It was lovely to see so many of you at this week’s Employee Benefits Live. I always find the event invaluable for meeting new contacts, catching up with old friends and delving into the current trends in reward and benefits. Over the course of the two days, I had so many great conversations, and it was rewarding to hear so many of our wonderful delegates saying the same.
This year, an overarching theme was the concept of authenticity at work. While there has long been a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion within many organisations, the idea of supporting employees to bring their authentic selves to work now really seems to resonate within the industry.
On the second day of the event, competitive swimmer and broadcaster Mark Foster presented a keynote session titled ’Embracing authenticity: the power of being your true self’. Within this, he took the audience on a journey through his career as a professional athlete, explaining how he had to put on a front throughout in order to hide his real self amid fear of being judged for his sexuality. Since publicly coming out in 2017, Mark has shared his experiences to improve visibility and help others feel like they can fit in somewhere.
In the workplace, Mark recommended that employers could increase awareness by considering the language that is commonly used, for example, asking employees about their partner rather than husband or wife, and doing more to encourage open conversations that enable employees to be their authentic selves.
This message of authenticity was also central to the event’s closing keynote, which was delivered by Natalie Jutla, employee benefits and employee financial wellbeing lead at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). During the session, titled ‘Breaking the boundaries of what is possible’, Natalie candidly shared her own journey, from the challenges she and her parents faced as a mixed race family to leaving a domestic violent relationship with less than £10 and a young son, and later taking a year-long break due to her mental health.
Natalie explained how she was able to overcome the challenges she has faced and has used her own experiences to help break down boundaries. The success she has subsequently achieved in both her personal and working lives are certainly testament to the power of her embracing her authentic self.
Natalie also spoke of how much she values the connections and friendships she has made at events like Employee Benefits Live. These connections are more likely to deepen when individuals feel able to be their authentic selves.
Individuals’ beliefs that they have to cover some of their natural traits in order to fit in with a perceived mainstream norm may also impact the culture of an organisation, as discussed by Karen Blackett OBE, former president at WPP, in the opening keynote session on the first day of Employee Benefits Live. Whether individuals believe they have to cover aspects of their appearance, affiliations, advocacy or associations, organisations are unlikely to achieve a culture in which employees can thrive and succeed while this continues.
The fact authenticity was key to the discussion in so many sessions, despite their very different content and approaches, just goes to show how important this currently is. In order to create an open culture in which employees feel they are able to be their true selves, this often requires a significant shift in thinking. For employers that achieve this, however, the rewards will be far reaching.
Debbie Lovewell-Tuck
Editor
@DebbieLovewell
