Balfour Beatty is a world-class infrastructure services business operating across the infrastructure lifecycle, with leading positions in major markets.
Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK initiated their diversity journey as a result of a series of recommendations provided by Global Diversity Practice. These recommendations were based on D&I best practice in the Construction Industry as well as analysis of the results of an internal review of D&I within the business. The key driver for the commission was the company’s desire to meet their talent and gender aspirations as well as win new business.
Balfour Beatty also required their top management and leadership team to take part in Open Mind Unconscious Bias training to enhance and build their Leadership Diversity and Inclusion competence and to act as an enabler for ensuring the business is able to support the development of a Balfour Beatty Services Diversity & Inclusion plan. The training was to focus on establishing and successfully reaching their talent and gender aspirations and win new business.
KEY DELIVERABLES
We have worked with Balfour Beatty at Global and UK level to create the group’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy which included the following deliverables:
- Diversity & Inclusion Vision
- D&I Statements
- D&I Business case
- Metrics and benchmarks
- Three year action plan for them and for their divisions around the world to achieve equality
- Network Guidance
For CSUK Global Diversity Practice designed and delivered Unconscious Bias training to CEO, top team and leadership teams across the group.
The unique solution combined drama based approaches, interspersed with digital tools and bias testing, complemented with face to face delivery and follow up coaching calls.
Additional work was completed to enable them to bring this to life including:
- Strategy for employee engagement
- Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
- Build awareness and recognition with all employees and external marketplace
- Acquire, retain and develop diverse talent
- Develop core diversity skills through education
- Diversity embedded into key HR/CSR processes
- Introduce / establish networks in the organization
- Add value to the business
- Measure progress through reporting targets and priorities
- Internal and External Communication Plan
- Competitive Analysis in the Construction Industry
- Respect at Work toolkit for use in progressing in all strands
- Detailed plan of implementation
- Employee Focus Groups
- Training Needs Analysis for Unconscious Bias Training
After previously working with BB to create their D&I Strategy and three year Action Plan, GDP designed an Open Minds training session based around the requirements of Balfour Beatty. The objectives of the course are:
- To mobilise, motivate and encourage leaders to develop understanding and awareness of Diversity and Inclusion.
- To understand the link between an inclusive culture, talent management and high performance.
- To develop strategies to combat current perceptions of ‘construction / highway industry’ culture and leadership behaviours.
- To include focus on underrepresented communities related to ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual orientation.
- Enhance the competence, capability and confidence of CSUK leaders to be effective role models for Diversity and Inclusion.
- Identify personal leadership actions to drive the actions and commitments for incorporation in the D&I Plan.
The course was designed as a full day session, which was delivered to divisions across the Balfour Beatty organisation, which included Power, Infrastructure, Work Winning, Engineering Construction, Highway Services, Ground Engineering and Major Highways.
The course development process was further supplemented with a bespoke Unconscious Bias E-Learning Toolkit, which included a series of case studies, interactive games and tips and techniques to help Leaders become D&I champions and relay the message of the “Open Minds” training session to the business. Participants were also provided with a selection of personalised materials, including a Training Booklet, Activity Framework and Diversity Matrix. Armed with the resources provided, participants were able to champion the message of the “Open Minds” Session and be more diverse in their way of thinking and working. The training session was also delivered in an interactive and participative method, which was facilitated with knowledge inputs and video clips.
IMPACT
The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and all the deliverables reported above have resulted in a significant amount of change within the Group and within CSUK. One of the outputs for the group has been the award – bronze status in their first BITC Benchmarking.
GDP delivered 11 cascade sessions in 2014 for Balfour Beatty in locations such as Glasgow, Cheadle and London. We have also been commissioned to deliver further sessions in 2015 due to the positive impact and popularity of the course. Evaluation feedback from all delivery sessions has been incredibly positive, and as a result, Balfour Beatty have asked GDP to submit a proposal for further roll out of the Open Minds Training to coincide with e-Learning tools and cascade mechanisms for the wider business.
Following the success of over 10 successful delivered sessions, 79% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the course met their expectations and learning objectives. 79% of the participants also believed that the course itself has a range of activities, making it easy for them to learn and understand the message of Open Minds and integrate in their working and personal environment.
GDP will now be delivering the session to the Major Projects Leadership team at the end of February, which will see the integration of the delivered session’s outputs including drama based learning and action planning from each of the divisions.
Following the success and feedback from the previous delivery, GDP have successfully submitted a proposal to roll out the course further into the business. GDP will provide Train the Trainer; conference style sessions, lunch and learn and tool-book talks to enable a wider cascade into the operation sites and office of Balfour Beatty UK.
