Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to developing and maintaining a culture of equality and diversity in the workplace
We wish to provide a supportive and welcoming workplace environment, which represents the communities and cultures within which we live and work. We have a huge diversity of talent from all walks of life, each with unique experiences and perspectives, all of whom can make a difference.
We believe in equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
Our Group D&I committee is chaired by Group HR Director Diahann Williams and Kelly Lyles, a non-executive director.
The committee develops and drives our D&I agenda globally to continue to attract and retain the talent, and continue to create an inclusive culture that values and supports every employee. In 2022, we recruited a dedicated Group Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager to lead and further drive our D&I agenda.
As a People First organisation, we believe it should be everyone’s mission to drive greater diversity and inclusion, both inside and outside the workplace. We have pledged to listen to the voices of our employees and to lead on initiatives that will have the greatest impact on our culture and the wider industry.
All of Us
At Howden, we are proud of our people first culture – but we are committed to do more.
We’re using our collective power to create an environment where all of us can thrive, reach our full potential and continue to build a business we can be proud of.
Through our two-year global AllofUs campaign, every colleague around the world is encouraged to make a pledge to make a difference.
Just some examples of how our AllofUs pledges are driving change across our businesses:
- Over 100 branches in the UK are partnering with local education providers to attract young talent into insurance
- Our team in New Zealand is embedding Māori into their culture and communications to support Māori as an under-represented group
- We’re helping people fleeing war zones to find job opportunities
- We’re rolling out inclusive leadership training globally
With colleagues around the world making pledges that help to attract, retain and develop people from all walks of life, we are reinforcing our commitment to making Howden the very best place to work, for AllofUs.
All of Us
Watch the launch video for the All of Us campaign, where employees across the world can make a pledge to make a difference
Respect
Respect is an employee initiative with active volunteers across many Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) with the mission of making every employee feel valued and respected.
Respect's objectives are:
- Help create a positive experience for every employee
- Educate employees at all levels
- Help tackle the key issues facing our workforce
- Influence and collaborate with HR
- Support the attraction and retention of talent
- Become industry leaders in culture and inclusion
The ERGs tackle the issues that matter to employees and that help to create an inclusive, positive workplace for everyone:
- Gender balance
- Multiculturalism
- Mental health
- Our behaviours
- LGBTQ+
- Disability
- Women’s health
- Parents at work
- Generations
- Wellbeing
Pride month at Howden
Our Pride month events included a lunch-and-learn ‘LGBTQ+ History through the lens of switchboard logs’ and Drag Bingo in both the London and DUAL Australia office, raising money for Switchboard and Twenty10 respectively.
Both events were a huge success, with the Sydney office raising over $22,000. But the biggest win was the great feedback from employees about how inclusive it felt and how they felt they could be open to their colleagues.
Real people, real stories
A natural part of our People First culture is encouraging our people to bring their whole selves to work. As a proud partner of Dive in Festival, we hosted a 'Portraits of People' exhibition.
Gender pay gap
We are committed to reducing our gender pay gap by having transparency in how we recruit talent, along with how we recognise and develop talent.