“Our mission is to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into every aspect of STL Partners. We strive to create a workplace of continuous learning and psychological safety where people thrive and feel both recognised and valued through education, advocacy and awareness.”
In 2023, a group of us launched a taskforce to learn as much as we could about diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce and how we can embed this into STL culture. To do that, we got input from everyone in the business, with the launch of our annual DE&I survey and used our findings to map out our plan for the year, committing ourselves to four strategic pillars:
It’s inspiring to work for a company of our size that genuinely prioritises DEI. I’ve really enjoyed seeing colleagues come together for recent DEI initiatives, from celebrating Pride Month with drag bingo to taking part in our steps challenge for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Henry Osborne, Senior Consultant
We launched our DEI taskforce over two years ago and have put several things in place over this time period. We have ensured the entire team has undergone unconscious bias training whilst also launching a dedicated recruitment taskforce, aimed at integrating incisive practices into every stage of our hiring process. We have also reviewed and updated our DEI policy along with other relevant internal policies to ensure they reflect our company’s values and the evolving needs of our team. Recently, we also launched a new our new initiative ‘Coffee and Chat’, where colleagues who don’t usually cross paths can sit down for an informal catch-up and get to know each other better.
We have also continued running our awareness and education programme with events for Mental Health Awareness week, Pride month, International Woman’s Day and International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
For Mental Health Awareness week we partnered with Shine Workplace Wellbeing to deliver sessions focused on stress awareness and the positive impacts of kindness. We also held our annual wellbeing walk to Clissold Park, starting with a green breakfast in the office to fuel us for the journey. Additionally, we introduced our inaugural ‘Moves for May’ Steps Challenge where the team recorded nearly 8 million steps across the month of May!
Every year on International Women’s Day, our team gathers, purple-clad, for a breakfast discussion at the office. These conversations are candid and purposeful, highlighting both our achievements and areas of improvement within the organisation and across the telecoms and tech industry.
With a near 50/50 split of men and women in our senior leadership team, we’re proud of the progress we have made. This annual tradition fosters open dialogue, generates insights, and has led to meaningful policy improvements over time. Our goal remains clear: to continuously advance and sustain an inclusive environment for all.
#IWD over the years
Similarly, for pride month we celebrated with ‘rainbow breakfast’ where we all came together dressed in our most colourful outfits. The event included an open discussion aimed at exploring how we can continue to build a more inclusive and supportive environment for the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace. We shared perspectives on how the community is perceived in different parts of the world, reflected on the progress made so far, and discussed the ongoing challenges that still need to be addressed. We also had a fabulous evening of Drag Bingo in Shoreditch where two of our colleagues won prizes!
Pride month quiz & rainbow breakfast
As our company has grown significantly in recent years, it became essential for us to formally establish our DEI practice to ensure this transition was inclusive and progressive. While we are still in early stages, the enthusiasm across the organisation and strong leadership support have already led to meaningful progress. I am excited to see how we can continue to embed DEI into our company culture.
Miriam Sabapathy, Senior Consultant