Beko plc: A Journey in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Keval Shah

A simple, yet profound question posed by one of our colleagues inspired us to take a closer look at how we could enhance our company culture: "What are we doing as a company to support diversity?".  This question compelled us to take action and establish the DEI Committee, prompting the need for dedicated advocacy of DEI best practices.

Diversity, we believe, is a catalyst for innovation, driving Beko plc forward. Keval passionately articulated that the goal is not solely to mirror the diversity of our customers but to be a reflection of our surrounding community, from every Beko plc office in the UK and Ireland to all levels of our organisation, across the world.

A key aspect Keval highlighted is our commitment to exceeding industry standards. Beko plc's Board of Directors play a pivotal role in embracing and championing DEI initiatives, with a female Managing Director and Financial Director, a third of positions on the Board are held by women. Keval emphasised that this significant representation is not only symbolic; it's a powerful example which inspires female leadership across the company, underlining the importance of DEI policies flowing from top to bottom.

In addition to leadership commitment, our open-door policy for Managers is a foundational aspect of our approach. Keval explained how this policy nurtures an environment of trust and respect, a culture validated by our remarkable 85% satisfaction rating in last year's employee satisfaction survey, placing us in the top quartile of all UK businesses.

To maintain open lines of communication throughout the company, we host monthly company updates that function as 'town hall' style meetings. Directors engage with employees, answering questions, sharing company news, and announcing upcoming events. These sessions provide colleagues, whether attending in person or virtually, the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns, whilst an anonymous virtual suggestion box is also available for those who wish to provide feedback without revealing their identity.

In line with our commitment to communication, we circulate monthly announcements that educate about a variety of cultural events and celebrations. Most recently, we have highlighted International Women's Day as well as Passover, a festival occurring in April that commemorates the emancipation of Jewish people from Egyptian slavery.

Meanwhile, Keval spoke with notable enthusiasm about a recent initiative, launching an accessibility tool on the UK Beko brand website that allows visitors to browse based on their individual needs. This includes options for those with epilepsy, vision impairment, cognitive disorders and other individual requirements.

He also spoke about Beko plc's 2024 DEI focus, unconscious bias. Unconscious bias describes the associations we hold that are outside of our control or conscious awareness. To approach this, we are rolling out training for all colleagues and will host several events throughout the year to facilitate discussions on this important topic.

With transparency at the heart of our DEI framework, we have been publishing our Gender Pay Gap report for several years, demonstrating our organisation’s commitment to inclusivity. Our aspiration is to expand these reports in the future to include DEI data on other factors, allowing us to track our progress and hold ourselves accountable.

Keval emphasised that Beko plc's DEI journey is ever-evolving. Our current position reflects a solid groundwork of best practices, and we are committed to pushing the boundaries set by society, staying true to our path of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.