How to support your Muslim employees during Ramadan

We wish all those observing Ramadan (also known as Ramazan) to be happy and blessed during this auspicious time.

Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic Year. For 30 days, many of the world’s 1.9 billion Muslims will abstain from food and drink from dawn til dusk and mosques will be open for prayer. Fasting is not simply about denying the body of food and water; it involves pause and reflection in order to avoid ill speech, arguments, loss of temper and malicious behaviour and is a time for Muslims to reaffirm their faith in God. Ramadan is also a time for generosity and charity – the latter in particular being an important part of Islam.

During this time, we are encouraging employers to be informed about Ramadan and to be authentic in the communications they plug internally and on their social channels. We welcome you all to learn more about this holy month and below we have shared some tips for employers to support their Muslim employees.

• Whilst working from home has become part of working culture for most, please ensure that you are open to flexible working and that requests to work from home on specific days are accommodated.

• Provide a quiet and private space for prayer. This could be a dedicated room in your office, clearly labelled as 'Prayer room', during the month of Ramadan.

• Because Muslim colleagues will be fasting, be considerate to the fact that they may want to exchange lunch breaks for prayer breaks.

• Take into account that there may be annual leave requests during this period; especially in the last 10 days of Ramadan.

• Avoid holding training sessions or social events late into the evening when colleagues will want to break their fast.

• Avoid asking your Muslim colleagues 'but not even water?!'. Most Muslims have been fasting for many years, so this is standard protocol.

• Please be mindful that not all Muslims will be fasting. There may also be exemptions to who can and cannot fast e.g., pregnant women, women on their period, being unwell etc., which should not be judged, and some people may simply choose not to fast at all.

• Be curious, but not ignorant. After all, you can find out anything on Google.

• Have others in the team get involved: you could organise talks about Ramadan during this period, or have non-Muslim colleagues take part in a fast, followed by breaking Iftar together. This is a great way to create an inclusive event.

• Most important of all, start the conversation with your Muslim colleagues and ask about their preferences.

Why is this important for employers? The 2021 Census showed an increase in the number of people who described themselves as “Muslim” (3.9 million, 6.5% in 2021, up from 2.7 million, 4.9% in 2011).

This means that the number of Muslim employees is increasing and more-so in areas where there are already large Muslim populations, such as Bradford, Leeds, East London and others.

Greater awareness and work adjustments are likely to lead to an improvement in well-being and sense of value at work. And, if Muslim colleagues feel supported, they are more likely to stay at their place of employment.

What are you doing to support your Muslim colleagues during Ramadan? Share with us in the comments below.

Creating connections - the power of mentoring

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

At BAME in Property, we know and understand the importance of mentoring, of creating connections, and having that guidance as you navigate the challenges and opportunities throughout your career. There’s no doubt that at some point in our lives, we all need that little extra help. A mentor can help pin down your career aspirations, increase your promotional prospects and open doors to networking opportunities.

But mentoring is more than just a one-way relationship. Mentoring gives a sense of purpose to both parties; it’s an exchange of skills and cultures across different demographics and even generations.

We’re passionate about delivering equality of opportunity and supporting more diversity in our great industry. That’s why we’ve partnered with Mount Anvil on their Makers & Mentors programme, which is supported by the Mayor of London, to help people make connections and grow skills across the full breadth of the built environment sector.

Networking at Mount Anvil and BAME in Property’s mentoring event.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is transformational. It’s a collaborative relationship between two people with the goal of professional and personal development. It’s focused more on support, advice and guidance as part of a long-term partnership.

When a quality conversation happens between two parties in a mentoring relationship, the result is problem-solving, skill development or network enhancement, all things that advance careers and improve lives.

The key to success

There is no one model to follow with regards to mentoring. Each mentoring relationship is different and it’s important you find a model that works for you, alongside a regular timeframe to meet and catch-up. Squeeze the lemon, you get out what you put in! So, embrace the relationship because it really can help you, change you and give a sense of purpose.

The benefits of implementing a mentoring programme

Employees who received mentoring were promoted five times more often than those who didn’t have mentors (Source: Sun Microsystems). Through increased confidence and skills, no doubt, mentees become better at leveraging the many challenges that can crop up in the workplace.

However, while it’s often assumed that the mentee is the principal beneficiary of the mentoring relationship, there are huge advantages for mentors too. According to MentorCloud, over two thirds (69%) of mentors found that mentoring gave them a strong sense of purpose for helping others grow. Mentoring is therefore a great way of building key listening and coaching skills for everyone, in addition to leadership qualities among employees, including better interpersonal and communication skills.

Furthermore, there is inevitably an element of ‘reverse mentoring’ that takes place in a mentoring relationship, where both parties commit to openness and curiosity, to learn more about themselves and the world around them. For those being mentored, it’s a reminder that everyone has life experiences and skills that are significant.

It goes without saying that the virtuous circle continues. MentorCloud also found that 89% of those who have been mentored go on to mentor others. Those who’ve benefitted from a mentor know how important it is to pass it on.

From left to right: Darragh Hurley, MD of Mount Anvil, Sarah Hayford, Founder and CEO of The Land Collective CIC, Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chief Executive of L&Q and Priya Aggarwal Shah, Founder and Director of BAME in Property at Mount Anvil and BAME in Property’s mentoring event.

Creating Connections mentoring event

For this event we partnered with Mount Anvil and their Makers & Mentors programme, which is backed by the Mayor of London, to bring our networks together, create connections, and ultimately, help people find their perfect mentoring match.

The event, held on 23 November 2022 at Mount Anvil’s Living Room space in their Barbican office, saw Priya Aggarwal Shah, Founder and Director of BAME in Property, Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chief Executive of L&Q, Sarah Hayford, Founder and CEO of The Land Collective CIC and Darragh Hurley, MD of Mount Anvil, share their words of wisdom about mentoring.

As Sarah Hayford said, “Trying to be something you’re not, doesn’t pay dividends in the long run.”  

For Fiona, the importance of “being unashamedly myself” was important and paved the way for her success across the industry.

Meanwhile, Darragh summed it up to a tee, “problems aren’t solved from the consciousness that created them – we need cognitive diversity in order to thrive.”

The mentees in the audience loved the encouragement to stand out, come out of their comfort zone and really see how mentoring can help someone achieve incredible things. No doubt, we are all surrounded by indirect mentors, it only takes some encouragement from one person to help change your mindset and nurture a sense of belief.

The rest of the evening saw people networking and exchanging details before we reconvened to celebrate two years of Mount Anvil’s Makers & Mentors programme with birthday cake.

We obviously thought the evening was fantastic (!) but the true testament was from our attendees who shared how useful they found the networking and the opportunity to speak to people outside of their usual circles. A few people even found their mentoring match! Over the last couple of months, we’ve been following up with our networks to see if they’ve found more mentoring matches and supporting people with their programmes through Makers & Mentors.

Get involved with the Makers & Mentors programme

If you’ve made it this far (thank you!) and are interested in getting involved with the Makers and Mentors programme, please get in touch with us on hello@bameinproperty.com or visit https://mountanvil.com/makers-mentors/mentoring/.

“Everyone has life skills and experience to share as a mentor. One word, one hour can be all that’s needed to effect a positive change in someone.” – Chelsea Baker

The 2021 Census data and what it means for the built environment

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

Throughout November, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has been releasing data from the 2021 Census. Although early doors with more data to come, the initial results are not surprising when it comes to ethnic minority communities and their growth over the last 10 years. We are living in a UK which is more racially, ethnically, religiously and culturally diverse than it was in 2011 and this has huge implications for built environment practitioners. It’s not enough to have ethnic diversity as an afterthought in your company organisation and outputs, it must be completely integral to your company policies, your work and how you operate. In this piece, we share some of the key findings regarding minority communities, the impact this will have on the built environment and how BAME in Property can help you.

Key findings from the 2021 Census

• One in six people living in England and Wales were born outside of the UK, an increase of 2.5 million since 2011, from 7.5 million to 10 million. Of these, 4.2 million had arrived since 2011, 2.7 million between 2001 and 2010, and 3.1 million before 2001.

• India remained the most common country of birth outside of the UK in 2021 (920,000 people - 1.5% of all residents), followed by Poland (743,000 people - 1.2%) and Pakistan (624,000 - 1.0%).

• 59.1% of the people of Leicester are now from ethnic minority groups, a major change since 1991, when black and minority ethnic people made up just over a quarter of the city’s residents. Leicester’s Asian population first became well established after 20,000 people settled in the east Midlands manufacturing city after expulsion from Uganda in 1972.

• Minority ethnic people also make up more than half the population in Luton (54.8%) and Birmingham (51.4%), the UK’s second largest city where 20 years ago seven out of 10 people were white. Since the second world war, Birmingham’s population has grown with immigration from the Caribbean and south Asia, as well as Gujaratis who had been in east Africa.

• The census revealed a 5.5 million drop in the number of Christians and a 44% rise in the number of people following Islam. It is the first time in a census of England and Wales that less than half of the population have described themselves as “Christian”.

So, what does this mean for the built environment?

No doubt, there is a huge role for planning and engagement professionals to tackle racial inequalities and differences in housing and living arrangements across ethnic communities. This could be better consideration to design needs, layouts, as well as thinking about language translation and engagement with community and ethnic minority leaders. Gone are the days of town hall or even online exhibitions, it's time to think more creatively and inclusively.

“Current retirement living housing doesn't always suit ethnic minority communities. Sometimes there are no vegetarian or Halal kitchens, or carers who speak the native language. Most are located by churches but not temples or mosques."

Different cultures and communities live in different ways. In many regions in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, multigenerational living is the norm. But our new builds are usually smaller (and more expensive), hardly accommodating larger families. Additionally, most new homes have open plan kitchens, but in many cultures, there is a preference to separate the kitchen from the living area, to reduce cooking odours spreading. These aren’t just cultural differences but a different way of living that can’t be ignored.

Planning and engagement consultants will need to start incorporating design workshops into their programmes, to really understand design specifics and preferences, which can enhance developments, bring communities on board, and in due course, result in better housing.

Finally, current retirement living housing doesn't always suit ethnic minority communities. Sometimes there are no vegetarian or Halal kitchens, or carers who speak the native language. Most are located by churches but not temples or mosques. Whilst multigenerational housing is common amongst some communities, with smaller housing and more assimilation to Western norms, living arrangements in South Asian communities are changing. But cultural differences will need to be reflected in retirement living complexes to ensure they are meeting different communities’ needs.

Ultimately, this all comes down to the housing allocation in Local Plans, which will likely need a rethink to ensure we are serving diverse communities better.

“You can only implement inclusive designs if you have diverse teams and embrace inclusivity in your organisations."

How can BAME in Property support you

There are many organisations out there who are already implementing better planning and engagement strategies. But, if this data feels a little overwhelming, we at BAME in Property are here to help. Here’s how:

• Want to know more about the challenges and inequalities facing ethnic minority communities with housing and how to engage better with them? We hold a workshop on this very topic and have delivered it to Homes England, Pocket Living, Thirteen Housing Group, The Planning Inspectorate, and to students at UCL, Birmingham and Hertfordshire, to name a few.

• We help organisations reach different audiences through sensitive approaches, which consider ethnic and cultural differences. This could be liaison through a community or religious leader to help understand nuances within a group and to build that all-important trust or reaching out to hyperlocal publications and radio stations to ensure key messages are reaching the communities that need to hear them. We’re passionate about communities having their say, resulting in better relationships with developers. We’re currently working with Thirteen Housing Group on design workshops with the Indian and Pakistani communities in Kirklees, to ensure their housing their needs and culture are incorporated into the plans.

• You can only implement inclusive designs if you have diverse teams and embrace inclusivity in your organisations. If we can support you with EDI challenges or help you advertise roles to some different and ethnically diverse audiences, please get in touch.

Email Priya.shah@bameinproperty.com to chat to us about how we can support you. More information on our Services page here.

The Power of Now: How to implement inclusive policies within the workplace

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

National Inclusion Week takes place from 26 – 30th September and this year’s theme is ‘Time to Act: The Power of Now’. Often, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policies can take a while to implement and genuinely see results. With this in mind, we’ve set out some tangible actions which can demonstrate action and results from the get-go. From diversifying social events to doing a website audit, we truly believe that small steps can make all the difference, heading in the direction of creating a more comfortable and inclusive working environment.

1. Ensure senior leaders support your EDI efforts

EDI needs to be within the roots of a company, rather than an add on – it should guide every policy within the workplace, from culture, pay, recruitment strategy and flexible working – to name a few. If senior leaders aren’t pushing for this, it’s very difficult to implement any tangible policies.

2. Rotate who runs and drives meetings

‘Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.’ Most companies run team meetings, usually led by the same person and often this one individual can dominate the agenda and conversation. One way of creating more inclusivity is to rotate who runs the meeting to enable colleagues to exert different approaches and personalities. This can lead to more ideas and ultimately more creativity. It’s also important for building confidence for those who typically don’t speak and enables them to feel more included.

"Asking for flexible working during Ramadan becomes much easier when everyone has received an e-newsletter about it."

3. Diversify your social events

When you’re planning your next social event, perhaps it’s time to do something different. Not all events need to involve alcohol, as this can isolate those who choose not to drink or don’t feel comfortable being in that environment.

And have you noticed some people consistently aren’t able to make social events due to other commitments? Think about timing of your next event, perhaps even doing it during working hours to enable everyone to take part.

4. Celebrate some different cultural and religious events

Download a festivals calendar and pick a few key events you could celebrate or highlight throughout the year. This not only raises awareness and educates colleagues, but it can often make what appear to be difficult conversations, much easier. For example, asking for flexible working during Ramadan becomes much easier when everyone has received an e-newsletter about it.

Celebrating different festivals also breaks down barriers and biases that people inherently have – it’s the start of creating an open-minded culture for the future of the company.

5. Organise a website audit to ensure it reflects diversity

‘Your vibe attracts your tribe’. If your company website is only showing one type of person, this won’t excite people from more underrepresented backgrounds to want to join. With it being the first port of call for research on a company, put your best foot forward and ensure your showing diversity in images, different levels within the organisation, voices and content from individuals across the whole company, not just the senior leadership team.

Gen Z are increasingly looking for a company’s EDI policy on the website, so have a page about this too and be honest about the journey – people like the candidness.

Sometimes it’s easier to have an external consultant critique your website than it is from within your company. Consider speaking to an organisation like BAME in Property to help you with this process.

"Just like good work is rewarded, best practice for the company should be recognised and acknowledged in annual appraisals and feedback from leaders."

6. Ask for feedback from your employees

Regularly gather feedback and share results at the team level. When company leaders are consistently open to receiving feedback—constructive and positive—the door to achieving substantive progress is opened.

7. Recognise inclusive behaviours

In many organisations, EDI policies are suggested within an internal diversity or working group. The burden of executing this shouldn’t fall on your employees, but where employers have taken an active role in internal working groups, led on a cultural event or taken time to drive an EDI policy, this should be rewarded. Just like good work is rewarded, best practice for the company should be recognised and acknowledged in annual appraisals and feedback from leaders.

These are just some of the measures you can implement immediately to start creating a more inclusive culture. Need help with any of these? Get in touch with BAME in Property to see how we can support you on your EDI journey.

Comment: Will blind CVs help diversify your company's recruitment?

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

One of the most common recruitment questions we get asked is whether companies should engage in blind hiring processes. Companies often implement a blind CV process to remove unconscious biases from recruitment managers. With the industry becoming increasingly competitive and candidates having more choice, it's important companies consider a multitude of hiring procedures. Blind CVs can result in a more diverse pool of candidates during the interview stage and ultimately, employees within the company, if hired.

However, there are some drawbacks of blind CVs, the primary one being it doesn't prevent unconscious bias once a candidate gets to the interview stage. There is also a question about whether it is morally right to remove someone's personal details.

At BAME in Property, we've considered the impact of blind CVs to help your recruitment decisions.

So, what exactly is a blind CV? It is the basis of blind hiring, and a CV that doesn't have any identifying factors. This includes things like a candidate's name, gender, age, or race. The long and short of it is that there is no information present that isn't related to the candidate's working capabilities.

A more diverse talent pool

The most obvious benefit of blind CVs is the prospect of hiring talented people, who wouldn't normally make it through the interview process. As people are inherently bias in their selection process - e.g., choosing someone based on where they live or where they schooled - removing this detail focuses the hiring manager to select someone on their abilities and competencies.

A BBC Inside Out London investigation in February 2018, found that two CVs containing the same employee and educational information but different names, Adam and Mohammed, resulted in Adam receiving 100 interviews and Mohammed only 12, suggesting an obvious bias in the recruitment process. A blind CV process in this situation could have offered Mohammed more interview opportunities.

Many companies have been implementing blind hiring processes for years, including EY, which has removed details such as name and education – opening the doors for more state-schooled candidates. The result has been more people from non-traditional backgrounds entering the firm and progressing just as well.

Thus, there are some obvious internal benefits of blind CVs. From an external perspective, it shows prospective candidates a commitment to diversity and that a company cares about eliminating discrimination, where possible.

A short-term fix, not a long-term solution

"Why should personal details, such as names or schools be removed from CVs to protect a company’s unconscious bias?"

Nevertheless, blind CVs can only go so far. There is a moral argument here that questions why should personal details, such as names or schools be removed from CVs to protect a company’s unconscious bias? When names are removed this is taking away someone’s identity, their heritage and culture. It's the most basic foundation of an individual. If a hiring manager was not going to put someone through an interview process due to their name, age or any other personal information, why should that person work for said company anyway? In fact, they probably wouldn't want to work in that environment either if these biases come to surface once an individual joins the company – unfortunately, this happens all too often when people from ethnic backgrounds are treated differently. Indeed, this can even happen during the interview process, when hiring managers come face-to-face with candidates and biases start creeping in.

"When names are removed this is taking away someone’s identity, their heritage and culture. It is the most basic foundation of an individual."

Furthermore, blind hiring can in fact do the opposite of what it seeks to achieve and rather, hinder diversity in hiring. Many employees seek out minority candidates during the hiring process to engender positive action. This is defined as taking measures to support the recruitment of underrepresented minorities. However, when recruiters do not have candidates’ information, they cannot pursue diversity.

The reality is that we all have unconscious biases, regardless of which background we are from. Naturally, we are attracted to people who look and talk like us and have similar life experiences to us. Thus, whilst we can't remove unconscious bias, we can foster a more open and inclusive culture, which appreciates and welcomes differences. This is a longer-term solution which benefits everyone, rather than creating a short-term fix that may not last once an individual has joined a company.

"blind CVs in isolation is not the solution to a better hiring process but must be in conjunction with culture training and other initiatives."

A more inclusive culture can spark better conversation during the interview process and anticipate certain questions, such as flexible working requests during religious holidays or interests outside of work.

The point being, blind CVs in isolation isn't the solution to a better hiring process but must be in conjunction with culture training and other initiatives which promote diversity.

Get in touch with us to discuss how we can help create a more open and inclusive culture within your company.