We believe that the best environment comes from a workforce that reflects the world around us. So, our FY23 has been shaped by a strong focus on DEI, ensuring our employees can feel valued, empowered to succeed, and a sense of belonging.
Embracing DEI also brings numerous benefits to our business, including enhanced innovation, higher employee engagement, better decision-making, and the ability to attract top talent.
Global Diversity Survey: 2022 Results
We actively seek feedback from our employees on our DEI performance, one way being through our annual Diversity Survey.
Our FY23 results showed positive shifts in almost all areas when compared to FY22:
decrease in response rate
FY23: 1,020 FY22: 1,161
increase in those who feel the company has an open and inclusive culture
FY23: 88% FY22: 85%
increase in those who feel comfortable talking about their background and cultural experiences with colleagues
FY23: 87% FY22: 85%
increase in those who feel the company encourages diversity in the workplace
FY23: 84% FY22: 81%
increase in those who feel the company celebrates differences within the workplace
FY23: 78% FY22: 70%
increase in those who feel there are role models in the company who they can identify with and relate to
FY23: 78% FY22: 75%
To address the decrease in participation, we’ll be working with our internal communications teams to increase outreach and engagement next year.
Keep reading to discover how we did it.
Leadership charter
We believe that the best environment comes from a workforce that reflects the world around us. So, our FY23 has been shaped by a strong focus on DEI, ensuring our employees can feel valued, empowered to succeed, and a sense of belonging.
Embracing DEI also brings numerous benefits to our business, including enhanced innovation, higher employee engagement, better decision-making, and the ability to attract top talent.
- Drive the ONE Westcon agenda and strategic priorities
- Promote an inclusive workplace where all employees have equal access and opportunity to achieve their potential
- Promote industry-leading initiatives focused on increased representation of diverse groups at all role levels
- Undertake the appropriate training in relation to diversity and inclusion
- Hold relevant business leaders and functions accountable for taking appropriate action where feedback and improvements are identified
- Celebrate and share success stories for the benefit of employees and the wider cause within our industry
The charter also provides leaders and managers an opportunity to demonstrate their individual commitments to DEI and set a standard to be followed throughout the company.
Buddy Programme
We launched a ‘Westcon-Comstor Buddy Programme’ in EMEA, which pairs new starters with a work “Buddy” to help them integrate into the organisation.
Buddies make their new colleagues feel welcome, help them navigate the business, and build their internal network.
Celebrating diversity
Pride
We celebrated Pride month in various ways across the business, including a delicious Pride-themed Bake-Off competition in the UK, Pride-centred discussions in our Inclusion ERG, and global social media posts.
Black History Month
We celebrated Black History Month and recognised the contributions that Black, African, and Caribbean communities have made to society.
In the UK, we invited broadcaster and historian David Olusoga to join us for a discussion on Black History in the UK and how we can turn our words into actions. We also encouraged employees to share their views about what Black History means to them and how someone from the African and Caribbean community has inspired them over the years. The month’s activities ended with a competition about Black History, with the prize being a copy of David’s book, ‘Black & British’.
Supporting Māori communities in New Zealand
One of the key cultural initiatives New Zealand has focused on in FY22 is celebrating and promoting Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week).
With the support from our Learning and Development team, our New Zealand teams built a resources page dedicated to the event, encouraging participation from the region’s employees. The page received positive feedback from New Zealand staff.
Through our partnership with TupuToa, we have also begun providing cultural competency training for hiring managers in New Zealand to increase their cultural acumen and awareness, in particular with minority groups in the workplace.
Cultural diversity
This year, we had a strong focus on celebrating and promoting cultural diversity within the organisation, creating a vibrant workplace that values everyone’s religions and backgrounds.
All around the world, we celebrated Diwali, Chinese New Year, Eid, and Christmas, learning more about each other’s cultures along the way. Our people also took part in various cultural awareness days by embracing their culturally traditional attire.
Empowering black individuals in South Africa
We adhere to South Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Policy, which aims to promote economic empowerment and inclusion for black individuals.
Gender equality and women’s empowerment
We recognise the importance of addressing gender disparities in tech and empowering women to thrive in their careers.
Championing inclusion, we’re continuing our efforts to advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, including:
- Focus on women in leadership to see equal balance between top management positions (South Africa)
- Focus on hiring female technicians (Sub-Saharan Africa)
- Global celebrations of International Women’s Day
Our commitment to employment equity and equality means we aim to create a fair and inclusive environment where all individuals have access to opportunities.
In South Africa, we adhere to the Employment Equity and Equal Opportunities Forum.
This legislative requirement exists in South Africa to ensure our DEI values are maintained within the organisation.
