Our Latest DEI Roundtable

Talent Berlin's Regional Director, Lisa Barlett, shares her thoughts on our latest DEI Roundtable event hosted last month. Diversity, equity and inclusion are far more than just buzzwords on a page, meaning taking action and being proactive is crucial to create a truly inclusive workplace.

Talent partnered with Zalando to host our second DEI Roundtable event here in Berlin - and it was a huge success! Berlin is renowned for being one of the most diverse and inclusive cities in the world, making it the perfect spot to talk all-things DEI.

It was brilliant to have so many impactful people together in one place, making new connections and discussing important topics. It was crystal clear to see how positive a roundtable format is for subjects like this and I felt really inspired listening to the conversations being had.

The lowdown

We invited people interested in/working in the DEI space to attend, with 8 expert facilitators to cover 4 main points. Our overarching theme was ‘How to embed DEI within your organisation’, which created a lot of scope for discussion. The 4 discussion points were:

How can we ensure that DEI stays a priority in all economic times?
How can your organisation engage internally with DEI? And how do you think this could be impacting your company according to its size?
How can we collect DEI-related data and address the obstacles in measuring DEI metrics?
What kind of DEI policies and practices does your organisation have in place and how might these affect retention?

Our guests discussed each topic in smaller groups to share experiences and insights, uncovering common challenges and establishing possible solutions. Creating a safe and confidential environment was crucial, and the willingness of our participants to share was great to see.

After the discussion sessions, we all gathered back together for food, drinks and networking. Many connections were made and plenty of guests left alongside new friends with lots of positive feedback for us. We’re definitely going to host more of these events in the future, watch this space.

Why bother?

Diversity, equity and inclusion are words we see a lot of these days. And while this certainly isn’t a bad thing, they are far more than just popular buzzwords used to get likes on LinkedIn…

Taking real action towards true inclusivity is vital if we’re going to create a better world of work for all. And this is why these events are so important to us here at Talent. They not only give people the opportunity to share their thoughts and contribute to discussions of real importance, but they also provide a place to foster new connections and expand on existing knowledge. Education is crucial to better understand DEI, and what better way to build on this than alongside a bunch of truly inspiring people?

We are by no means ‘there yet’ on our own journey here at Talent, but we’re continuing to make progress. DEI is an ever-changing landscape which means the journey is never ‘finished’. But we’ve definitely made significant changes and have transformed the way we approach diversity and inclusion within the business.

Diversity matters

As one of the most diverse and inclusive cities in the world, Berlin really leads the way - and I really wanted to represent the nature of this brilliant city within our team. Italy, New Zealand and the UK are just a few of the places our Berlin-based consultants are from, each bringing a range of unique talents and experiences to the team.

I’m super proud of the culture and positive vibes that radiate through our office every day. I might be a bit biased, but I truly believe Berlin is one of the best cities to live and work, and Talent is one of the best places to do it. There is so much scope for more DEI events in the future too, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Want to find out about life in team Berlin? Click here to discover more and get in touch if you’re interested in joining us. We’re always looking for like-minded consultants to help make our team even greater.