I am an ally of equity…

What a lovely month June has been, getting out into the sunshine works wonders for the body and the brain; even taking a chance to sit and read a book outdoors feels very restorative.  We hope you have found the chance to do the same.

The Peony & Magnolia team have been enjoying visiting clients on-site, the ability to have face to face conversations around such important topics is really wonderful. If you’re looking for face to face support, do not hesitate to reach out. 

Everyone has something of value to contribute and everyone has a right to belong

June brought us Learning Disability week and so we would like to shine a light on inclusion.

So, what steps can an individual take to being more inclusive of others?

Being selfless in actions, truly supporting others and standing up consistently. Questioning when you see inequality, even if you know this will make you unpopular, use your voice. Learning from the diverse exchanges we encounter along the way, so we can truly understand how to be inclusive.

And what steps can you take as an employer?

💡 Enable interviewees to process information by giving them the interview questions before the interview. Explain the structure and process beforehand.

💡 Ensure the job description is accurate and in simple, plain language.

💡 Provide a good induction and communicate in ways which best suit those receiving the information.

💡 Provide high quality and supportive line managers who treat people as individuals and coach their people to be their best selves at work.

💡 Be flexible and provide an environment that isn’t described as a ‘sensory hell’, small reasonable adjustments can be made to to all workspaces

We delve all the more into inclusion and empowerment in Espresso Issue #5

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending – C.S. Lewis

Alice attended a CIPD event which gave a summary from a recent PWC survey, Workplace Hopes and Fears 2023 here are some of the stats…

⭐️ 21% of respondents work 2 jobs – cost of living very much impacting decisions as almost 40% of people stated they had no money left at month end. Financial wellbeing and education has to very much be on our agendas.

⭐️ Specialist skills are in demand, meaning talent is even more fluid, 35% of Gen-Z respondents said they are likely to change employer in next 12 months. Retention remains a challenge!

⭐️ Soft/Human skills are key, not just for culture but holistic people development. But it is more than this, it is providing equal chance to access to develop these skills through coaching environments is key.

⭐️ ESG and AI still hot topics. Interesting social listening came out which is something we forget about, always focusing on internal voice/ surveys

The main takeaway of this event by the Peony and Magnolia team is that we are on the right track in our work, we are currently delivering work that the this survey highlights as key areas and through our partnerships are having conversations which can influence change.

To keep up with our activity, do find us over on LinkedIn.

We are not always able to control the situation around us but we can choose where we direct our attention.

During World Wellbeing Week the Peony & Magnolia team turned their attention towards emotional resilience as a leader. 

Being able to manage yourself during unfavourable circumstances is a great strength, not only will you find this beneficial to yourself, but this also represents a key and valued characteristic of a competent leader.

From hardship we can often turn the challenges into opportunities through practicing resilient habits, such as mindfulness and self-awareness.

Learning from different outcomes and being able to grow and adapt are key elements of emotional resilience and are fantastic attributes to a have.


We hope you have enjoyed reading this blog. We’ll keep sharing the HR hot topics you need to know about and the trends you can’t ignore. 

In the meantime, please get in touch with any questions. 

We would love to hear from you!

Alice

Founder

Peony & Magnolia