ANDREA'S BLOG

Most of us like to think we're fair-minded. Most leaders I work with genuinely believe they hire and promote based on merit – their favourite articulation is: "I always hire the best person for the job." But here's the thing: our brains weren't built for fairness. They were built for speed - and for safety.

HR LEADERS - as you plan for 2026, ask yourself: 1 Is your DEI plan aligned with your business strategy? The strongest plans aren’t side projects - they move in lockstep with business priorities. 2 What are you doing to embed inclusion? Leaders need to know what inclusive behaviours look like, and employees need to be recognised for practising them. Culture shifts when inclusion becomes

I spent last week with ERG leaders from around the world - people deeply committed to creating inclusive workplaces and communities. We talked about their current realities and about how they can build a more strategic approach to their work. For me, that’s critical. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have the potential to be powerful, lasting forces for change - but only if they’re sustainable over time.

When I went to college five hundred million years ago (okay, maybe not that long ago), I studied economics. Most of it didn’t stick, but there are a couple of concepts that stayed with me and that I still use in the work I do and in how I structure the work I choose to do.  One of them is the idea of supply and demand.  It’s also how I think about changing the makeup of our workforce so it reflects the society we live in.

Why DEI isn't just a nice-to-have, and what most businesses are getting wrong I was recently invited on the Business Matters Podcast with Karl Fitzpatrick to discuss something I've spent my entire career working towards: true, transformative inclusion in the workplace. Not just the optics. Not the tick-box stuff. The real, human, business-critical work of building inclusive cultures that actually work. This conversation meant a lot. Here's a summary of what we discuss

If your brain were considering Robert Frost's two paths diverging in a wood, it would have no question about which to take; it would always choose the well-worn and familiar path – the safe path. I love this poem because it reminds us to challenge ourselves to do the less predictable things. To "feel the fear and do it anyway".  But just as fear influences our decision-making, big and small, so does our bias, conscious and unconscious.

We’re hearing a lot in the media about returning meritocracy to the workplace - “best person for the job!” But here’s the thing:   fairness in leadership, a cornerstone of true meritocracy, doesn’t just happen on its own.   In fact, some of the most impactful career development opportunities remain out of reach for people from historically underrepresented groups in leadership, often because of unconscious bias. This week, I came across two separate studies - very different i

We know that inclusion doesn’t just happen. Our brains are wired for shortcuts, and those shortcuts - like affinity bias - can get in the way of fair, inclusive decision-making.  So, how do we interrupt that wiring? How do we create organisations where everyone has a fair shot?

Sometimes, getting started feels like the hardest part. The impression is that it’s confusing and overwhelming for organisations. The reality is that small, consistent actions each day create meaningful, long-term progress. Inclusion isn’t about perfection; it’s about commitment and continuous effort. I was reminded of this earlier this week while reading Dorie Clark’s article, Start Tackling That Big Goal You’ve Been Putting Off (Harvard Business Review).   Dorie writes: “We

It’s been clear for a long time how gender-balanced organisations and teams are not only better for individuals, but better for business too. Research described here shows that gender balanced teams are not only more generous and egalitarian, but that teams with a larger percentage of women perform better. In fact, inclusive teams make better, faster business decisions up to 87 per cent of the time, according to research by Cloverpop . Benefits of gender balanced teams As we

Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the natural differences between people. In the UK it’s estimated that around 1 in 7 people (more than 15%) are neurodivergent, meaning that the brain functions, learns and processes information differently. Neurodivergence includes a range of conditions including Attention Deficit Disorders, Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. In a workplace context it's an area of diversity. Despite most companies’ increasing focus on diversity, equity, a

Thinking about your D&I strategy in 2023

Gender equality issues are nothing new in the boardroom. Grant Thornton’s 2022 report ‘Women in Business: Opening the door to diverse talent’ revealed that only 33% of senior leaders, globally, are female. Time and again, research shows that the more diverse a company, the better its performance. So perhaps it’s time to shift the focus and consider how men can play their part in the pursuit of parity. Men as allies Too many organisations still miss the mark on gender balance

“Many conversations about diversity and inclusion do not happen in the boardroom because people are embarrassed at using unfamiliar words or afraid of saying the wrong thing—yet this is the very place we need to be talking about it.” Inga Beale, Former CEO Lloyd’s of London There’s no doubt that board diversity and performance are inextricably linked. In PWC’s latest annual Corporate Director’s report , 93% of the directors said diversity around the boardroom table brings uni

Now’s the time to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Our brains are trained to make snap decisions, like those immediate split second judgments you might make about someone’s appearance when they first walk into a room. We all make decisions that are not based on either facts or judgment, it’s just how our brains work. But the key here is what happens next…do you act on your initial judgement or do you realise you weren’t dealing with facts and change your behaviour

How to parent your children to raise d&I savvy citizens

Article published during Pride month 2022 to help non LGBT+ people understand their priviledge

What do you know about the Employee Lifecycle? This article is designed to give you a 5-step breakdown of the critical points in the...

Neurodiversity - why thinking outside the box matters - we look at: 📌 What is neurodiversity 📌 The issue with current hiring practices

March 8th 2022 was International Women’s Day. It brought with it the usual fanfaring of female employees from organisations far and wide...

How to build a sustainably inclusive organisation

There’s undoubtedly a growing understanding and recognition of the importance of diversity as a whole in the workplace, but with only 55%...