Head of Culture D,E&I
Office Location: Triton Street/Hybrid Working
This role will benefit from our Hays Balanced Working agreement so will be based in our Triton Street office and from home. There will be occasional travel to our offices in other locations, as and when required.
At Hays, we believe in being long-term partners with our people as well as our customers. Together, we will work for your tomorrow, and the possibilities are endless.
With over 50 years of business success, we have built a reputation as the world leader in specialist recruitment and workforce solutions. But joining Hays isn’t just about being part of a global business leader; together with over 12,000 people across 33 countries, you’ll be making a difference in the world of work.
Role Objectives:
We put people at the heart of everything we do. We know that involving our colleagues and making them feel important and that they belong here, builds trust and advocacy and ultimately helps to create the best place for the best people. As the Head of Culture and Diversity, Inclusion & Equity, you will lead both the design and development of our Culture change roadmap to drive the biggest cultural shifts identified to deliver our Creating Tomorrow Together strategy, and our overall D,E&I and wellbeing strategy, creating an environment where difference is embraced and individuals can flourish.
You will work with People & Culture teams both in the UK and internationally, to ensure inclusion and wellbeing is an intrinsic part of how we operate, whilst considering and reflecting local demands and cultures. As well as creating the right conditions for our colleagues to flourish, you’ll collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure we have a compelling diverse and inclusive supplier, candidate and client offer.
Key Result Areas: Skills and Competencies
- In collaboration with regions, lead the design, development and delivery of key Global D,E&I and wellbeing interventions, strategies, and activities, as agreed with the Director of Colleague Engagement, Experience and Change, identifying and prioritising the key areas that will create the most impact
- Work with the other People & Culture leaders to ensure we are taking a truly inclusive approach in all aspects of our people priorities and processes, to deliver on business needs and improve representation and progression at every level
- Work closely with the wider People & Culture teams, offering support, advice and insight where needed, sharing expertise across the team, whilst also being mindful of local demands and cultures
- Foster excellent working relationships with each strand Executive sponsor and lead to ensure that they are fully aligned with our broader aims
- Provide support and expertise to regional People & Culture teams to ensure our internal networks / employee resource groups optimise their support of our colleagues
- Be the voice of D,E&I and Wellbeing on behalf of Hay’s in external events and committees
- Remain at the forefront of developments in the D,E&I and Wellbeing industries using your external network, bringing this insight into our thinking and priorities
- Manage the timely and quality delivery of activities, programmes and tools created to further the D,E&I and wellbeing colleague, client and candidate agenda
- Take responsibility for all global mandatory and voluntary D,E&I and wellbeing reporting, whist also having awareness of local requirements, providing advice where needed
- Ensure that we have robust data and metrics in place to accelerate and measure our progress, and ensure the most relevant external benchmarking and understanding of best practices takes place
- Effectively influence key stakeholders (marketing, procurement etc) to improve client and supplier diversity through more inclusive propositions and relationships
- Working with the Director of Colleague Experience, Engagement and Change, develop the culture change roadmap to drive the biggest identified cultural shifts required for the business to deliver the strategy
- Influence senior leaders to adopt the culture change roadmap and create sustainable cultural change
- Own initiatives that will drive the culture shifts
- Work with senior internal stakeholders up to and including ELT level to bring a broad spectrum of agitation, challenge, and support
- Continually seek qualitative and quantitative feedback from our colleagues and key stakeholders on the effectiveness of our strategies and programmes
Knowledge, qualifications and experience
- Exceptional influencing skills and able to provide credible challenge at all levels of an organisation, up to and including Ex-co level stakeholders
- Proven track record of acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders
- Up to date knowledge and expertise of best practice and current developments in Culture and D,E&I and Wellbeing
- A track record of being able to challenge the existing thinking and approaches where appropriate, driving colleague and commercial improvements through prioritised and pragmatic solutions
- Able to deliver in a fast paced, complex environment, communicating clearly and openly to win support
- Extensive experience developing and delivering business wide culture change in large organisations (roadmap and initiatives to sustain and deliver cultural change)
- A demonstrable external inclusion and wellbeing network
- Experience working with networks / employee resource groups
- Ability to think strategically allied with a practical approach to execution and creative flair
- Clear sense of ownership. Able to follow through tenaciously to resolve issues and drive change
Skills and Competencies
- Demonstrates behaviours that support and reflect the Hays values
- Collaborative with an appreciation of global/local needs
- Ability to operate at a senior level whilst able to roll sleeves up and be very hands on
- Strong intellect balanced by pragmatic, solution-oriented and data driven approach
- First-class attention to detail
- Excellent personal presentation and communication skills
- Personal credibility, professional, approachable and outgoing
- Complete discretion and confidentiality
- Good forward-planning, can work under pressure and to deadlines
- Pragmatic and flexible
- Inspiring and engaging others at all levels - builds great working relationships with colleagues and can influence agendas that they do not directly own
- Sets and pursues own direction and is able to manage complex, conflicting priorities
- Bravery and resilience - to pursue a strategy or plan in the knowledge that there will be a multitude of differing views on the best way to tackle the issue
- Open mindedness to take on board different viewpoints and flex a plan when appropriate
- Commercially aware with sound business and wider industry knowledge – can think ahead to ensure that the organisation takes a long-term view on inclusion and wellbeing
What you will get in return
This is a truly unique opportunity to work in the strategic function of the Hays group business and collaborate with senior leaders to help shape tomorrow together.
In addition, Hays group offer:
- Competitive compensation and reward package
- Stimulating and rewarding work at a time of significant organisational change.
- An inclusive culture built on rewarding success and the opportunity to influence your future career path.
- Flexible hybrid working patterns.
- Broad range of employee wellbeing initiatives and benefits
- Community of internal support networks
- Paid volunteering day for all employees under our Working for Your Tomorrow Initiative
Life at Hays presents the opportunity for growth, varied career paths, exciting challenges and a culture of inclusion that celebrates diversity. As a committed Disability Confident employer, if you’re thinking of a new tomorrow for your career, whatever your background, let’s work together to create it!
At Hays, we share a passion for creating a culture of opportunities for our people to flourish and succeed, whatever your background. We know that diversity of perspective and an inclusive approach, which encourages those experiences and views to be heard, is great for business and therefore your career.
