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Hip-hop, hamburgers and workplace diversity: how firms can be more inclusive

by The Press / Wednesday 07 November 2018 / Published in Diversity, Employment, Fintech, Press, Talent

Oscar Williams-Grut, Senior City Correspondent, Yahoo Finance UK

Is diversity just about race, gender, culture, religion, and sexuality? Not according to Barclays’ Kirsty Rutter.

The chief innovation officer of Barclays UK was asked about how banks and finance firms can improve their diversity efforts at the FintechTalents conference this week in London.

Rutter said she believes that the industry is making progress in promoting diversity but challenges remain when it comes to inclusion.

“Imagine you’re having a party and you’ve invited gender 50/50. Sexuality, ethnicity, language — completely mixed, everyone’s represented,” Rutter said. “But the only music you’re playing is hip-hop and the only food you’re serving is hamburgers.

“What you haven’t done is make the environment inclusive. Whilst you might have seen the obvious stuff, which is gender, skin colour, language, what you haven’t done is then think how you’re going to make that really work and I think that’s the next stage of the challenge, if you like.”