How we are bettering ourselves and the world, through creating a working environment for all

This means similarities and differences among employees in terms of age, cultural background, physical abilities, disabilities, race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. No two humans are the same and they shouldn’t be discriminated against for any of the given reasons above.

There is a plethora of benefits to be gained when it comes to workplace diversity, from both an internal and external point of view. In addition, it also comes with a unique set of challenges too. These should not be overlooked and instead, should be prioritised to ensure employees are being both listened to and understood.

• New cultures; bring new perspectives
• Wider talent pool; with increased skill sets
• Increased innovation; with company growth
• Better employee performance; increased work satisfaction
• Increased profits; increased investment back into the company

Hiring from a broad talent pool is so important, and as a company you must consider that not everyone comes from the same background or privileges. At Xenia Estates we are a forward-thinking company that learns and grows and puts people at the centre of everything, as that’s what helps us continue to move forward. Below are a few examples of how we make our workplace more diverse and will continue to do so going forward.

Government Kickstart Scheme

The Government Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to help create jobs for 16 to 24-year olds on universal credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment. This is a rising issue in the UK and one in which we want to help tackle. We all started somewhere and not all of us will have had the same opportunities as our peers. The ages of these candidates offer a huge talent pool of potential.

We currently have a kick-starter working within our Marketing Department assisting with all aspects of Digital Marketing and Graphic Design. They work closely with all departments within the business, gaining skills and experience in all areas.

Adam Mallam, Junior Digital Marketing Assistant –

“The Government Kickstart Scheme has given me the opportunity to delve into my passion, Graphic design and Digital Marketing. I have transitioned away from Construction and onto a new path, one I couldn’t be happier in as my prospects are endless. Xenia are giving me the platform, time and support to grow into my role and as a person, as I continue to kickstart my career.”

Annual Staff Satisfaction Surveys

We carry out annual surveys with our staff and make sure feedback is anonymous to avoid discrimination, we really value how these surveys help us understand our company culture and work out areas for improvement. This allows Xenia to listen to staff and implement reasonable change. When change happens company culture improves, and staff will feel like they are making a direct impact and are supported beyond the scope of just doing their work.

Training and Development

Everyone wants to improve and progress their career, it is very rare that people are 100% content and will want to stay in one place. We pride ourselves on offering training and development to all team members. Offering and working towards further training development can give new opportunities to current staff which in turn, helps grow the company.

We do not look to outsource work but take it in house and give the employees more tools to learn and grow. Some examples of training qualifications that we’ve helped employee’s gain in the past 24-months are:

CIM Level 6 Award in Marketing and Digital Strategy | CIM Level 3 Award in Digital Essentials | AAT Exam Level 4 | CIPD Level 3 Diploma in HR Practices | Mental Health First Aider | IRPM Associate

Committees

Welfare Committee:

The welfare of employees is of the highest importance, this is what makes the company move forward. It looks after the mental and physical health should they need advice. The safety of everyone, that beyond work pressures no one should feel unsafe in the working environment. It is covered a lot by Human Resources and their role in the company to listen, understand and help everyone to be their optimal self for work.

Culture Committee:

We make a conscious effort to put in place events and social activities that are enjoyable for all. This is a great way to understand and learn about new perspectives and spread them throughout the company. This educates, supports and breeds positive outlooks throughout the company. We all need some down time, and this is a great way for departments to cross besides work related discussions. This helps the company form a bond that when it does come to work you can trust individuals in their working abilities, and ultimately come into work and enjoy themselves with friends. Something we do best at Xenia, the working environment is open, free moving and encouraging each other to perform at their best.

Open door policy

This is something that we adopt in all departments to allow everyone to be heard. We tailor 121 meetings with all staff to catch up on issues beyond just work, as we understand that people have lives outside of work that can be contributing factors to their work responsibilities.

An open-door policy allows for transparent communication and comfortable working environment for all to fulfil their potential.

A diverse workplace can bring new challenges; however, it does come with benefits for company culture. It allows a company to be sustainable going forward and an attractive message when recruiting. At Xenia Estates we understand this and strive to become better.

*Why not take a read over our other blogs and get to know more about us, us as a company.

Paul Wright

Xenia Walking Challenge

In-side our new office

Mental Health Officers

Our Company Culture