Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in the workplace with Kelly Metcalf

This week on The Work Well Podcast, we welcome the Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Wellbeing for Fujitsu Europe, Kelly Metcalf. In our conversation today, Kelly gives us her unique perspective on how to develop strategies that combine inclusion and employee wellbeing, creating a culture in which people feel themselves. 

Kelly started her career as a HR Graduate at BAE Systems and later on she joined Fujitsu and progressed through a variety of senior HR roles during her career, including Head of Organisation Design and Change and European-wide HR Generalist roles, also spending time in global client management and responsible business.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kelly Metcalf!

The role of the Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at Fujitsu 

While some keep inclusion and wellbeing as separate focus areas in the workplace, at Fujitsu, and Kelly herself, believe that both are closely related. 

Kelly sees wellbeing and inclusion as part of a cycle in which one is a direct consequence of the other. We feel happier when we can be ourselves at work and that predisposes us towards building an inclusive work culture. 

Kelly works in the Northwest Europe section at Fujitsu, so she is responsible for the wellbeing of employees in 12 different countries, and, as she puts it, "certainly not a one fits all approach works. It's very much about having a clear, consistent strategy, but then how do we deploy that, if it is locally sensitive to culture and employee expectations and priorities on the ground in each country."

What does a typical day at work look like for Kelly?

Typically, wellbeing leaders work towards one specific goal, but for Kelly, the job is slightly different, since she has to also focus on inclusion at work. 

For her, both are intertwined in her everyday tasks, so she's constantly making efforts to develop strategies that improve diversity and wellbeing. 

"So if I think about some of the things that I'm going to be doing later today are focusing on how we continue to upscale our line management population, both in terms of inclusive leadership, and inclusive hiring practices. But also how we help them to embed wellbeing into job design." Kelly comments. 

It's all about priorities for Kelly. Even when most of the time inclusion and wellbeing overlap, it is inevitable to have periods where one requires more attention than the other. The beginning of the pandemic is a perfect example of a moment when wellbeing was the priority, but that doesn't mean that inclusion was left behind. 

How does Fujitsu implement wellbeing and inclusion strategies?

Kelly and her team have created a series of strategies to address both wellbeing and inclusion from management level to grass roots. 

In this regard, Kelly says: "We want to have at Fujitsu, an open mental health culture. We get our leaders talking openly about their mental health. We encourage our employees in their check-ins with our line managers to talk about their mental health. And we train our managers in signposting. What are those red flags? What are those moments or changes in people's behavior patterns that you should watch out for?" 

Something else Kelly gives special attention to is where and for whom are wellness and inclusion activities being developed. Especially when they are directed at remote workers or specific groups of people in the organisation. 

Wellness indicators to look for in wellness and inclusion strategies

Kelly comments that, in Fujitsu, data is collected anonymously, but they can see what areas of wellbeing people are interested in. So, this data is broken down by certain demographics and this information gives the team enough insight to create a wellbeing dashboard. 

Another key factor Kelly takes into account is absenteeism and even breaks this down by diverse groups and demographics to offer a wide perspective on what is impacting workers. This is particularly helpful for Kelly's team since they are working with 12 countries and different demographics daily. 

Finally, regular surveys help round up the data needed to develop wellness and inclusion strategies. "We ask people to tell us specifically about their wellbeing. To what extent is their work at Fujitsu contributing to or hindering their wellbeing and what should we be focusing on to better their wellbeing?". And this not only applies to the grass roots employees, but to the senior managers as well. 

What is the future of work according to Kelly Metcalf?

Kelly starts off by saying: "First of all, I would say, I think it's a hugely exciting time to be working in the people space, in inclusion and wellbeing and organisational culture because we are at a real moment in time, a significant shift, in terms of what people expect from their employer." 

For her, the future of work will be shaped by the demands and needs of employees and organisations will adapt to new hybrid models that benefit both. It's a learning process that will continue to evolve as companies pay more attention to indicators from the people that count: their employees.

If you’d prefer to watch our conversation, you can view it through this link. 

You can also follow Kelly on LinkedIn and learn more about her approach to wellbeing and inclusion in the book Managing Workplace Health and Wellbeing During a Crisis, to which she contributed. Or take a look at the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work which Kelly is a member of.

About Your Host

Brian Crooke is a wellbeing educator, speaker and adviser, empowering organisations to promote and sustain wellbeing within their workplaces.

He is the founder of The Work Well Institute and the Work Well Community and is Course Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Workplace Wellness at Tangent, Trinity College Dublin. He is the host of The Work Well Podcast.

If you’re looking to bring sustainable wellbeing to your workplace then check out The Work Well Institute’s flagship programme, Developing a Workplace Wellness Programme that Lasts.

In his spare time, Brian is bringing free resistance training to every county and community in Ireland through his parkHIIT social enterprise.

If you have any suggestions for future topics you'd like to hear on the show, email Brian directly, brian@workwellpodcast.com