Inclusion and diversity are more than questions around minority and majority groups. We believe that for all of us, they are the questions around whether one can be themself at work and feel the true sense of belonging.
We at Gofore are committed to fostering an environment where employees can be their authentic selves, supported by regular DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) evaluations through our bi-annual Employee Experience (EX) surveys.
These surveys assess authenticity at work, sense of belonging, personalised support and enable us to understand the possible difference between minority and majority experiences.
The assessment is made based on questions we ask – such as
- Can you be your authentic self at work?
- Have you found yourself a community to belong to? and
- Whether you consider belonging to a minority?
When talking about authenticity and belonging, it’s important to understand the role of acceptance in it. We believe it plays a huge role — being accepted as we are, without judgment, is crucial for an inclusive work environment. We all make assumptions, usually based on nothing major and often leading to fears of being judged or left out. Encouraging people to voice their fears and assumptions often leads to meaningful conversations, which help us create and maintain a more inclusive and safer workplace for everyone.
Key findings from our Employee Experience surveys
To give you a better idea of how we follow up on inclusion and diversity, I collected a few examples of how we set goals and look at their achievement.
In our H1/23 survey, 94% of Goforeans felt they could be their true selves at work. The percentage has changed a little throughout the surveys but stayed around 90% all the time. At the same time the sense of belonging among our crew has risen significantly, from 53% to 70% (2023-24).
Gofore’s people strategy acknowledges the different needs of employees at various life stages, aiming for equity. Currently 75% of our people see the support and service provided are well serving them. We consider this as a solid foundation for continued improvement.
Measuring minority/majority employee experience in our survey has provided us valuable insights. One of them were the challenges our non-Finnish speaking minorities faced due to project mismatches and are currently actively working on.
Also, despite working in a male-dominated industry, we’ve made clear strides with the gender diversity. It means eg. our female recruitment has increased from 35% to 40%, and feedback on gender-related employee experiences and salary distribution has been positive.
State of Inclusion 2024 survey ongoing
As said, the most important metrics for us are authenticity at work and a strong sense of belonging. We believe that when you can be your true self and feel like you belong, everyone thrives. That’s why we’re excited to participate in the Finnish State of Inclusion 2024 survey.
This research will help us gain deeper insights into these crucial areas, allowing us to continue improving and ensuring that Gofore remains a place where everyone feels valued and included. We will share the results and concrete measures of our DEIB work regularly.
