Smart Managed Solutions joins PW’s Inspiring Diversity in Property campaign

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Mechanical and electrical services maintenance specialists Smart Managed Solutions is the latest signatory to Property Week’s Inspiring Diversity in Property campaign, joining others including Purplebricks, Willmott Dixon and The LOWE Group

The team from Smart Managed Solutions said: “We are totally committed to the journey of creating an environment where everyone feels that they belong as their true whole selves.”

THE PLEDGE

Companies signing the pledge commit to establishing a continuous improvement plan with measurable objectives and clearly defined outcomes.

For some, this plan will involve only small changes; for others, improvement may be a long-term business transformation project. The panel below outlines the steps companies that sign the pledge agree to take.

1/ Attract, develop and promote a more diverse workforce

Including promoting equality, making unconscious bias training mandatory for those involved in recruitment, making sure language in recruitment and job descriptions does not exclude anyone.

Devising and implementing development programmes for protected characteristics that support meaningful career progression.

2/ Take steps to close pay gaps

Including offering flexible and remote working as standard and considering job shares; using market salary and internal pay data rather than asking candidates what they currently earn; ensuring interviewers are diverse; publishing wage ranges; looking for discrepancies between pay rates; and ensuring high-achieving individuals are recognised equitably in succession planning.

3/ Champion and recognise the achievements of employees across all protected workplace characteristics

Including actively promoting the success of workforce diversity; using diverse role models in marketing, advertising and PR campaigns; ensuring outreach programmes with schools and colleges target a more diverse population.

4/ Foster a culture of diversity and inclusiveness

Creating programmes and policies that promote equality; working towards more balanced representation at both management and board level; ensuring there are appropriate facilities; having a zero-tolerance approach to negative and demeaning behaviours, or to “banter” that undermines, belittles and excludes anyone; encouraging reporting processes.

5/ To set annual EDI objectives and transparently publish progress

Communicating EDI goals with employees and partners; gathering data to measure progress; sharing key metrics with employees and partners, highlighting both progress and setbacks; making diversity a core value.

Download the pledge here, then email the signed version to inspiringdiversity@propertyweek.com to confirm your commitment and feature in our social media campaign, or take a personal pledge to make a change here.

Property Week’s inaugural Inspiring Women in Property Awards took place on 5 October at the Hilton London Metropole recognising outstanding achievements by individuals, teams and commendable corporate initiatives that have made remarkable contributions to improving gender imbalance in the UK property and real estate industry.

Learn more about the winners who took home the prizes and why.