Rob Sheils on His 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Plans: “I Do Not Want a ‘Quick Fix’ I Am Not Someone Who Takes Shortcuts”

There is no time like the beginning of the year to reflect on our achievements and set goals for the coming future. myGwork spoke to Rob Sheils, who is the Field Sales Manager and Co-Chair of the Parent and Carer Business Resource Group at Budweiser to find out what he has planned for the year ahead when it comes to pushing forward equality and inclusion across the workplace.

Hi Rob - thanks for chatting with us! So, what is your main goal for 2022 in terms of diversity and inclusion (D&I), as well as with your networks?

As the Co-chair of the Parents & Carers Business Resource Group, I engage and interact with talent from diverse backgrounds and groups who champion diversity and inclusion, to highlight the support we can offer to those with parental or caring responsibilities.

I’ve also been updating our job descriptions, so they better reflect our inclusive, supportive and collaborative culture. It’s really important that underrepresented groups can see who we are and what we represent to help encourage them to apply.

And what do you have planned for this year?

I plan to upskill the line managers of our business on critical policies that we have in place. Policies can be sometimes confusing, and I plan to educate all line managers to ensure they are equipped to answer any questions their team members may have.

For example, we’ve recently enhanced our Maternity and Paternity Leave Policy which will make a big difference to colleagues who are about to become new parents, so helping them understand how we as business can support them is really important.

As someone who has been pushing forward conversations around inclusion in their workplace, what would your advice to other organizations wanting to start the same journey?

Be open & honest about your current LGBTQ+ inclusion agenda. We have a fantastic agenda supported by our ‘Proud’ business resource group but are fully aware that we can continually improve. Learn from other companies to understand their LGBTQ+ inclusion agendas. Last year, I attended the D&I in Grocery LIVE! event organised by Grocery Aid sector, and in one day, I came away with so many different ideas.

Rob Sheils, Field Sales Manager and Co-Chair of the Parent and Carer Business Resource Group at Budweiser

What are your top tips for an LGBTQ+ network wanting to grow this year?

Listen. The LGBTQ+ network already with the business and other networks that also have their plans to grow the LGBTQ+ network.

What’s one thing you’ve learnt from last year that will help you on your D&I journey this year?

Last year was undoubtedly a tough year for many. There were various amounts of challenges that the pandemic presented. This led us to developing a robust support programme and highlighting the need to engage across all business functions. I then ensured that I own my D&I agenda within my remit and have ongoing discussions with my team to understand how I can improve.

How have your goals changed from this time last year?

Through the opportunities that I have had to learn from others, my goals haven’t necessarily changed over the last year, but I have enhanced my focus and time on supporting our attraction of a more diverse workforce whilst supporting our current diverse team members.

What was your proudest moment of 2021?

Becoming co-chair of the Parent & Carer Business Resource Group! As a parent myself, I understand the daily challenges, but I also know how supportive Budweiser is. Working with the other members of the business resource group, I can create plans to upskill all line managers to ensure every parent or carer is supported.

2021 was a year of unexpected challenges (to say the least), what lessons did you learn from it?

That everyone has their own individual challenges. After homeschooling my children, I have certainly realized that I’m not cut out for a career in teaching 😊.

How will you be looking after your mental health throughout the year?

Work-life balance has always been a massive priority for me as a parent. I make sure that my laptop gets switched off at 6 pm, which gives me quality time with my family and a digital break.

What do you anticipate being your biggest challenge this year?

Time. With my D&I plans, I do not want a ‘quick fix’. I am not someone who takes shortcuts but I am fully aware that I need to start to implement my plans early on in the year to make a difference.

What are you most excited about over the next year?

Seeing people in person. Zoom is great, but meeting up with my team, colleagues, business resource teams and our customers excites me immensely.

What is one thing you would like your organization to do this year to improve LGBTQ+ inclusion?

Our purpose is to dream big to create a future of more cheers – and a world of more cheers can only be a more equal world. So continuing to ‘show’ not just ‘tell’ our D&I mission is important to help us attract more applications from a range of diverse backgrounds. I employ the best talent in our business but if we do not encourage people from diverse backgrounds to ‘press the submit’ button on the application, I cannot employ them, even if they are the best talent.