This year's annual #DiveIn theme is #bravercultures. Focusing on both online and offline culture – Dive In is opening up the conversation on how to build a workplace that truly allows people to feel psychologically safe, valued, respected and free to express themselves authentically.
This is a massive topic and we as leaders, managers and recruiters know that people behave and deliver in the best way possible, when they feel authentically themselves, and more in alignment with the values of an organisation. So, coming back to the question, what can we do to make sure that people are able to authentically be themselves? I think that this is an ongoing process, that needs to be tackled and worked on throughout.
Firstly, at the interview stage, the employer needs to have a clear set of values as well as skillsets that are needed for the role. The employer needs to clearly convey their values and promote inclusivity and authenticity. Being able to see a variety of employees during the interview process enables the prospective employee to be more at ease with themselves. This shouldn’t stop at onboarding, it should be a moving, breathing, process so that authenticity is prioritised. For example, In my interview process, I was faced with an impressive panel of working parents, like me, as well as the talented and impressive staff who weren’t parents. This has meant that whenever I have needed support as a working mum, I’ve had no hesitation to ask for it.
When looking at online specifically, this is much harder, but I think it comes from promoting a culture of authentic online posting so that external views of an organisation do align with reality, rather than presenting an overly marketed clipped version of reality. I think that there is also a responsibility of employers to be aware of any “pile on” that employees may come up against and ensure that they are feeling “safe” and ensuring that their values are in alignment with the organisation.
An interesting and important theme for Dive In this year and I'm looking forward to seeing the continued impact and insights that Dive In Festival has on the insurance industry.
