Hion's journey toward a more diverse future

We believe that a diverse workforce is key to both competitiveness and innovation. Now is the time to take stock and share what we have accomplished in our DEI efforts over the past year.

Earlier, we talked about our values journey and opened up a bit about the background of our values. Now we have decided that it’s time to share how we have concretely progressed in our DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) work.

Especially in light of the recent lively public discussions surrounding diversity work, we want to make our stance clear: DEI work is important to us.

We are committed to continuing this work persistently and systematically for as long as it is needed. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace, drawing its strength from our mutual differences, also plays a crucial role and holds a key position in building a thriving and inclusive society.

Our journey toward a truly inclusive work environment involves continuous learning, challenging the status quo, insightful discussions, and concrete actions. These are the building blocks of our workplace and culture — our Hion.

From strategy to systematic work

Our DEI work is deeply rooted in our strategy, where diversity is seen as a competitive advantage. We understand that diverse perspectives enrich our thinking and help us create better solutions for our clients. The world is changing rapidly, and diverse expertise is essential to staying at the forefront of progress.

We realized that DEI work requires a systematic approach. We wanted a skilled partner to join us on this journey — someone who could appropriately challenge us and encourage us to think about DEI themes from different perspectives. Deidei was chosen as our partner, and together we developed Hion’s own DEI strategy, or DEI approach, which was internally introduced to the entire organization.

In the spring of 2023, we organized diversity training for all employees in collaboration with Deidei. The goal was to establish a shared foundational understanding of DEI concepts and their importance to everyone at Hion.

The training was an important step toward shared understanding and laid the groundwork for future efforts. The discussions that followed about the various aspects of DEI were incredibly fruitful and sparked the idea of creating a dedicated DEI working group. This group would be tasked with advancing DEI-related initiatives collaboratively.

Collaborating toward shared goals

Our multidisciplinary DEI task force, composed of employees from across the organization, played a key role in creating and implementing our DEI strategy. The DEI Task Force acts as a driving force for change, ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion remain central to our organizational culture and operations.

Our DEI task force analyzes the current state of the organization, highlights diversity-related themes and challenges, and fosters discussions both within the task force and organization-wide. The group also develops and makes recommendations for practices and processes that promote fairness and inclusion at Hion, such as those related to recruitment practices, career development, and employee well-being.

The task force also monitors and evaluates the organization’s actions toward achieving DEI goals and serves as a liaison between employees and management. Additionally, the group organizes training sessions and campaigns. For example, we have had the pleasure of hearing from and learning from external experts, such as Panu Mäenpää from Miltton, who visited our internal meeting to shed light on the situation of gender and sexual minorities in the workplace.

Topaasia tool as a conversation starter

In late spring 2024, we organized a diversity workshop for the entire company using the Topaasia tool. The goal was to bring DEI topics closer to every Hion employee and open up discussions in smaller groups. Topaasia helped us identify both challenges and opportunities in our DEI work. Just as important as the results was the discussion itself and the shared reflection.

The results from Topaasia helped us define our first DEI-related OKR, which we use to systematically track the progress of our DEI efforts and increase transparency.

Hion’s DEI OKR for 2024 focused on strengthening diversity and inclusion by establishing English as an official language for communication by January 2025. The objectives included utilizing a communication survey and preparing internal communication channels to be available in English.

As part of the OKR, we also made preparations for a pilot of anonymous recruitment, set to launch in early 2025, with the goal of increasing diversity in the applicant pool.

Concrete actions in everyday life

DEI work is not just about strategy and training. It is also reflected in small everyday actions. Together with our people team, we strive to lead by example by using inclusive language, considering different dietary needs and cultural traditions, and ensuring that our work environment is accessible to all. For instance, unisex restrooms and flexible working hours are small but concrete examples of how we aim to provide equal opportunities for everyone.

Openness and Discussion at the Core

DEI work is an ongoing process and a learning journey, with openness and constructive dialogue at its core. We understand that even the toughest conversations take us toward a more diverse and inclusive Hion.

We will continue the work of our DEI task force and implement our strategic objectives. We will track our current OKRs and set new goals for the upcoming year. We want to involve all Hion employees in this work and make it truly a shared responsibility.

Diversity is a resource for us that supports our growth and success. We are determined to make Hion a workplace where everyone feels they belong and are valued. We will continue our journey toward a more diverse and inclusive future.