Skip to the content

Guest contributor: Catherine Taylor, People Operations Lead at CloudM (Written 14 July 2022)

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront of many modern business practices. Unfortunately, saying you support these principles and actually doing something about them are two different things.

So how can a company put the idea of these values into practice?

Manchester tech company CloudM have come up with a unique solution; their Do Good Plan.

 

What is the Do Good Plan?

The Do Good Plan is about everyone in the company doing the right thing. When it comes to these important issues, there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution, so CloudM have created special advocates for certain groups and causes.

These culture champions will lobby, promote and hold the company accountable for their particular group. From sitting on hiring panels to coordinating team events, these advocates will make a massive difference to the company’s policy across the board.

To encourage the wider workforce to get involved, we have recently started monthly Tea Break lunchtime chats which are moderated by our culture champions. The Tea Break provides the framework and opportunity for CloudM to hear the honest voice and feelings of its colleagues about inequality of all forms. Topics range from Microaggression vs Banter, Being an Ally to Lived Experiences in the focus.

 

How does it work?

There are currently six groups in the Do Good Plan, each one with their own representatives.

 

Gender Equity & LGBTQ+ Advocates

The Culture Champions in this group work hard towards making CloudM a more equitable and inclusive place for all LGBTQ groups, genders and parental groups. Working with the Senior Leaders across the company, their aim is to make real, meaningful change, ensuring CloudM’s policies are inclusive with LGBTQ+ voices.

 

Anti-Racism & Minority Advocates

Leaders and staff at all levels must educate themselves about race, racism and racial justice, and this group is here to facilitate the conversation. Their goal is to inspire leaders and colleagues to become pioneers of change and advocate for the rights of minoritised people, helping to bridge the gap in the workplace.

 

Neuro Diversity & Accessibility Advocates

A lack of awareness and understanding has led to hiring processes, management practices and workspaces being designed only with neurotypicals in mind. This group thinks of ways of enhancing the experience of the company’s Neuro Diverse and Disabled colleagues & applicants.

 

Well-Being & Mental Health Advocates

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and CloudM’s advocates are all formally trained in mental health first aid. Happy to talk in confidence to anyone in the company, they also advocate for those experiencing mental health issues and drive employee well-being.

 

Charity Advocates

CloudM has been involved with many local charity organisations over the years, but with the creation of special charity advocates, even more good work can be done over a larger scope. These advocates can plan fundraising events, promote select charities, and find worthy causes that might otherwise be overlooked.

 

Green Advocates

Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility, but sometimes it needs to be focused, and that’s what these guys do. Embedding a culture of sustainability and ethical practices throughout the company, these advocates promote greener policies for both the business and its employees.

 

How other companies can follow

The CloudM Do Good Plan is easy to duplicate, and even if your business is on the smaller side, the concept is scalable.

CloudM employs around one hundred people, averaging around four or five culture champions per advocacy group. For smaller companies, it’s quite easy to have one person as a representative of a cause, or even start with a single cause, Environmental Issues, for example.

Conversely, larger companies can scale up, adding different groups and more champions to help build and shape your business.

Inclusion, diversity, support, charity, sustainability… these issues aren’t simply PR buzzwords to CloudM. The company genuinely wants to help its employees and the planet.

The Do Good Plan is a start to hold everyone accountable, giving everyone the opportunity to make a difference, not only in the workplace, but also in our culture, society and lifestyles.

CloudM

CloudM is an award-winning SaaS company whose humble beginnings in Manchester have grown into a global business in just a few short years. Their team of tech-driven innovators have designed a SaaS data management platform to enable people to get the most from their digital workspace.

Whether it’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or other SaaS applications, CloudM drives businesses through a simple, easy-to-use interface.