Black History Month: Pooja Mistry

What are your experiences of Black History Month and why is it important to you?

I have always felt passionate about what Black History month stands for. For me, this is about working with others to see how we can all better represent under-represented groups. I also feel it is a time to celebrate the achievements for black and ethnic minority people who have contributed to our society. Whilst I don’t feel my career has been negatively impacted because of who I am, I know many others who do not feel the same as me. I believe I have had lots of opportunities for development and am grateful to the people I have worked with in supporting my ambition and drive.

I was born in Leicester and have spent most of my life here although I did have some years in Birmingham after I got married. Both have really multi-cultural societies which again supported me in learning about others.

I have had the opportunity to be involved in supporting diversity in different organisations and I have been able to help to educate others on cultural differences. Whilst growing up, some of my friends and family members suffered because of these, I remember learning how to face challenges regardless of the reason they had come about. I was curious in learning about others and how they overcame their challenges which helped me to focus on looking at the positives which is why I always now take a very optimistic approach in my day to day life.

It has been great to see the commitment from Pick Everard to do great things for our people and there is engagement at all levels to ensure this is a great place to work. The clear fact that me and my team have been able to organise some guest speakers to join us over this month which include Asif Sadiq and Pauline Miller is testament to the commitment from Pick Everard to help us better educate ourselves.

Asif throughout his career, has been committed to making workplaces across the country more equal and has become a multi-award winner in his field. He will be covering a variety of topics such as; Corporate Diversity & Effectiveness, Communication Enhancement, Equality / Diversity Concept and Implementation.

Pauline is an expert in ensuring that businesses comply with diverse and inclusive strategies. She is an influential role model in increasing corporate diversity and will be explaining the importance of representing those who are Black, Asian or minority ethnic. She will be covering a variety of topics such as; Inclusivity and Diversity, Empowering Women in Business, Minority Group Representation and Inspiring change & Corporate responsibility.

I am also really pleased to be part of a Podcast which we will be recording later this month. I will be in discussion with some of my colleagues where we will talk about our career progression, how we have navigated through any challenges and our lived experiences.

Is there anyone from the past or present who inspires you, and why?

My dad – He has always guided me and my sisters to ensure we have been able to stand up for what we believe in. It can’t have been easy for him living with 4 women!

Stephen Bartlett – For me he is an amazing entrepreneur and self-starter. He has become famous through his modern style in Dragons Den and I love his creativity and simple thinking. He has been a good role model to my son and it is great to hear his talks and how he inspires people.

My children – they are so supportive of me, my ambition, and my drive to want to be organised (I am sure that frustrates them too)! They inspire me to be the best mum I can be but to also be the best version of myself at work.

What practices could organisations implement to attract and retain full skill representation from BAME professionals?

Having worked in Recruitment, there are lots of aspects organisations can think about to support this. It is important to ensure there is diverse representation across all parts of the recruitment process and within organisations at all levels. Some thoughts would be to ensure interview and selection panels are diverse, application processes are inclusive, advertising methods are varied ensuring a wide reach to candidates and new starters can see diversity at all levels.

What key take-aways do you have on Black History Month?

This is a great opportunity to spend time reflecting on our understanding of actions that need to be taken. It is always good to hear from individuals who have lived experiences hence why I am excited to hear more from our guest speakers!