National FM provider Arcus FM has announced its five-year equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy, designed to to strengthen diversity and inclusion across its business. It is the first time the company has announced an EDI strategy to the public, with a view to further bolstering its reporting portfolio and increasing transparency, over the next fiscal year. Since its inception, the company stated it has always had a people-centric focus, with training, development and creating career pathways for its colleagues central to its growth over the last decade. Now it has established itself as one of the larger businesses in the sector, the business wants to lead the way in FM. The company’s aim is to attract and retain top talent and ensure the innovation and service that customers demand is protected for the next generation. Transparency is also key, with the company already reporting on its social value performance, and its sustainability impact – both of which highlight people, recruitment, and diversity statistics – but the need to be accountable for EDI is as important, and the newly published strategy sets the framework for this, its press release stated. This strategy, and the social value and sustainability impact reports, can be found on the company’s website. Working collaboratively across the business is a key theme of the company’s strategy and begins its journey by measuring inclusion and diversity within the company to identify areas of improvement. Chief people officer Debbie Gregory said: “FM is a largely male-dominated sector and we understand that women are still underrepresented within the industry – alongside many other protected characteristics. We all have a duty to do more. Whilst we have always been a people-driven company, we haven’t had such a strategic focus on EDI before, and our aim is to ensure that Arcus is supporting all colleagues and opening doors to those facing barriers to work. “Equality, diversity, and inclusion are vital to the culture at Arcus. It’s about ensuring everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect; recognising and celebrating our differences; creating a level playing field so that each of us can make the most of our abilities and fulfil our full potential regardless of our background or circumstances.” Chief commercial officer Theresa Bell said: “Everyone within the industry could do with challenging themselves to do more and I‘m proud of the steps we’re taking. FM is an amazing industry to work in, and whilst technology and innovation are often the things most talked about, it’s the people and their passion that drive our sector forward and what makes it unique.” |
