By Valerie Moran, head听of operations, eComm
If you look at听the tech听industry as a whole,听there听are not enough minority people in high-profile roles.听
When I was growing my previous business PFS with my husband Noel,听I couldn’t find听many other听women of colour听in FinTech. Since I owned听the business,听I decided to create an听open–door policy听鈥撎�a听community within my own workforce听which听embraced听people听from听every听background.听听
That policy allowed people to see that if they worked hard, they would move up the ranks. It shouldn’t be about where you’re from or who you are: you should look at whether the individual is right听for a particular role.听
We had 52 per cent women on the workforce as a result of creating equal opportunities for both genders. And then, where we felt there was potential within an individual, we provided training and helped move them up through the ranks.听听
I think that’s very important: you might not necessarily have somebody who’s got all the qualifications, but that person might have a lot of potential and be willing to give their all for a particular role if handed the opportunity.听
It听worked very well听because,听whenever we aimed to听pioneer听a new market, our employees听helped us听to听understand听the culture听in their听native听countries听and how听to听roll out the product听there.听听
If you do business with people from different backgrounds all over the world, what’s so wrong about hiring them听yourself?听听
One thing I realised by doing听this was听that听it created a warm sense of belonging within the business, and an appreciation that everyone was equal and the same.听听
There shouldn鈥檛 be any glass ceilings. The only limit should be your potential: if you limit yourself, then I can’t do anything about that; but if you have potential, you can get to the very top.听
Diversity and inclusion听has听to start with the leaders in听a听company.听It is not enough to have a听HR policy, write about it and hold seminars to discuss it. No. It’s not about that. It’s about changing the mindset.听听
When you change the mindset of the leader in the company, you听also change听the mindset of those below听them.听All the managers听and听everyone听else听within the company听will听embrace that culture.听听
I think that’s where it needs to really start off;听otherwise,听it’s just a policy introduced by听the听business听and听nothing听ever听really happens.听