Bidvest Noonan
A market leading provider of facilities services and solutions
Bidvest Noonan has been awarded the Best Diversity, Inclusion and Equity at the Fingal Business Awards 2022, held at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport in Santry on Friday, the 18th of November 2022.
We are very proud to be recognised for our work in this area once again. People from all across our business have played a role in this success and especially those who are part of our EDI Council. We are proud of our achievements but we are also motivated to keep improving.
Bidvest Noonan, a market-leading provider of facilities services that employs over 27,000 people across the UK and Ireland, has been named the inaugural winner of the Diversity & Inclusion in Security award at the 2022 ISIA Awards. The award was introduced this year by the Irish Security Industry Association to recognise companies in the private security industry that excel in creating an inclusive culture that encourages diversity in the workplace.
The win comes at a time when the value and importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace is in sharp focus across many sectors. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion programmes seek to ensure that people are treated equally, valued and made to feel welcome regardless of their gender, ethnicity, faith, age, sexual orientation, or other differences.
In recent years, Bidvest Noonan has announced a number of investments and initiatives to improve its performance in the area of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. In 2021, the business launched an ED&I Council with the aim of developing a more diverse workforce and a more inclusive workplace. Since its inception the council has overseen a number of new initiatives including campaigns to encourage more women to join the security industry. This year, the company was recognised by Investors in Diversity and Diversity Mark for its work to embed Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) across the organisation.
Commenting on the win, ED&I Chairperson for Ireland, Marina Goncalves said: “I’m delighted that our work in the area of ED&I was recognised at this year’s ISIA Awards. We believe supporting equality, diversity and inclusion is a moral imperative, and we know that respecting and valuing our differences makes us a stronger and more innovative business.
We want all our people to feel welcomed, valued and able to achieve their potential at Bidvest Noonan.”
Environmental, Social and Governance Director John King added:
“We are very proud of the impact our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion programmes are having, and we continuously search for new ways to make a difference. For example, we recently began collaborating with organisations across the UK and Ireland, such as Business in the Community, to help marginalised and disadvantaged groups gain employment and access opportunities for education. This approach is bringing new talent into our business and providing people with the opportunity to have a successful and rewarding career.”
In 2021, Bidvest Noonan launched its very own Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Council, with the aim of developing a more diverse workforce and a more inclusive workplace to make its teams stronger and more creative. The council is made up of people from every corner of its business, each with their own unique background.
The business recently caught up with Marina Goncalves, the IOI Chairperson of the ED&I council. In discussion, Marina talks about the journey the ED&I council has been on so far, the council’s latest achievements and initiatives, as well as some brief plans for the year ahead.
Tell us why the Bidvest Noonan ED&I council was formed?
We established our ED&I Council to bring colleagues together from across our business from different backgrounds but with one shared goal, to create a more diverse workforce and a more inclusive workplace. We want to ensure that inclusion is part of our culture. We are making tremendous strides to achieve this. We respect each other, we care for each other, and we communicate with each other.
What has the council achieved so far?
The council has worked hard to build a foundation, setting plans and targets for the short, medium, and long term. We were recently awarded the Bronze Diversity Mark; a credit to the hard work of everyone involved with the council. I am very proud to lead the council and to have played my part in laying these foundations. It has undoubtedly made Bidvest Noonan an even more diverse and inclusive place to work. We have exciting initiatives in motion to further help us on our journey.
Tell us more about these exciting initiatives.
We have just embarked on a new ED&I Champions programme. The main purpose of this initiative is to embed ‘ED&I champions’ across our sites. These nominated champions will be trained and supported by a member of the ED&I council. Their role is to raise awareness and encourage site-based activity and engagement around ED&I. The council has developed and provided useful toolkits for the champions to use. These toolkits include ED&I event calendars, toolbox talk tips, policies, and so much more.
We will also continue to use our people data to measure the impact of our activity and to shape our future endeavours. We believe in equal opportunity for all. ED&I features on the agenda of our Group Executive Meetings, Country Executive Meetings, and Business Unit Meetings.
What other methods are the council using to improve our commitment to ED&I?
As a council we are always open to learning, seeking ways to improve policies and strategies to make real change. At a recent council meeting, an external trainer was invited to discuss the topic of “Inclusion for All”. This training focussed on different types of bias and how to be more conscious when we are making decisions. We got some fantastic insights and enjoyed some anonymous activities to encourage engagement. A key takeaway from the training is that it is important to listen to what colleagues have to say and understand how they are experiencing the culture within Bidvest Noonan.
What is planned for the year ahead?
We are excited for the year ahead and the plans we have to continue this journey. We will keep our strategy a living document, one that will continue to evolve. We plan to further improve gender balance across leadership and under-represented roles, and raise awareness across the business around LGBTQI+, disability, age, social mobility, an
Did you know that up to 70% of disabled people in the UK and Ireland have ‘Invisible’ or ‘Hidden’ impairment? Invisible disabilities make up a significant percentage of the disability population and yet they are one of the least represented groups of people in our society.
“Not everyone knows I’ve got anxiety and depression”
In the Republic of Ireland, there is only one known registered organisation that represents Invisible Disabilities, and it was only established in August 2019 known as “Invisible Disability Ireland”. One of the biggest fears stated by individuals with a hidden disability is that they won’t be believed, followed by the inevitable grief of being told “but you look fine”.
“I often feel that living with this condition… people don’t believe me”
The main reason behind the lack of understanding or difficulty in believing that someone may have a hidden disability is that many people think the word “disability” means people who require a wheelchair or a walker. In reality, however, there is much more to disability than meets the eye.
What do Hidden Disabilities have in common?
• One is unable to “see” the disability.
• There are no “visible” supports to indicate a disability such as canes, wheelchairs, use, or sign language used.
• It is a permanent disability that they cope with on a daily basis.
• The disability may be managed through medication or behaviour such as in the case of diabetes, asthma, or epilepsy.
Janice Knight, HR Director for Workplace Solutions offered great insight into hidden disabilities from her personal experience.
“It doesn’t define me, it’s not who I am as a person, but it is something that is part of me and will be for the rest of my life. My condition doesn’t get in my way of day-to-day life. I was unexpectedly extremely ill, it was 10 years ago, and I got through it but I have been left with the scars and the effects for the rest of my life. I had Ulcerative Colitis resulting in extreme surgeries. It has given me great strength, I have become more accepting of the people, I have become more compassionate towards people. People most of the time are ashamed of disclosing their disability and I hate calling it a disability. It’s a condition. We need to change our mindsets; the way we think about those conditions and the way we treat those people with them. For example, let’s not label it a disabled toilet. Let’s call it an accessible toilet, because people need access to it and not every disability is visible.
In response to the question of ways to raise awareness about hidden disabilities, Janice added, “This is actually one great way, by me sharing my story. People may come forward and share their stories. They should not feel that they are alone battling with some condition. They should know that their lives matter and that whatever condition they are facing with does not define them as a person”
It’s never an easy subject for individuals faced with these conditions. In the workplace, disclosing personal issues can be embarrassing and stigmatizing especially if co-workers perceive any additional accommodations provided as unfair, given the invisibility of the illness. The disabled population is the one minority group that any one of us could become part of at any time. If there were ever a time to start treating people the way you want to be treated…this is it. It’s time to rethink disabilities in the workplace.
As an initiative Bidvest Noonan ED&I council is launching an ED&I pack over the coming days.
