Michelmores HR director Colette Stevens talks to Legal Week Intelligence.

What is your firm doing to boost diversity and inclusion? "One of the top priorities for our Diversity & Inclusivity group is around gender inclusivity – through our Women@Michelmores initiative. We want to ensure we are creating an environment where both men and women have the opportunity and support to fulfil their potential, and where our leadership and wider partner team reflects the demographics of our business. In particular, we want to equip our people with better information so that they can identify the steps they can take as individuals to better support women in the workplace. In addition, we are providing a forum to discuss and explore opportunities for improving gender inclusivity at Michelmores."

How do you make staff feel valued? "In addition to our annual performance-based bonus scheme, we have also introduced an 'On the Spot' reward initiative to recognise those individuals who have gone the extra mile during the year. Any colleague across the business can nominate someone for an award, which allows us to celebrate excellent performance and behaviours aligned to our brand principles. This approach to recognising those people who possess a 'can-do mentality', and are enthusiastic, energetic and create a positive ripple across the firm, has been well received as a way of making people feel more valued."

How do you ensure equality and openness around career opportunities? "Widening access to the legal profession remains important to us and we work with organisations such as PRIME and Pathways to Law to ensures that we are doing all we can to give talented individuals great opportunities. We've also just launched a new apprenticeship scheme to help people access the legal profession through a less traditional and more attainable route. We are passionate about promoting a culture of continuous improvement and personal development. Our aim is to ensure that everyone across Michelmores has the necessary skills to deliver the very best results in their role, and that we organise learning and any career development support needed in a slick and effective way."

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