Thesis
According to Kantar, over 80 per cent of employees have observed or experienced some kind of bias at work, and around a quarter are made to feel uncomfortable in their work environment. Regrettably over half of minority ethnic and sociocultural group members believe that they are treated very differently at work, excluded or consistently feel anxious because of their identity. The Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DEI) services market – which works to mitigate these injustices – is worth about £3.5bn and is growing rapidly (over 20% p/a), driven by the broader societal trend towards equity and greater inclusivity.
Investment
Bridges has invested in Talking Talent, a business that helps organisations to build more diverse, inclusive and equitable work cultures via systemic coaching and leadership consulting programmes. The company focuses on retention and career progression of under-represented employees, including women, ethnically diverse groups and working parents. Programmes help to empower individuals and leaders across organisation levels, which leads to greater engagement and sense of inclusion, improved productivity, and better performance.
Today, the business has operations in UK, US, and Asia, and employs over 60 people, supporting clients such as PwC, Boeing, Siemens and Unilever.
Outcomes
Previously, Talking Talent’s programmes have achieved a five-times greater than average promotion rate for women at Lloyds Banking Group, seen 42% of participants at Siemens promoted in under a year after attending, and saved EY £16.6m in attrition costs after coaching parents through leave and return. Bridges is working closely with the business to accelerate its growth and deepen its consulting capabilities, to help positively shape working environments for employers and employees around the world.
