Page 20 - CCB_Annual Report_2022

20 Strategic Report 21

Supporting our local communities The Bank also has a number of employees Developing a Diverse and • Recruitment and selection – A key part of
that are active members in the organising Inclusive workplace our strategy is widening our recruitment
2022 saw ever increasing challenges and running of local charities, including the sources and attracting people who are
upon local communities created by the Treasurer of Age UK Leicestershire & Rutland. Diversity and inclusion remain at the heart of underrepresented in Financial Services
cost of living crisis and the challenges the Bank’s culture, being one of the founding (FS) and/or would not consider or have
following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Treating businesses fairly and helping our principles on which we have built and grown easy access to the industry. The focus
Bank remained committed to focusing its customers grow the Bank over the last 10 years. We are on increasing direct recruitment, actively
efforts on supporting local communities actively promoting equality for all regardless considering the wording of our adverts
through a blend of monetary donations The Bank is committed to treating businesses of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, and sourcing from non- traditional paths
and practical help through colleagues’ time fairly and helping them grow through sexual orientation, education, or other is beginning to increase the diversity of
and energy. In 2022, the Bank donated prompt payment of invoices and are pleased characteristics that may result in people candidates. We know that including the
more than £37,500 to charities and good to confirm an improved performance with being marginalised. need for banking experience excludes
causes, including matched funding of 98% of suppliers being paid within 30 days We believe that the individual differences capable and skilled candidates who
£5,000 in support of colleagues fundraising for the year ending 31 December 2022 and the contributions of everyone in our have diverse thinking and experience,
efforts. As a result of this we were proud to (2021: 99%) reflected in the Bank’s ‘2022 Fast team enables us to work effectively together and therefore our focus has been on
be awarded ‘Socially Responsible Business Payer Award’ from the Good Business Pays to deliver great customer experiences. defining required skills and behaviours to
of the Year’ by Embark CSR as part of their Community Interest Company. This underpins our strategy of actively attract candidates with transferable skills
inaugural Leicester Giving Day.
attracting, employing and retaining a rather than seeking only people with FS
Our contributions to our local diverse and adaptable team. Our aim is that experience. As a result, in 2022, 57% of
community included: our workforce will be truly representative roles have been filled from our own direct
of all sections of society and that each recruitment advertising and 12% of roles
• Continued support of the IGNITE employee feels respected and able to were filled through colleague referrals. We
programme, which is run by the National give their best. We promote equality and are actively working to build relationships
Space Centre and inspires children fairness for everyone who has contact with with organisations that support and
and families in Leicester by getting the Bank, regardless of whether they are represent under-represented groups in FS
them excited about space and creating actual or potential customers, employee (disability, race, background) as well as local
related pathways through education and members, suppliers or other stakeholders. schools and colleges to attract apprentices
into employment;
The Bank believes that greater diversity leads straight from secondary education;
• Involvement with the East Midlands to wider thinking and skill sets, creating • Voice – as the Bank has grown, we
Chamber of Commerce where we increased innovation and ultimately, better recognise the importance of increasing the
continued our sponsorship of the customer service. opportunity for everyone to be heard. We
Leicestershire Environmental Impact Having committed in 2021 to a three-year have continued with our internal annual
award for the second consecutive year;
plan to further develop our inclusive colleague survey, frequent ‘pulse’ surveys, as
• Enabling the Green Gym with workplace, we are proud of the progress we well as our bank-wide monthly All Colleague
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), made in 2022 towards successfully achieving Meetings; these provide the opportunity
which is part of Rolleston Primary that plan. We have 5 core pillars within the for colleagues to raise questions, ideas and
School in Glen Parva; plan which have been, and continue to be, concerns. In 2022, we participated again in
actively worked on: the FSCB survey, with our results continuing
• Ongoing work with Leicestershire Cares to be positive. The Bank continues to record
supporting a number of initiatives from • Data and reporting – having robust data consistently high participation rates and
Interview techniques, Eggstravaganza is an issue for many firms due to the strong scores in all its surveys. In 2022 we
and their Bags of Hope for Christmas reliance of self-disclosure by colleagues. widened the use of colleague working
initiative, that sees festive essentials Through talking to our colleagues groups, providing more colleagues with
delivered to disadvantaged vulnerable about what we are trying to achieve opportunities to get involved with shaping
groups in our local community; and why, providing several routes for how the Bank develops and operates.
confidential disclosure, in 2022 we have
• Continued work with the Leicestershire increased our self-disclosure to 90%, We already had active Green and Charity
and Rutland Community Foundation, covering a wider range of characteristics teams as well as the more formal Colleague
which has included funding for Soft including experiences, education and forum, all of which continued to evolve
Touch Arts, where the Bank’s support socio-economic backgrounds as well as in 2022. Specific working groups set up
has funded an Enterprise Project to the protected characteristics. We believe in 2022 have resulted in changes to our
help young adults find a way of putting we now have a core basis on which to maternity, paternity and adoption pay, a new
their passion for arts into related report and properly measure our progress performance management process, as well
employment; and as leading our celebration of events such
across the whole subject of diversity,
• Participating in the ‘We Care Food Bank’ informing our plans to become more as black history month, Pride and various
religious celebrations;
collection across our offices. inclusive as we continue our growth;