Using Nature To Inspire Our Approach To Diversity, Equity And Inclusion

From the beginning in 2016, Magenta set out to be different by acknowledging the ‘human-ness’ of our colleagues and understanding that each of us brings our own rich backstory to work that goes far beyond our gender, age or ethnicity. Who we are and the lens through which we see and interpret things is also made up of our experiences and relationships. This mindset has allowed us to develop organically into a team where acceptance and respect are paramount. Each of us is empowered to speak openly, ask questions, learn and take up space in our own unique way.  

As Magenta grows, we are committed to keeping these beliefs at the heart of our business and where better to turn to for guidance than the natural world around us?  In 2022, we worked with a bioinspired business consultant to pioneer a new way of approaching DE&I at Magenta. 

‘Bioinspired business’ is using nature as inspiration to help build a business and a team that functions like a healthy living system.’ 

With 3.8 billion years of experience at overcoming life’s challenges, the organisms and ecosystems on Earth today are a rich and mostly untapped source of ideas for teams looking to truly understand what it means to build and maintain a diverse community.  By learning from, and then emulating, nature’s processes we hope to banish the annual tick-box requirement forever by growing a team from the ground up for which diversity, inclusion and equity are core principles rather than a yearly training day.   

So, what exactly are we doing here at Magenta?

1. Understand your niche. 

In nature, the term ‘niche’ describes the role an organism plays in a community. A specie’s niche encompasses both the physical and environmental conditions it requires (like temperature or terrain) and the interactions it has with other species. 

Inspired by this, we have created a flexible and inclusive working environment by embracing differences in working styles and encouraging the formation of ‘microhabitats’. We take the time to find out about each other’s preferred ways of working and communicating and honour these differences. For example, we discovered that work-life balance means different things to different people. Some welcome the ability to exercise during the day and will catch up on work another time. For others, it’s about being able to switch off when they finish work and having a distinct separation of professional and personal life. We also recognise that not all accessibility requirements are visible and personal needs may vary between individuals. Therefore, we avoid making assumptions, encourage everyone to share what they need to do their best work and do our best to make it happen.

2. No organism is an island. 

If we take the example of African elephants, their life depends on building and maintaining social relationships. Just like for humans, being part of a supportive community is the key to being happy and healthy. Ecologists and zookeepers have witnessed several behaviours that contribute to closer connections such as spending time enjoying each other’s company, eating together and sharing new experiences.

At Magenta, we are working to build and maintain connections between colleagues and to the organisation as a whole. We make time for regular social ‘rituals’ such as grabbing a virtual coffee, having a daily morning meeting and hosting quarterly away days. Furthermore, each member of the team regularly receives Mental Health First Aid training to ensure we are equipped with the tools to support each other through difficult times.

To ensure we feel connected to the organisation as a whole, we are continually co-creating our values collectively so that everyone feels part of a company that aligns with their own personal principles. Not only that, but we make sure we align our work with our values. There are certain types of clients and projects that we’ll always turn down and that’s okay! We want to feel good about what we do.

The transition area between two ecosystems, such as an ocean and forest,  leads to a greater diversity of  organisms. Living on the edge provides a rich environment for change, growth and development. 

At Magenta, we celebrate our differences as much as our common ground. By employing researchers with a range of different backgrounds and experiences, we constantly challenge our thinking and continue to learn, helping us deliver richer and more relevant insights for clients.

Diversity within the research industry is needed more than ever. We have some difficult questions to answer in the future around climate change, inequality and economic and political uncertainty. We need different types of researchers, with a range of different backgrounds and experiences, to be able to confidently approach future challenges. 

3. Live on the edge.

We are cementing a culture of variety, idea exchange, learning and development by looking to the edges, positioning our team at the intersection of multiple fields and geographical locations to boost the potential for diversity. For example, we offer internship opportunities to support those starting a career in research, we recruit team members from non-market research backgrounds and our remote working means we can cast our net far and wide when it comes to recruiting new employees.
Meeting new people and coming across new points of view is key to boosting the diversity of ideas within our team. We make time for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing opportunities and offer employees an individual personal development budget which they’re encouraged to spend on learning new skills, including those from outside the industry. For example, someone recently went on an improvisation course delivered by stand-up comedians.

4. You’re only as healthy as your habitat

Being able to cultivate an environment in which everyone gets what they need in order to thrive makes a huge difference to how we feel at work and the quality of our work. A safe and nourishing working environment values diverse ideas and leverages unique perspectives. 

Furthermore, a safe and inclusive environment is the first step to attracting employees with a more diverse range of experiences and backgrounds. By communicating our values with the wider research world, we hope to attract diverse talent; we’ve re-written our DE&I policy, featured on the MRS Pride podcast and use social media to celebrate events aligned with our core value of inclusivity. We recently celebrated International Day of Pink – a day created as a campaign to end discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.