Diversity is our strength

This week the colorful rainbow flag decorates the Deloitte building in Copenhagen. And for the first time, Deloitte has its own float in the Pride parade – filled with more than 100 Deloitte employees and leaders onboard. While Pride is colorful and fun, it is not the main reason we are participating. As part of society and an organization that employs more than 2,700 people, we support a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone, regardless of sexuality or gender, feels welcome.

Four Deloitte employees has launched GLOBE as a Danish division of Deloitte’s international LGBT+ network. Their main purpose is to enhance the wellbeing and community of LGBT+ in Deloitte Denmark. While this is a great initiative, its existence shows that we as a workplace – and a society – still have some way to go. We need to be more inclusive and work on our unconscious bias towards people that are different from us. I am proud to see that our GLOBE team has gathered more than 100 colleagues for this year’s pride parade.

People are our biggest asset

Millennials will soon account for the vast majority of the workplace. They expect business leaders to take more responsibility for the world around us and its most challenging issues. Millennials also expect to work for purpose-led companies, be offered flexible working conditions and work in a diverse and inclusive workplace. In Universum’s student survey, Deloitte was ranked the 3rd best place to work among Danish business students. This achievement tells me that our investments in talent attraction, retention as well as our focus on a diverse culture and social impact are important to our employees and future leaders.

I believe differences are our strength and the only way to be successful in the future. Differences foster diversity of thought and authenticity and allow us to be agile and innovative. Diversity and inclusion is a top priority in Deloitte, and we place a particular focus on creating an inclusive culture that embraces diversity in gender, background and mindset. This means ensuring that we have a workplace where no one is judged or excluded for who they are. Instead, they are celebrated.

I am proud to be part of this team, which continues to place diversity and inclusion first; which is committed to succeed with the gender agenda by getting more women in leadership positions; which provides a learning culture through coaching, where it is acceptable to fail and where individual progress comes first.

Let us make an impact that matters towards a truly diverse and inclusive culture that embraces diversity in our teams, as a company and as a society. And let us promote a culture of courage where different perspectives and bold decisions lead the way.