Diversity Council Australia announces 2022-2023 Inclusive Employers

Diversity Council Australia (DCA) has today announced the list of 30 employers who have been recognised as Inclusive Employers for 2022-2023.

Recognition as an Inclusive Employer is the only one of its kind in Australia. Inclusive workplaces occur when a diversity of people are respected, connected, progressing and contributing to organisational success.

In our tight labour market, and with employers saying it is difficult to fill roles, making workplaces more inclusive is a proven way to attract and retain workers. More and more employers are not only looking at diversity but looking to make the most of both diversity and inclusion.

To be deemed eligible as an Inclusive Employer 2022-2023, participating DCA members must:

Invite at least 60% of their employees to participate in DCA’s Inclusive Employer Index Assessment, where they provide detailed responses about their experience of inclusion at work.

Show that they are active and committed to inclusion by achieving results that exceed the National Index Benchmark on at least five out of six of the following measures: (i) Awareness; (ii) Engagement; (iii) Inclusive Organisational Climate; (iv) Inclusive Leadership; (v) Inclusive Team; (vi) Exclusion.

This year our 30 Inclusive Employers come from across a diverse spectrum of employers: public, private and non-government, large and small.

The Inclusive Employers Index is an extension of DCA’s Inclusion@Work Index which maps the state of inclusion across the Australian workplace landscape and provides a business case for inclusion at work.

Employees who work in an inclusive organisation are:

  • 4 times less likely to experience discrimination and/or harassment
  • 8 times more likely to be highly effective than those in non-inclusive teams
  • 8 times more likely to be innovative
  • 4 times more likely to provide excellent customer service.

Quotes attributable to Lisa Annese, CEO, Diversity Council Australia:

“Inclusion is good for employers and for employees. The organisations who have participated in this year’s Inclusive Employer Index are demonstrating their commitment to inclusion and through their participation they can reflect on their achievements and identify ways to do even better.

“This year’s list of organisations is diverse – with employers large and small from a wide spectrum of industries. Inclusion isn’t an add on extra for these organisations, it is a super-power and it is critical to their success.

“Our Inclusive Employer Index is rigorous, it is not an award, it is a way to measure the work of inclusion in employers in a robust way. Those who have been recognised today are doing the work of diversity and inclusion and making progress on greater inclusion.”

The 30 Inclusive Employers for 2022-2023 are

(in alphabetical order): 

  • ACOR Consultants
  • Adelaide Airport Limited
  • Alinta Energy
  • Anglicare Victoria
  • Australia Pacific Airports Corporation
  • Australian Maritime Safety Authority
  • AVID Property Group Pty Ltd
  • Banyule Community Health
  • BaptistCare NSW & ACT
  • Carers Queensland Ltd
  • Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA
  • Cisco Systems Australia Pty Ltd
  • City of Stirling
  • Clean Energy Finance Corporation
  • ConnellGriffin Lty Ptd
  • Davies Collison Cave
  • Defence Housing Australia
  • Helping Hand Aged Care, South Australia
  • Impact Community Services
  • John Deere Limited
  • Landcom
  • Mars Australia & New Zealand
  • Perron Group
  • Property Council of Australia
  • Schneider Electric
  • Services Australia
  • The Social Research Centre
  • Ultimate Kronos Group
  • WISE Employment
  • WPP

Quotes with attributions from our Inclusive Employers 

Alinta Energy CEO, Jeff Dimery:

“It’s great to be recognised as an inclusive employer by Diversity Council Australia,

“The energy industry is currently grappling with its biggest ever challenges – and we need fresh and diverse thinking from the broadest range of people possible.”

Anglicare Victoria Paul McDonald, CEO:

“The focus of Anglicare Victoria (AV) is to work for better! We strive to provide welcoming, inclusive and responsive services and workplaces. It is fantastic to be recognised as an Inclusive Employer by DCA so that we can continue to shape effective responses and interventions that will lead to optimal outcomes for our clients, to advocate for an effective, fair, and compassionate service system, and to actively support wellbeing and inclusion for our employees, volunteers and clients.”

Australian Maritime Safety Authority Mick Kinley, Chief Executive Officer:

“We are immensely proud to be designated an Inclusive Employer. This achievement is a testament to our continued focus on embedding inclusive values at AMSA and provides us with a clear baseline from which to grow.”

Banyule Community Health CEO, Michael Geary:

“Banyule Community Health values the richness and experience that comes with a diverse workforce. We are so proud to be recognised as an Inclusive Employer by the Diversity Council Australia.”

BaptistCare NSW&ACT Charles Moore, Chief Executive Officer:

“BaptistCare NSW & ACT is thrilled to have been recognised by Diversity Council Australia as an Inclusive Employer. Our 3700 passionate and hard-working staff working across the aged care and community services sector speak 56 languages and come from 69 different cultural backgrounds. We also have staff who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander, LGBTIQ+, and who live with a disability. We are blessed to be so diverse and we celebrate this. Despite our uniqueness, we also have much in common, including our shared values that are lived out through the care we show for our residents, clients, tenants, and each other daily.”

Carers Queensland Ltd Debra Cottrell, Chief Executive Officer:

“Achieving Inclusive Employer Status through Diversity Council Australia, not only validates the work we have done, it encourages us in our continued endeavour to make Carers Queensland a place for everyone.”

Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA CEO Chris Rodwell:

“We work on the principle that more diverse and inclusive workplaces are more creative and productive and there’s no doubt that our efforts to improve our culture over the past few years have delivered stronger performance. DCA’s recognition of CCIWA as an inclusive employer gives us further assurance that we’re on the right path. Importantly, its assessment tool also highlights opportunities for further improvements. The focus now needs to be on continuing this journey with our team and also sharing our efforts with the 8,000 businesses across our membership.”

City of Stirling CEO Stuart Jardine PSM:

“The City of Stirling is pleased to be recognised by the Diversity Council Australia with Inclusive Employer status. Local government works best when it employs people who are a part of the community, and who reflect the diversity of that community. The City of Stirling is proud to be one of the most culturally diverse communities in Western Australia and we will continue to ensure we build an inclusive and harmonious City where everyone feels like they have a place.”

Clean Energy Finance Corporation CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth:

“The CEFC is delighted to receive this recognition from Diversity Council Australia. We began our important work as Australia’s ‘green bank’ 10 years ago. As a specialist investor, we continued to rely on the deep investment and technical expertise of our people, empowered by our shared commitment to impact, innovation, integrity and collaboration.  These characteristics reflect the diverse and inclusive nature of the CEFC workforce, and the breadth of the skills and experience we bring to addressing the defining challenge of our time – combatting climate change.”

ConnellGriffin Lty Ptd Lauren Whelan, Chair of ConnellGriffin Diversity Council:

“ConnellGriffin’s recognition as an ‘Inclusive Employer’ is an extremely proud moment for the company.  We enjoy connecting with each other and fostering strong, lasting relationships with our clients and industry partners. Diversity is not a catch phrase for ConnellGriffin, rather it’s embedded within our everyday actions. Our diversity journey will continue to change and grow with our business.”

Davies Collison Cave Group Managing Principal – Michael Wolnizer:

“I’m thrilled that DCC has received Inclusive Employer status after participating in the Inclusive Employer Index for the first time. It’s an important recognition of the work we’ve been doing across the firm over the last few years and goes to the heart of building a truly diverse and inclusive workplace. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together so far and seeing the impact this has had on our people.  It gives me confidence that our ongoing commitment and investment in this work is contributing to our firm’s success”.

Defence Housing Australia Barry Jackson, Managing Director, Defence Housing Australia:

“I am proud that Defence Housing Australia has been acknowledged as an Inclusive Employer in 2022 by Diversity Council Australia. This recognition acknowledges DHA’s ongoing commitment to becoming a more respectful and inclusive workplace, where all employees feel safe and confident to bring their whole selves to work.”

Helping Hand Aged Care, South Australia Chris Stewart, Chief Executive Officer:

“This is the first year we have participated in the Inclusion at Work Index and we are incredibly proud to have achieved Inclusive Employer status.

“Processes like this provide an opportunity for organisations to hold a mirror up to themselves, and it can be vulnerable to place ourselves in these situations. But it’s only through transparency and values-based engagement that you can allow yourselves the opportunity to see how you are tracking in these very important areas. For us, we are delighted in the positive result. However, we know we can always do more and we are committed to working even harder when it comes to diversity, inclusion and belonging.

“The absolute highlight for Helping Hand is that 60% of Helping Hand employees report having an inclusive manager, which is almost double the Australian workforce average of 31%. This speaks volumes about the culture at Helping Hand and how the leadership across the organisation truly does live our values and creates a safe and inclusive workplace. Aged care across the country needs to boost its workforce and I am hopeful this result will see people attracted to choose Helping Hand.”

Impact Community Services Tanya O’Shea, Managing Director:

“As an organisation focused on improving lives we are on a journey to greater understanding of what is means to be inclusive. Participating in the Diversity Council Australia’s Inclusive Employer Index allows us to identify areas where we can focus our energies.”

John Deere Limited Managing Director, Luke Chandler:

“As a leadership team, we are committed to achieving our business vision through an engaged, diverse, and inclusive team.  This recognition demonstrates how our employees across Australia & New Zealand are engaging in DEI initiatives as part of their commitments to create the inclusive workplace culture that leads to our competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

Mars Australia and New Zealand Craig Sargeant, on behalf Mars Australia & New Zealand:

“Mars is proud to be recognised as an Inclusive Employer 2021-22 by Diversity Council Australia because we’re passionate about creating an environment where all Associates are respected, valued, and celebrated for who they are. At Mars, we’re committed to doing what we can to ensure Mars provides an inclusive workplace and embraces diversity now and for future generations.”

Schneider Electric Dean Summlar, Chief of Staff:

“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a vital part of Schneider Electric’s core values. We’re proud to be named an Inclusive Employer in the Diversity Council Australia’s index for 2022-23. This recognition is an important reflection of Schneider’s Electric’s culture.

“As a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, Schneider Electric is focused on bringing about long-term positive impact for our teams and the communities we operate in. As such, we are strongly committed to being an Inclusive Employer, today and in the future.”

Services Australia Rebecca Skinner PSM, Chief Executive Officer:

“Being recognised as an inclusive employer and achieving Inclusive Employer Status for a second year is a proud moment for Services Australia.

“As an agency that supports almost every Australian at some point in their life, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age or ability, it’s important that inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.

“We need to understand, connect with and represent the community we serve and being inclusive means we can deliver better services for all Australians. Our ongoing work to live and breathe inclusion improves the experience of our staff and customers, and we remain committed to championing inclusion in the workplace.”

The Social Research Centre Diane Herz, CEO:

“At the Social Research Centre, we see achieving Inclusive Employer status as a critical step to not only advancing equity in employment but also supporting ethically and culturally sound research. Employing staff with diverse demographics, lived experiences, and professional backgrounds supports more robust research.”

Ultimate Kronos Group Brian K Reaves, Chief Belonging, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion officer:

“Creating a truly inclusive workplace is not a point in time initiative—it’s an ongoing journey of refining and improving strategies and resources for employees, customers, and communities to belong, grow, and thrive. We are honoured to be recognised as an Inclusive Employer and are pleased to have exceeded national benchmarks in all criteria of the Diversity Council Australia’s Inclusive Employer Index. We won’t stop here—we will continue building an inclusive environment for all people, by being a place where unique identities and values are sought out, represented, and celebrated as well as living our company mantra ‘our purpose is people’ every day.”

WPP Country President, Rose Herceg:

“WPP is delighted to have been named an Inclusive Employer by the Diversity Council Australia, having exceeded the National Index Benchmark across all six inclusivity measures (awareness for D&l action, engagement with D&I action, inclusive organisational climate, inclusive leadership, inclusive team and exclusion) following a company-wide Inclusive Employer Index Survey. This result is a testament to WPP’s commitment to being the employer of choice for all as we build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. We believe that ultimately diversity produces extraordinary creativity, manifested in the work we do for our clients and the impact we have on the world. It is the very reason we put the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion at the centre of everything we do at WPP.”

See all past Inclusive Employers here: https://www.dca.org.au/inclusive_employers

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Media Contact:  media@dca.org.au.

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