Diversity & Inclusion: What We’re Doing at The SEO Works

At The SEO Works, we’re committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. To us, diversity offers different perspectives and ideas, helping us to unlock new opportunities. We also want all our staff members to feel included, no matter their race, gender, sexuality or background. 

According to a 2020 report by the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), 88% of marketers are white, 77% are heterosexual and 83% reported not having a disability. Clearly, more needs to be done to create change. 

Rachel Aldighieri, Managing Director at the DMA, said: “We believe that actions are more impactful than words – particularly with regards to diversity and inclusion.” With this in mind, we’re making a conscious effort at The SEO Works to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

Below you can learn more about what we’re doing, from working groups to fundraising and reviewing our internal processes. Plus, we’ve interviewed some of our team members to hear about their experiences working for us.

What We’re Doing

D&I working group

D&I initiatives are more effective when multiple perspectives are involved. That’s why we’ve set up a diversity and inclusion working group, consisting of four individuals from a range of backgrounds. We have quarterly meetings, where we discuss initiatives, create action plans and review feedback from the wider team.

Reviewing recruitment processes

Diversity starts with building a team that doesn’t all look and think the same. Since starting our D&I working group, we’ve added diversity and inclusion clauses to all our job adverts, encouraging applications from a wider talent pool.

Supporting charities

D&I isn’t just about reviewing internal business processes – it’s about giving back, too. At The SEO Works, we host fundraising events all year-round to support local charities. Recently, we had a bake sale for SAYiT – a Sheffield charity supporting LGBTQ+ youth. We’ve also raised money for Movember, Stonewall and the Albert Kennedy Trust.

Celebrating awareness days

Awareness days are a great way to challenge stereotypes, educate and inspire. 

Every year, we celebrate awareness days, both internally and externally in our marketing. This year, we celebrated Pride month with a talk from SAYiT’s Heather Paterson about the history of Pride, helping to educate our team about LGBTQ+ rights. We also celebrate International Women’s Day amongst other events.

Responding to feedback from the wider team

It’s crucial that we don’t just act, but listen to our team too. We’re currently in the process of collecting feedback from our employees about what they’d like to see in terms of diversity and inclusion in the business. Then, we’ll use these insights to inform future initiatives.

Championing D&I in our marketing

Our free resources are designed to educate our audience about marketing, so they can get more customers online. As part of this, we’re making a conscious effort to be inclusive. For example, we recently published a guide to making your marketing and web design more LGBTQ+ friendly. In the past, we’ve also published a guide to accessibility in SEO. By actioning this advice, businesses can connect with a larger, more diverse audience base.

HR process

It’s important that our HR processes fall in line with industry best practices. Our HR Officer is continually reviewing these documents to ensure they’re compliant with the law, including the Equality Act of 2010. We’ve also made improvements to our maternity and paternity policies to be more inclusive of same-sex couples.

What Our Employees Say

“Something that doesn’t often get mentioned is how our work from home policy (up to 3 days per week) helps people dealing with various disabilities. In my own experience, particularly working in jobs with zero hours contracts where working from home wasn’t an option, being ill meant completely missing out on work and pay. This is the first job I’ve had where I truly feel that I’m ‘allowed to be ill’, without having to miss out on work.“

Zak Smith-Mountain (He/Him), Senior SEO Account Executive

“Since joining The SEO Works, I’ve felt both welcomed and empowered to be myself, all while receiving the utmost respect from my colleagues and management. I have always been encouraged to bring my unique perspective to the table and the company’s commitment to fostering a supportive environment is reflected in its policies, communication and opportunities.”

Sarah Storey (She/Her), SEO Team Leader

“The SEO Works created an environment where I felt comfortable to come out as nonbinary in the workplace. I was able to very easily change my pronouns in our HR software, and this has now been reflected in any communications I receive. I appreciate that our HR team are very open to honest feedback, and are making a conscious effort to create real change in the business.”

Liam Taft (They/Them), SEO Team Leader

“The SEO Works has curated an inviting atmosphere and culture from the top level management down. It’s a relaxed environment that always encourages people to be their authentic selves. From day one, I knew I could be myself, which has been so valuable in both my personal and professional life.”

Keiran Malcolm (He/Him), Senior SEO Account Manager

“The SEO Works has always felt like a safe, comfortable place to work. From celebrating Pride month to having talks on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, The SEO Works makes a concerted effort to make all employees feel like we can be ourselves.”

Kayleigh Goode (She/Her), PPC Team Leader

Final Thoughts

We’re proud to be a business that values and champions diversity and inclusion. If you’re looking for a digital marketing role, and you’re from a diverse background, we encourage you to apply for one of our roles.

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