Destination Insurance: Insurance industry should not ‘gaslight’ D&I

Firms need to be “genuine” about what diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies they can and cannot do instead of “gaslighting” or treating it as a “tick-box exercise”, according to Carpenters Group director Donna Scully.

Speaking during a panel session at Insurance Times’ Destination Insurance event in the Minster Building in Monument, entitled ‘Embedding awareness into everyday practice’, Scully said that transparency, clear communication and honest explanations build trust and buy-in.

Insurance Times editor Katie Scott chaired the panel, which also included co-founder and co-chair at iCAN Ajay Mistry and HDI UK and Ireland’s chief people officer Gemma McWilliam.

They discussed the ways in which companies can action meaningful behavioural change to sustain D&I awareness.

Scully said: “When we’ve just done a people survey at Carpenters and we get a lot of feedback, some of it we can change, some of it we can deal with and some of it we can’t.

“What’s important is explaining why you can’t or why that won’t work for the business generally because when you own a business, you’re balancing the commercial side of it and looking after your people. You want to do both but if you don’t have a commercial side then you won’t be there for your people. That’s the balance.”

In turn, she added that a knock-on effect of this transparency will grant people a safe space to speak their minds on D&I and, while certain ideas may not be possible now, it could be possible in the future.

Where should the focus be?

When HDI UK and Ireland’s D&I committee was first established, it attempted to respond and mark absolutely every issue, McWilliam reflected.

She explained that this approach, while well-intentioned, was only “scratching the surface” on these issues and was “not granular enough”.

McWilliam shared with delegates that it is all about “being really specific on the problem you’re trying to solve, as you would another business problem, that’s how you’ll see the success”.

Mistry added: “Focus on places where there’s systems. Whether it’s hiring, whether it’s about getting a robust promotional plan, whether it’s how you look after your staff when they come in.

“Wherever systems are in place, that’s where D&I should be really focused more than general.”

Making these changes should not be perceived simply as an HR initiative, explained McWilliam, but as a business imperative that requires consistency to be effective.

Afterall, McWilliam added: “D&I is something that you live, not something that you launch”.