Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity & Inclusion at Aston Charles
The Team at Aston Charles is committed to promoting diversity & inclusion within the insurance industry. We actively seek to partner with companies who already have a culture that truly embraces equal opportunities. In addition, we want to support those firms who are yet to start the journey and looking to make meaningful steps towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce that accurately reflects the UK population. We believe that this is the right thing to do, and recognise that having a diverse workforce brings hugely positive results for our clients and all their stakeholders.
This is an informal service, and we can help promote D&I within the industry in a number of ways, including:
Clients
We can help educate your staff on the benefits it can bring to their business. These include a culture that benefits from diversity of thought and gaining a fresh perspective on how to tackle everyday issues, through to improving the chance of winning and retaining more diverse clientele. We can help identify areas of unconscious bias, challenge misconceptions, and design a talent attraction strategy that is fully inclusive, whilst ensuring that inhouse opportunities remain equal to your existing staff.
Employees
We will support employees at all levels of seniority who wish to drive positive change in their workplace. We offer a completely confidential service that can help in a number of ways; we can find you allies who can support you in your career, we can act as a sounding board, and we can assist you in approaching senior colleagues with a view to bringing change in your business (such as joining D&I Support Networks and Employee Resource Groups). We can also give you the confidence and tools to challenge colleagues in a positive fashion, and can help you ‘call out’ inappropriate practices in the work place (confidentially, if wished) without it reflecting negatively on your career.
Jobseekers
We are delighted to partner with some of the most open-minded businesses in the industry, including many who are proactively taking steps to address imbalances in their teams, and who are encouraging applications from jobseekers with diverse backgrounds. We can signpost a number of resources, allies and networks to support you in your career.
Aston Charles is delighted to be a Partner of iCAN (the Insurance Cultural Awareness Network), one of the most vocal and passionate D&I networks in the insurance industry. Run by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, iCAN was founded in 2017 by a group of insurance professionals who came together to consider some of the challenges facing people of colour and those from outside of the UK who are working in the insurance sector, particularly around Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) inclusion. iCAN has already made its mark in the industry and is seen as the ‘go to’ network for resources and information on the topic.
iCAN’s mission statement is:
To promote multicultural inclusion and progression, engage with allies, and celebrate the benefits of inclusion and diversity in the insurance sector.
As iCAN’s recruitment partner, we share their aims and vision, and are committed to supporting their endeavours in bringing about diversity and inclusion within the insurance sector.