53 companies and organisations have now committed to the 10 principles of PW’s Diversity Charter. See which organisations D-H are part of our list.
14. DAC Beachcroft = Carolyn Tiley, head of BD, real estate: “Our ethos is to be a diverse organisation that respects and values differences and this applies to all our relationships. Our aim is to help all our employees achieve their potential and to create an environment in which people can thrive.”
15. Derwent London = Damian Wisniewski, finance director: “Diversity is a fundamental principle of our business. Signing this charter demonstrates our commitment to diversity and to helping establish a best-practice framework across the sector.”
16. Design Haus Liberty = Dara Huang, founder and creative director: “We fully support Property Week’s Diversity Charter. We have always had a very multicultural, lingual and disciplinary office. We encourage and support the whole team to reach their full potential and urge other companies to follow suit
17. Ebbsfleet Development Corporation = Louise Wyman, director of strategy: “EDC values diversity in our workplace and across the garden city in north Kent that we’re responsible for delivering. Diversity adds to our effectiveness as a development corporation and to our ability to create a place that welcomes a wide range of communities.”
18. Exemplar Properties = Daniel Van Gelder, co-founder: “It’s critical that our industry demonstrates we’re at the forefront of diversity and inclusion.”
19. Gerald Eve = Sarah Draper, HR director: “We recognise the importance of a diverse workforce and engaging with others to improve the industry. This is supported by our commitment to the Changing the Face of Property initiative.”
Gerald Eve Case Study
Gerald Eve says that it believes people are happier and more motivated and perform better when they can express their own identities and that it is dedicated to creating and enhancing an inclusive workplace culture.
Ensuring that everyone can be themselves, while working as a team, simply makes good business sense, it says. The firm is involved in several programmes designed to promote diversity and inclusivity among the workforce.
One such scheme – Changing the Face of Property, which Gerald Eve joined in 2014 – seeks to raise awareness of the real estate sector among those that might not have considered it a career option.
“We’ve committed to work experience placements through the programme, as well as engaging with careers advisers and directly with students to help give them a taste of life in the property industry,” says Sarah Palmer, HR director at Gerald Eve.
“It’s been a learning experience for us but it has proved hugely positive and we remain committed to it.”
Other initiatives include the RICS Quality Mark, for which the firm was an early adopter, and Stonewall’s Diversity Champions.
“The programmes we’ve put in place are already paying dividends,” says Palmer. “Our graduate intake this year featured plenty of people from non-traditional areas and state schools.”
20. GL Hearn = Brian Sloggett, MD: “GL Hearn is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome job applications from people of all backgrounds. We are firm believers in paid internships and apprenticeships and welcome the Diversity Charter.”
21. Hogan Lovells = Jackie Newstead, partner – global head of real estate: “Hogan Lovells is proud to support Property Week’s Diversity Charter. The property industry, like the rest of the business world, needs to embrace diversity to create a more balanced working environment.”
22. Holistic = Sophie Eastwood, MD: “To remain at the forefront of industry, the property sector needs to generate new ideas and approaches, and these can only be enriched by different experiences and perspectives. We champion individuals from many backgrounds and, as a company, we provide flexible options to our staff so everyone can thrive.”
See which other companies have signed the Diversity Charter: A-C; I-P; R-Z
The Open Plan Diversity Charter
- We will monitor diversity in our workplace and provide Property Week with data and information on company policies designed to support a more diverse workforce.
- We will share resources, including best-practice guides and case studies, with other signatories via Property Week’s Diversity Charter online portal.
- We will strive to appoint senior ‘diversity champions’ within our organisation to act as the main contact with Property Week on matters relating to the charter.
- We will provide mentoring to support employees’ career development, both at entry level and mid-career.
- We will endeavour to work with at least one state senior school in each town or city in which we operate to promote careers in the built environment to young people from diverse backgrounds.
- Where possible, we will offer – and advertise externally – paid internships and apprenticeships.
- We will use a blind recruitment process where appropriate to prevent unconscious bias in the shortlisting process.
- We will enforce a zero-tolerance policy on homophobia, sexism, ageism and any other form of discrimination and encourage employees to report instances of prejudice to the diversity champions.
- We will ensure all our buildings are fully accessible and provide appropriate equipment and support to allow employees with disabilities to play a full role in the workplace.
- We will make diversity a key criterion when procuring services from other companies to help ensure the example we set is followed by others.
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