At Genesis we believe that every organisation should want the very best people to work for them and develop their talents when they get there. This means breaking down those barriers that can exist in the workplace and enable everyone to fulfil their full potential, from those staff starting out on the first steps of their career to those sitting on the boards.
A large number of housing associations operate in diverse areas and we should employ a diverse range of staff to reflect our resident profiles as much as possible and to understand their particular needs.
It's not just a numbers game though. What really makes the difference is the diversity at the top of the organisation. The housing sector tends to be dominated by men in senior roles. If we are serious about changing this we must promote gender equality and make career progression for women a priority.
It's not enough to do the minimum and to comply with legal obligations; to improve diversity at the top of an organisation, greater awareness is required of the types of support best suited to different staff members. For some women, often it's a confidence boost and an opportunity to go for that promotion.
We've run "women into senior management" seminars which encourage women to focus on key areas to develop their careers. The initial seminar created a huge buzz throughout the organisation and follow-up schemes, such as mentoring, have proved to be equally popular.
Having women in leadership and decision-making roles sets the tone for the type of organisation you want to create and the culture you promote. It also ensures that more consideration is given to gender and equality issues and the impact on female residents and staff when decisions are made.
It's not just staff and residents who benefit from a focus on promoting diversity, our suppliers do too. Ensuring the suppliers you work with have a strong policy on equality in place or encouraging them to sign up to your own policy will help spread further the diversity net. Working with small, community-led businesses from a diverse range of backgrounds usually has a positive impact on resident services. These suppliers bring with them different experiences and skills to meet the needs of the wide variety of residents a housing association will encounter.
If staff are going to be able to achieve their full potential then there need to be changes to way the workplace operates. We're working hard to make these changes happen for the benefit of our staff, our business but most importantly, for our residents.
Allison Sofekun is director of corporate services at Genesis housing association
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