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Fostering diversity in the workplace
Juliet Thomson
Chief People Officer
As we step into a new year, the imperative for fostering diversity in the workplace continues to take centre stage. Across the industry, businesses have recognised that diversity is not just a buzzword but necessary for the industry to thrive.
At Menzies Aviation , our people are at the heart of our business and our success. We want to make it a great place for our people to work, building a diverse workplace where every employee can reach their full potential free from bias and discrimination. At the outset of 2023, we made a commitment to advocate for the underrepresented, encouraging women to thrive in the workplace, engaging with young people to see the opportunities the aviation industry presents, and supporting the economic integration of refugees.
We can always do better, but we are making great strides against our targets to create a workplace that reflects the diversity we see in our society. We were honoured to be recognised as the ‘Most Innovative Company’ at this year’s Aviation Services Association Leadership Forum and look forward to continuing to live up to this title as we look ahead to 2024.
This year, aligned with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 25by2025 initiative, we’ve increased the proportion of females in our senior leadership population to 20%, against our target of 25% by 2025. Congratulations to all our senior female leaders as they take the next steps in their Menzies journey.
Our Women in Leadership programme, which launched with a pilot group of 23 women in 2022, has also seen steady growth, with more than 100 participants completing the programme to date. Designed to provide women with the skills and confidence to build their careers at Menzies, the initiative forms part of our wider diversity initiatives, and ensures our people have the tools they need to reach their goals.
We’ve set up several recruitment programmes and partnerships in Europe, UK, US and Canada to recruit and support refugees into our business as part of our commitment to having 1% of workforce refugees by 2026 in conjunction with Tent Partnership for Refugees , as well as joining the organisation’s coalition in Spain as part of our ongoing efforts.
Our commitment to the Defence and Armed Forces Community was recognised as we had the rare honour of receiving the top award from the Ministry of Defence Employer Scheme. Aviation has a deep-rooted military history and at Menzies we recognise the valuable skill set that armed forces personnel can and do offer to our sector. Achieving the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award is testament to our pledge to align our values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
I’ve also had the pleasure of hearing first-hand the positive impact allyship can have. Our allyship campaign, launched in 2022, aims to inspire and empower our workforce to show up as allies and drive positive change by supporting women and under-represented minorities. We’ve seen how male employees have shown up for their female colleagues, offering advice and becoming advocates to ensure they feel supported and empowered in the workplace. It is truly rewarding to see our people working and supporting each other, becoming stronger and more resilient as a result.
While we still have a way to go, we’ve taken remarkable strides towards our diversity targets in 2023, embracing inclusive recruitment, leadership training and employee-led initiatives. I’m grateful for the collective commitment demonstrated by our employees at Menzies to foster a workplace where every voice is valued. Thank you to our dedicated team for making this journey impactful, we look forward to extending this success into 2024.
Juliet Thomson
Chief People Officer