The Together Champions – Podcast Series
Can you be authentic and bring your whole true self to work?
This question was posed to the staff at Twenty7tec on the launch of our Together Champions group, opening the conversation around Diversity and Inclusion and how effective the mandatory training is.
At Twenty7tec, we believe employees and customers should feel safe, respected and able to be themselves and that true equality and diversity come from actively engaging in the promotion and utilisation of teams that encourage individuality, understanding, and innovation.
This is where our Together Champions come in.
The Together Champions are a group of volunteers from all departments, levels and backgrounds throughout the company. Each is passionate about learning which issues impact staff and working to improve these.
They meet once a quarter to discuss important subjects and decide which topic would be most beneficial to raise within the company next. In between each meeting, they research, attend talks and events and have informal discussions with their colleagues, meaning they all bring new ideas, helpful knowledge and sometimes even new members along.
Sharing their knowledge within the company isn’t always easy. Our Together Champions want to start a conversation rather than recite facts during a mandatory meeting. So, they started a podcast allowing employees to listen whenever they like.
The first episode, “Oops, I biased again”, was focused on Unconscious Bias, a topic chosen as the starting point as it affects everyone and all other subjects. The Champions shared an anonymous questionnaire with the company beforehand and discussed many answers during the podcast. Addressing questions such as “Are you accidentally making assumptions?” “Are stereotypes true?” “What is positive discrimination?” and “Will AI learn unconscious bias from humans?”
Episode two, “Reflecting on the Rainbow,” looked at Pride Month and the LGBTQIA+ community. The Champions share their experiences of attending Pride, coming out, and discussing their views on topical questions such as “Is Pride still needed?” “How would you react if your child came out as gay?” “Do companies do enough, or do they hide behind rainbow logos?”
With positive feedback from the last two, the Together Champions are preparing to record their next episode in October. Discussing a topic that is becoming increasingly heard of, ADHD.
What is it like to have ADHD? Is it a disability or a superpower? Are employers doing enough to accommodate staff with ADHD?
Our Together Champions hope to keep the discussions going and encourage listeners to challenge what they think they know and consider how they would answer the tough questions themselves.
listen to our podcast! HERE
