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For the first time, Arcus FM is releasing an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) strategy to the public with the view to further bolstering its reporting portfolio and increasing transparency, over the next fiscal year.
Since its inception, the FM company has always had a people-centric focus, with training, development and creating career pathways for its colleagues central to its growth over the last decade.
Now, having established itself as one of the larger businesses in the sector, Arcus states it wants to “lead the way in facilities management where we have aging populations, predominantly male, and need to attract and retain top talent to ensure the innovation and service that customers demand is protected for the next generation”.
Arcus also added that “transparency is also key”.
Arcus already reports on its Social Value performance, and its Sustainability Impact – both of which highlight people, recruitment, and diversity statistics – but the need to be accountable for EDI is as important, and Arcus’ newly published strategy sets the framework for this.
Working collaboratively across the business is a key theme of Arcus FM’s strategy and begins its journey by measuring inclusion and diversity within the company to identify areas of improvement.
Arcus FM reports within its most recent Sustainability Impact Report that 75 per cent of its C-Suite and 67 per cent of its total colleagues are male, and this is a focus area in the first phase of the EDI strategy.
Debbie Gregory, Chief People Officer for Arcus FM, said of the newly launched strategy: “Facilities management is a largely male-dominated sector and we understand that women are still underrepresented within the industry – alongside many other protected characteristics. We all have a duty to do more. Whilst we have always been a people-driven company, we haven’t had such a strategic focus on EDI before, and our aim is to ensure that Arcus is supporting all colleagues and opening doors to those facing barriers to work. ”
Theresa Bell, Chief Commercial Officer, is the executive sponsor of the EDI strategy of Arcus and added: “Everyone within the industry could do with challenging themselves to do more and I‘m proud of the steps we’re taking. Facilities management is an amazing industry to work in, and whilst technology and innovation are often the things most talked about, it’s the people and their passion that drive our sector forward and what makes it unique.”
