HR&D Awards – Meet the Partners: Northumbrian Water

Sponsoring the ‘Excellence in Inclusivity & Diversity’ category is Northumbrian Water, who provide water and sewerage services in the North East. Committed to creating a diverse workforce, the team believe in the power of inclusivity to achieve success. North East Times sat down with Northumbrian Water to discuss their partnership with the HR&D Awards, and the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.

What motivated you to become a sponsorship partner of the 2024 HR&D Awards?

Here at Northumbrian Water, our ambitions include working towards a more diverse workforce, which reflects all customers throughout our regions.  We see businesses with a more diverse workforce have been shown to do better than businesses with less diversity. For us diversity helps our success and ability to innovate, with different people bringing skills and thinking to improve what we do and how we do it. So, we wanted to support the passion of the North East businesses in Inclusivity & Diversity by recognising their progress and success that supports our ambitions too.

How do you support professional development and career growth opportunities for your employees?

We are passionate about enabling our colleagues to develop in their role and to enhance their future career with us too.  Through our “Connect Conversations” we enable our managers to discuss professional development with their teams and then we can support them through upskilling apprenticeships using our Levy, career coaching, our MindTools learning platform and through to our ILX platform of short courses to fully accredited and nationally recognised qualifications.

 

• Micky Nicholas – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team member at Northumbrian Water.

 

What impact do you hope to make in celebrating and promoting excellent people practices within the industry?

As a sponsor, we aim to champion and elevate organisations that prioritise exemplary DE&I practices, inspiring others to follow suit. Through recognition and promotion, we seek to promote a culture where inclusion and diversity are paramount.

By showcasing success stories and facilitating knowledge exchange, we aspire to encourage promotion of ethical, inclusive, and supportive workplace practices. Ultimately, we hope to foster a transformative shift towards more inclusion and equity across the North East and beyond.

As a sponsorship partner of the Excellence in Inclusivity & Diversity Award, why is this important in people practices and business?

As a sponsorship partner of the Excellence in Inclusivity & Diversity Award, we recognise that fostering inclusivity and diversity isn’t just a good thing to do; it’s a strategic and right business decision.

Embracing diverse perspectives and creating inclusive environments not only enhances employee morale and engagement but also drives innovation and creativity. Companies that prioritise inclusivity and diversity tend to outperform their peers, attract top talent, and better serve diverse customer bases. By celebrating excellence in this, we aim to inspire others to integrate inclusivity and diversity into their core business practices, leading to stronger, more resilient organisations and communities.

 

•  Michael Moore – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team member at Northumbrian Water.

 

Picture banner: Dan Nyandiya – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team member at Northumbrian Water.