Super Network Member, Hannah Litt, Motorpoint details her involvement in the Black Leaders Network and her passion for equality, diversion and inclusion.
The Motor industry was brand new to me before I started at Motorpoint, nearly 3 years ago now.
Joining the automotive world wasn’t scary for me because I had come from working in construction most of my career, which was highly male-dominated. I was quite used to being either the only person of colour in every meeting or the only woman. Joining Motorpoint, I found the culture was brilliant and a real welcomed change. It’s a business who really lives its values.
Anyone who knows me inside or outside of work will know how passionate I am about Inclusion. I truly believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves into work every day and this should be celebrated. Before we start talking about Diversity we have to ensure that everyone is seen and heard and that is where inclusivity comes in.
Most people have a work persona and I always think how much energy that must take up… how much do we really know about our colleagues? And how much easier would life be if everyone really could bring their whole selves to work? Aside from how much easier that would be, that time could be spent focused on innovating new ideas or thriving in your role instead of trying to fit in or worrying about saying the “right” thing or being too loud or worrying about hiding aspects of yourself. It’s something I have spent a lot of time thinking about and I think it’s a real journey all businesses need to go on especially in light of the BLM movement and also hidden disabilities.
I think my passion for inclusivity and also intersectionality comes from the challenges I have faced being a woman of colour with two hidden disabilities. This made me want to be the person who changes the landscape and the narrative for anyone else like me and be the representation that is lacking. I feel so lucky to currently work in a business that is wholly supportive of my hidden disabilities. They have been from day one, which has really allowed me to be the best I can be. There are some days, for example where I struggle to get my words out. And when I am having a flare-up my speech may be slightly slurred. These are some of the symptoms of my hidden disabilities and they are things that others may not notice, but I am really conscious of, therefore being in a business where I know I will be wholly supported on my “off” days really means that I can give my best and thrive.
Since the BLM movement has started I have also joined the Black Leaders Network and the aim of the network is really simple, its to positively impact the lives of black people in every aspect of society, I was actually asked to join the group by a member of the core team when she saw the passion I had for the movement and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I). There are lots of workstreams and we are currently working on allyship to pull together toolkits that can be used in workplaces, communities and school to help people be the best ally’s they can be.
Being part of the group is great but alongside this I have met so many like-minded people and I have also got a mentor through the programme who mentors me on my ED&I journey.
Through the Black Leaders Network my personal network has grown massively, I have connected with so many people in the HR, ED&I and Resourcing space, all trying to achieve the same goals as me when it comes to inclusivity and sharing ideas and working in collaboration towards a shared goal of equality is really what is going to make the real difference if we are going to change the landscape of the motor industry when thinking about intersectionality.
Through my journey this has allowed me to really bring my new learning’s back into the business although we do some really great things at Motorpoint already there is always new things we can be doing and celebrating which is why we have recently launched an inclusion committee. Our inclusion committee is here to make sure that we are celebrating what’s important to our diverse employees, customers and the communities we serve. It is a great space to identify where we can be doing more. Programmes like the Black Leaders Network has really allowed me to connect and use the tools we are building to support us to do that.
To get involved please ask people to visit www.blackleaders.co.uk and to sign up – we will be in touch.