DE&I Creating allyship at work


 Laura McKeown  implementing DE&I in the workplace.


What inspired you to become so passionate about DEI?


My passion has always been around supporting people, and I think the interest in DEI grew out of that. Ensuring people have what they need to do their best work means that they need to feel accepted, have the tools they need, and have the trust to come to you with problems, knowing that you won’t judge them. DEI feels like an extension of that – you’re just taking more into account when you’re helping people, being more aware of the bigger picture rather than just ‘work’. In 2023/4, I delivered Lean In’s Allyship at Work


to everyone in the business, including new starters. The course tackles privilege and positional power


 take to show up as an ally. I also delivered #IAmRemarkable sessions to the UK team and extended it to some of our colleagues at a worldwide Group level as well. #IAmRemarkable is a global movement that aims to empower everyone to celebrate their achievements in the workplace while challenging the social perception around self-promotion (https:// iamremarkable.withgoogle.com) – top tip: it’s not bragging if it’s based on facts! We have been embracing our inner bookworms and have conducted two read-alongs so far – Better Allies by Karen Catlin and Dare to Lead by Brene Brown.


A Psychological Safety Survey was conducted in 2023, with actions and follow-ups being done in 2024 to ensure everyone feels safe at work. 


Future Leaders Programme as well as supporting them to deliver their own Neurodiversity training. I delivered a webinar for the LPI (Learning Performance Institute) on Leadership development in 2024, which included a discussion about inclusivity and neurodiversity, encouraging another team member to share their own experience on the subject.


 for the company through, for example, advertising all roles in the disability press, using inclusive


12 August 2025 • www.acr-news.com


 for applications, making all internal documentation (HR/H&S) accessible for all (can be used with screen-


 etc.), physical accessibility audit to see where we can


 Occupational Health referrals for health conditions, article for website/newsletter to encourage others to join.


I also arranged e-learning on disability for


everyone in the business in 2024 and delivered Active Bystander training for the whole team this year.


How did Climalife decide to use blind CVs, and what feedback have you received about this process? Removing identifying information from CVs is one of the most straightforward steps to take to combat bias in recruitment. Unconscious bias plays a huge part in our everyday lives, and unfortunately, can have an impact on the recruitment process, where  By removing any identifying information such as name, date of birth, home country, names of education establishments and all dates, we focus attention on someone’s skills and capabilities, rather than any other irrelevant information. Feedback from hiring managers has been


positive, and we have interviewed more diverse candidates since implementing this change. As with all business change, there was some pushback. Not because people disagreed with it, and the reasoning behind it, but it’s a change, and they didn’t see a problem with what had always been done. “It’s worked, why are we changing it?” was the most common question. By giving simple, step-by-step instructions, with


 the managers on board, and now it’s second nature when we’re recruiting!


Are there specifi c allyship actions you fi nd particularly compelling? What ongoing practices or habits have you seen foster inclusivity in day-to-day interactions? 





  Sharing my pronouns. It doesn’t take much, and


sometimes doesn’t seem worth it, but I’ve heard people in the trans community, and those who identify as non-binary, say that for them, it makes  


 Challenging my own bias. I heard once that the


 your conditioned response. What you take the time to think and consider is what you think or believe. I don’t know how true that is, but sometimes I catch myself instinctively thinking something, and if I take a minute to think about it, I can challenge myself on why I believe that, and uncover the bias that’s causing that thought process, which means it’s less likely to happen again.


 Speaking up for others. This might mean


 someone, or perhaps just stopping someone from interrupting someone else in a meeting; there’s a lot of research to show that women are between 33% and 50% more likely to be interrupted in meetings than men.


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