What lies at the heart of any organization? Hint: You’re one of them.

People are what make businesses work and HR leaders will know the truth of this better than anyone. Employees that are healthy, happy and motivated are the strongest asset going.

What this means in practical terms will differ from company to company, but the overarching strategies put in place – particularly in the aftermath of a global pandemic – should have a strong Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging focus.

As such, it’s perhaps unsurprising that when UNLEASH picked out its top five HR leader interviews of 2023, this theme was front and center, albeit in a variety of different iterations across various market segments.

1. How BrewDog is stepping up around neurodiversity

BrewDog is no stranger to controversy, whether intentionally through its attention-grabbing marketing campaigns and unintentionally through allegations of a “culture of fear” from its employees.

The brewer has since focused on investing in its employees, specifically around neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD, autism and dyslexia, global people director Karen Bates exclusively told UNLEASH.

As understanding of these conditions and their impact on people in the workplace becomes better understood, so too must the support HR leaders provide to their colleagues. Brewdog partnered with mental health platform OneBright to provide access to private diagnostic appointments for its ‘crew’.

Beyond this, the organization has also introduced support options for mental health and the menopause. As BrewDog seeks to move away from its past troubles, only time will tell if a HR-led approach succeeds.

2. SoundCloud: Prioritize DEIB when introducing benefits

DEIB is often overlooked or given short shrift, but to make it a “business imperative” takes a different kind of leadership mentality, particularly when implementing a cohesive and, above all, relevant benefits package.

Music streaming platform SoundCloud took just this approach with its “family building benefit” as a “natural thing to do”, UNLEASH heard from director of total rewards and people analytics, Isha Smith.

With employees now looking beyond ‘traditional’ benefits packages that offered little in practical terms, SoundCloud has focused on helping its employees that extends beyond family leave policies and mental health support.

The organization has introduced in-depth fertility benefits encompassing advice, treatments and financial contributions, available to all employees after three months with the company, which it believes will positively impact productivity and talent acquisition going forward.

3. Sky D&I lead: Success doesn’t come from ‘targets for targets sake’

One of the key elements HR leaders must always remember about DEIB is that the job is never finished. Sky’s group talent and D&I lead, and chief people officer for UK&I, Claudia Osei-Nsafoah told UNLEASH how the media and tech giant is approaching the topic without “targets for target’s sake”.

Accountability has formed a crucial part of this approach, with representation built into leadership goals and the establishing of a Diversity Advisory Council comprised of outside experts, with the aim of baking DEIB growth into the company’s DNA.

That factor of representation is a focus both internally and externally for Sky; either through adapting its talent recruitment to improve representation in senior leadership roles or in terms of the content the broadcaster publishes. As Nsafoah explains about the future:

“What got us here isn’t going to get us there.”

4. UNICEF: How to role model on gender equity

Similarly to Sky, accountability is a crucial element to UNICEF and indeed forms one of its six core values, alongside care, respect, integrity, trust, and sustainability. This is particularly relevant when it comes to teamwork and collaboration in delivering humanitarian and development aid to children via its global network.

Overcoming the obstacles of the COVID-19 pandemic also provided the opportunity to embrace DEIB learnings. UNICEF principal advisor for organizational culture, Geeta Narayan, explained to UNLEASH how the pandemic underlined why it was critical for the organization to be a diverse and inclusive employer, particularly around gender.

Securing EDGE Move recertification for a third time in 2022 goes a long way to show UNICEF’s commitment in this area, but Narayan says the organization is aiming higher and to learn from others to expand on its “role model good behavior around gender equity” to further inclusive working practices.

5. Why Kraft Heinz is function agnostic

DEIB and engagement are two vital and intertwined factors for food and drink giant Kraft Heinz, as Rodolfo Camacho, chief people officer – International Zone, explained to UNLEASH. If employees aren’t engaged and valued, how can they feel like they belong and help the organization succeed, he highlights.

These factors feed into the ultimate objective of the company to be ‘function agnostic’ in career development, meaning employee aptitude, growth mindset, and learning agility are all prized as much as relevant experience.

Camacho himself took an unorthodox route through the organization to his current role, while the approach is utilized from senior leadership down through the rest of the organization.

Employees will also rotate around different roles and responsibilities to promote growth, enabling Camacho and the organization overall to plan years ahead for critical roles.