Post: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at GridBeyond: Q&A With Laura Merriman

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at GridBeyond: Q&A With Laura Merriman

At GridBeyond, we’re working on our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy. Companies that genuinely embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion are better positioned to innovate, boost employee satisfaction, and make better informed decisions. We sat down with our Global Head of Human Resources, Laura Merriman, who is leading the charge for EDI at GridBeyond and we couldn’t be more proud and excited about what’s to come.

To get us started, can you tell us what EDI means to GridBeyond, and why it is important?

As a global company, EDI has been at the heart of what we do for years, even if it is not officially benchmarked yet. So, to move forward with this, we are partnering with a company called Diversity and Inclusion Ireland, who will help us benchmark and work towards obtaining a global certification.

We’re already a really diverse workforce, spanning people of 16 nationalities working for GridBeyond globally, so we really want everybody to feel that they’re included and part of this organization no matter their background. By promoting diversity, it means we’re recognizing and understanding how people with different identities experience the world and our workplace. When we talk about Equity at GridBeyond, this is about identifying and eliminating barriers to fair access, opportunity and advancement for everyone. And when we talk about Inclusion, it’s important that our employees feel a sense of belonging and value in our organization.

How does EDI align with our overall mission and values? 

At GridBeyond, we work with customers and companies from all over the world to help deliver a global carbon zero future by leveraging innovative technologies. Naturally working in different locations brings diverse teams together that can offer unique insights into the needs and preferences of different demographic groups. This means that the products we develop and the user insights that we gain lead to more inclusive and innovative product designs and solutions.  

Will training programs be available for employees and management? 

Yes, the external company Diversity and Inclusion Ireland, who are helping us to benchmark and work towards obtaining a global certification will also work with us on training our executives, C-Suite members and our functional leaders on diversity and inclusion awareness. We’ll also be rolling out an internal communication strategy to ensure that everyone understands the policies that we’re implementing. 

How do you plan on rolling this out for employee engagement? 

We are asking everyone to support our EDI strategy by familiarizing themselves with our new policies being implemented to obtain our certifications and to keep up to date with any communications being made. There is a huge shift in what people are seeking from organizations, and those known for their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion are more attractive to top talent. So we understand that as we continue to grow, we need to remain competitive and attract the best people, especially the younger generations entering the workforce who prioritize these values. Most of all, with our EDI journey ahead, we want everyone to feel included in our journey and welcome all feedback and engagement along the way.  

Why do you think EDI is so important for businesses to drive?  

EDI brings in a truly unique and diverse perspectives from people coming together from different backgrounds, who have had a variety of experiences, and fresh perspectives. With this, teams are better able to find solutions to complex problems, like we can often face in our industry. We believe that EDI drives innovation of products and ways of problem solving.  

Can you share any of GridBeyond’s short-term and long-term goals for EDI? 

We have many exciting initiatives coming up that will foster the sense of EDI for our employees and get them involved. We’re currently embarking on a 4-step approach, the first being to evaluate our current EDI standards and aligning our policy to external benchmarking. We’re going to educate all levels of the business on these policies, whilst leaders will begin to understand the fundamentals of inclusive leadership. We’ll also report on our gender pay gap and commit to working together equally so we can fly together.  

We are aiming at obtaining a silver medal mark, which is all about embedding the right behaviours into the organization and listening about what our colleagues have to say about experiencing the culture within our organisation. Part of the process is to make sure we have a sense of fairness and belonging from the perspectives of each of the employees that work with.  

Looking ahead moving into the leading phase of our strategy, our goal will be about demonstrating that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is embedded across everything in the organisation and is delivering the lived experience by each of our colleagues.  

Want to be part of our team? Find out more and check out our careers here.

News | 16 April 2024

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