Diversity consultant Dr Joanna Abeyie MBE addressed travel leaders at TTG’s Diversity and Inclusion Breakfast on Tuesday (8 March), which coincided with International Women’s Day.
She discussed key teachings on making recruitment more inclusive and boosting retention of staff from diverse backgrounds.
Dr Abeyie, founder and director of diversity and inclusion consultancy Blue Moon, said it was vital travel firms broadened their search for new talent by extending it to organisations dedicated to increasing diversity – and by making recruitment processes more equitable.
Membership bodies and charities shouldn’t be overlooked either, she continued, and nor should use of platforms like LinkedIn and Eventbrite to more effectively tap into new talent pools.
“What events are going on? What meet-ups are happening? Where are the people who are interested in this industry, who travel a lot?" said Dr Abeyie. "Try and build authentic relationships with those individuals."
Dr Abeyie said education was key. "Never stop educating yourself," she stressed. “Get the education you need, and ensure that education stays in your business consistently over a period of time. It’s not one training session.”
Using neurodiversity as an example, Dr Abeyie said that if someone wanted to learn more about it, they should approach a dedicated charity or organisation – and then make sure their learning was continuous.
She added topics such as bias were also key contributors to a lack diversity, with people tending to hire others who more closely resemble themselves.
Don’t give up
Dr Abeyie urged travel companies to audit their recruitment processes to establish who is being excluded, why people from diverse backgrounds may have left their roles, and what can be done to make their place of employment more inviting.
She said any firms struggling with this approach should reach out to organisations dedicated to increasing diversity, or that had the knowledge to assist.
Crucially, she told delegates they could not afford to give up if one particular route or method didn’t work, and urged them not to be afraid to change tack.
Dr Abeyie set up her first charity, the Elevation Networks Charitable Trust, from her bedroom aged 18 using a laptop borrowed from her university.
