Early Careers drives Cultural Diversity at HPE
At HPE, we celebrate diversity. We are a global community, living and breathing cultural diversity throughout our organisation.
HPE’s Cultural Diversity Group was established in 2019 to recognise and celebrate a variety of cultural dates. The 30-strong group volunteer their time to help deepen the understanding of cultural diversity across the organisation, exploring how our individual differences can make us more successful together.
Our colleagues celebrate a range of religious and cultural events throughout the year. The Cultural Diversity Group raises the profile of these events amongst colleagues to increase awareness and understanding. The group makes educational resources available, and sometimes colleagues get treated to some traditional cuisine.
Megan Marshall and Hannah Munden are HPE interns and have taken on the responsibility of becoming Cultural Diversity Group ambassadors.
Megan heard about the group when she first started at HPE, as part of her onboarding. She recognised the fantastic opportunity in becoming an ambassador to network with people outside her role and use her passion for organising events.
Megan said, “It’s motivating and satisfying bringing value to an organisation and is what drew me to cultural diversity. Making an impact and organising events and celebrations is a great thing to get involved with. As an ambassador, I have had the opportunity to lead, manage and coordinate cultural dates and celebrations. It has been amazing to broaden my knowledge and understanding of religious events and traditions and work alongside such fantastic individuals”.
Hannah heard about the group through word-of-mouth, but instantly knew it was for her. She too realised the opportunity to learn more from others at HPE and help the organisation celebrate diversity. Hannah is now keen to advocate for cultural diversity in any future workforce she finds herself in.
Hannah said, “It is a great way to unite people and establish a greater culture within an organisation. There are many skills that I have developed during this role, which are important to me as an early careers member that I believe will support my career as it progresses. These include project management, diverse team collaboration, creative and strategic thinking and of course cultural awareness. Getting involved has been fantastic and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get involved in something a little extra”.
Both interns have worked on events for Chinese New Year, Black History Month, Yom Kippur, Easter and many more, compiling information packs, creating competitions and contributing to blogs, helping raise awareness.
The group has had a great impact on both Megan and Hannah, teaching them transferable skills such as negotiation and teamwork, and giving them an opportunity to lead, manage and coordinate events. It’s also highlighted the importance of cultural diversity and given them insight into the diverse culture within HPE.
Megan said, “Having a group that raises awareness of cultural diversity is significant within an organisation. It brings so many benefits to a workforce; it improves cultural insights, company reputation, employee engagement and inspires and drives creativity.”
Whilst recognising the significance of each event, HPE’s Cultural Diversity Group have a lot of fun. The ambassadors share food and recipes as well as helping others with foreign languages and learning local customs, traditions and cultures.