a choice.”

As much as we’d like to, we can’t claim this quote as ours! It’s the brainchild of Michael Bach, the CEO of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. But we think it highlights an interesting point..

Diversity refers to any form of difference. Gender, ethnicity, age, religion, skill sets, world view, life experiences - to name just a few! In fact, if you took any two people, there would be ways in which they were diverse. This is what makes diversity a ‘fact’ that is in-built into every group.

The benefits of a richly diverse workplace are well-documented. There is substantial evidence to show that it boosts creativity, productivity, and profitability.

Here at AVEVA, we know that what makes our people unique, makes us unique. We’re active in our desire to become as diverse as possible.

But to benefit from the ideas and innovation that diversity can offer, our workplace has to be more than diverse. It has to be inclusive. Nurturing a culture that welcomes and listens to alternative perspectives. Inspired by - as well as agile in adapting to - new insights.

Inclusion – as Michael Bach’s quote makes clear - isn’t a foregone conclusion. Any group has to choose to be inclusive, and to actively show that it values all of its members.

At AVEVA, this is a journey we are already on. We’re determined to make our workforce more diverse, our culture more inclusive, and to ensure that every colleague has the unique tools they need to thrive.

So, to kickstart our inclusion conversations for the year ahead, we asked five AVEVA colleagues to share their diverse hopes, and inclusion goals for 2022. Those colleagues are:  

Ready? Here’s what they had to say...

The question: Why does diversity matter to you?

Steve: Diversity is important to me because it makes AVEVA a stronger company and a better place to work. It brings new perspectives to problem solving and to managing teams, and it creates an attractive environment.  I also feel that supporting diversity will help us, as a company, to become an even better corporate citizen, helping us to positively impact social and economic challenges in the communities in which we operate.

Maamira: I find that as a representative of a minority community within a global workplace setting, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be heard and to be recognised. Diversity is important to me because it helps to ensure that the voices of minorities won’t be overlooked.

Austin: Diversity brings new ideas and experiences to the table. Actively listening to those ideas challenges our assumptions. It brings a great representation of the world and a better representation of our customers to AVEVA.

The question: What’s the most successful thing we’ve done so far to foster a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Karen: Open and honest communication is our best practice. It shows that we care, that we’re serious, and that we have intent.

Neha: In 2021 we celebrated our first PRIDE month, founded PRIDE ERG, and in India we have started reviewing our recruitment practices for disabled applicants. These steps have been really successful, and I’d like to see further work in these areas in 2022.

Steve: We’ve formally recognized the importance of a diverse and inclusive culture and clearly defined it as one of AVEVA’s core principles.  Executive sponsorship and sharing progress updates with all colleagues has reinforced the idea that inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.  I think we can continue to highlight our progress, and how it directly generates value for AVEVA. 

The question: What can we do to expand our understanding of diversity and inclusion in 2022?

Karen: While there’s lots of work to come, I think we should highlight how diverse and inclusive we already are. This is a healthy foundation for our work going forwards, and for sharing more of our colleague wins and experiences.

Neha: We need to continue to ensure that the information about our diversity, equity and inclusion priorities and programmes and about the Employee Groups, reaches all employees.

Austin: I think it’s time to directly engage colleagues in small groups that offer a safe space to share honest and candid feedback on their experiences. That allows for the two-way dialogue that can’t be achieved via surveys, and will expand our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

The question: How do we work to ensure that every person feels valued at AVEVA in 2022?

Karen: My top three suggestions are to:

• Offer more recognition for work well done for colleagues at all levels in more open forums. Continually promote our recognition platform.
• Making Diversity & Inclusion priorities or issues as part of our regular check-ins with line managers.
• Have a ‘post box’ where people can express their diversity and inclusion experiences at AVEVA to facilitate engagement and feedback

Neha: Ongoing inclusive, transparent communication. As part of that, we need to continue to ensure that all our key meetings/initiatives are either across time zones or are recorded for catch up viewing.

Maamira: I would like to see the cultural celebrations of every community acknowledged on the internal website, not only the major ones.

The question: And finally, what’s a diversity and inclusion win that you’d like to see by the end of 2022?

Austin: A significant win for 2022 would be extending the reach of DEIW programs across the global organization. We should build upon the success of DEIW programmes and leverage other mediums to raise visibility and engage colleagues at all levels to understand their role in DEI work.

Maamira: Equality in hiring both men and women into our workspace will make a lot of difference

Steve: I also would like to see continued efforts to increase diversity in our recruiting and hiring practices.  Always, of course, for qualified candidates.

At AVEVA, we design software solutions that make a meaningful difference. And that desire to have a positive impact on industry, communities, and our planet expresses itself throughout our culture. We’re all here to make a difference.