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Why simply ticking a diversity box won’t instil belonging in an office

22 Nov 2019

From the importance of making yourself memorable to boosting a sense of workplace belonging, catch up on what we learned this week in Careers.

Diversity is one of the most talked-about aspects of contemporary company life. Its cultivation is typically deemed pivotal in maintaining employee satisfaction and, ultimately, leading to better business.

But the distinction between diversity and inclusion or belonging is critical. Learn why by checking out our interview with BetterUp’s chief innovation officer Dr Gabriella Kellerman. She discussed the importance of workplace belonging for helping people progress with their careers, and how companies can better encourage a sense of belonging in their business.

Find out what else you might have missed in Careers this week below.

Careers insights

As always, we got some diverse insights from people working in the sci-tech sector. Samuel Gourley, an associate software engineer at Liberty IT in Belfast, began as an intern during his computing science degree. He told us about what made him want to return as a graduate and what his experience has been like so far. 

We also visited Kemp Technologies in Limerick and heard from a range of different people about how the company supports and facilitates their personal and working lives through such benefits as flexible working options and wellbeing initiatives. Check out the video here.

Elsewhere, Dropbox’s EMEA head of channels, Naveed Malik, gave us his predictions for the future of work, while senior manager in data and analytics at PwC, Katherine Leenhouts, talked about the importance of being memorable in job applications.

News 

In jobs news, Newbaze Group, a baby formula supplier for the Chinese market, announced plans for a new facility in Monaghan that will create 60 jobs, and ticketing and events company Eventbrite revealed plans for 20 new positions at its Cork city office.

Elsewhere, Facebook issued an official apology to black, Latinx and Asian employees who addressed their experiences of discrimination at the company in an open letter.

And the official signing of the National Broadband Plan this week brought about discussions on its potential for greater flexible working options. The Government cited plans to follow in the footsteps of employers such as Apple, where 1,000 of its Ireland-based employees work remotely. 

Words of wisdom

Finally, Eoin Connolly, technology director at ConsenSys, explored his own history with code and laid out his key tips for anyone new to the community. He explained why, as he sees it, “code is what the world needs”.

And Dr Reetu Sandhu, manager at the Limeade Institute, gave us some insights into how companies can help their employees mind their mental health and wellbeing.

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Lisa Ardill
By Lisa Ardill

Lisa Ardill joined Silicon Republic as senior careers reporter in July 2019. She has a BA in neuroscience and a master’s degree in science communication. She is also a semi-published poet and a big fan of doggos. Lisa briefly served as Careers Editor at Silicon Republic before leaving the company in June 2021.

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