In the evolving industry of engineering, diversity and inclusion are more than just aspirational goals they are key to drive innovation and achieve long-term success. Acorn confidently recognises that creating a diverse and inclusive workplace is crucial to building a workforce, which is best prepared for the future and the ability to adapt to upcoming changes. One of Acorn’s six company values is ‘equality’ supporting our open management structure which is allowing all opinions, ideas and suggestions to be listened to and actioned as there are no closed doors for anyone. Welcoming honesty and clear communication to essential to reach our goals. 

Why Diversity in Engineering Matters? 

The engineering sector solves important and complex problems. This can be from infrastructure and energy to new technology and sustainability. These key challenges require creative and extensive solutions. Tackling these problems are best achieved by teams that reflect a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and different ways of thinking. 

Diverse engineering teams contribute to: 

• Broader perspectives and stronger problem-solving skills 

• More innovative design and technical solutions 

• Better communication and collaboration together  

• A culture of equity, belonging, and mutual respect 

In simpler terms, inclusive engineering workplaces lead to better business outcomes and better results for society. Supporting this movement provides a fair chance to all potential engineers without discriminating against their backgrounds. 

Women in Engineering 

Engineering is commonly described as a male-dominated sector. We are committed to encouraging women to pursue and thrive in engineering careers, actively working to make the industry more inclusive.

Q&A with our female engineer:

What advice do you have for women interested in engineering?  

“Don’t be put off if you think that you can’t choose this career path due to physical strength that is needed, it comes with time and there are always going to be challenges in any career” – Jennifer Duckett, Electrical Engineer 

“I think some women feel reserved to go on site due to some places being very male orientated, but in general everyone is welcoming” – Dani Higgins, Engineering Team Lead  

“Go for it, don’t be scared. You can come across people that can be patronising in the industry, and still getting used to women in these types of roles, so a strong personality helps. There’s not enough women doing this” – Shannon Smith, Technical Operations Support Manager  

Our Commitment at Acorn 

At Acorn, we are proud to be actively fostering a workplace culture that values inclusion, fairness, and representation. Here is how we’re building a workforce that reflects our company values: 

Inclusive Recruitment 

We continually refine our hiring processes to attract candidates from underrepresented groups and reduce bias at every stage. Through our method of ‘blind hiring’ as CV’s will remove information about the candidate regarding their identity such as gender or race to focus on their skill set and qualifications instead. We also state on all our job posts that we are an ‘Equal Opportunity Employer’ and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, colour, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability. Engineering careers should be accessible to everyone with the talent and drive to make a difference. Ensuring we showcase equality within the recruitment process to join our workforce. 

Acorn Testimonial:

“Over the last few years, we have brought in the practice of blind hiring to make a conscious effort to eliminate any discrimination and boost diversity within the company.

This way our recruitment process is more fair, transparent, and equal for everyone. The goal has always been to give everyone the same chances, and with this solution in place, we will benefit from a broader mix of experience, backgrounds, knowledge, creating stronger and more effective teams.” – Yasmin Hussain, Group Head of Recruitment, DE&I.

Education & Awareness 

It’s important to spread awareness to everyone of different cultures and faiths by celebrating significant cultural festivals. We positively have been sharing support through social media using our LinkedIn Platform by posting about religious festivals such as Eid, Vaisakhi and Easter. This naturally helps encourage more engagement and community togetherness. Implementing these marketing strategies to educate others on our platform and to help others learn more about the multicultural society we live in. As well as showing our support to those individuals who are from all different ethnic backgrounds and religions who are part of the Acorn family and welcoming others to celebrate together representing our diverse workplace.  

Career Development & Mentorship 

We support career growth through structured mentorship, training pathways available for employees and workforce development programmes that ensure every team member has a chance to thrive. For example, our Engineers can gain support with any training courses they’d like to explore to strengthen their skill to ultimately progress upwards in the business to excel in their future career. Also, introducing each new acorn employee joining the business to participate in an informative onboarding session. These sessions provide individuals with valuable insights about the company history and business growth.  

At Acorn, it’s important for us to also invest in compliance training within our company covering inclusive topics to help provide awareness. Utilising our human focus training system which specialises in e-learning materials for all our employees. 

Amplifying Voices 

We listen to our employees. Their insights and lived experiences help shape our policies, events, and internal initiatives, ensuring that our actions match our company values. Communication within the business is simple, no matter the job role by directly contacting and starting conversations with senior management team giving our employees a say. Positively allowing anyone to share ideas and suggest ways to improve this can build authenticity and prove that we care and respect each other’s opinions.  

Fundraising Charities 

At Acorn, encouraging participation in charitable events is crucial to achieving everyone to come together for a great cause. Listed below are some examples of charities which we have supported and how much we’ve raised. 

• Mencap: Supporting people with learning disabilities  

• Salvation Army: Christmas present appeal – present donation to less fortunate children 

• Save The Children: Christmas Jumper Day  

• LGBTHERO: National wellbeing charity for the LGBTQ+ community  

• Cancer Research: For Breast Cancer with a ‘wear it pink’ day  

Shaping A Future Together 

We aim to create a workplace where everyone feels welcome and empowered to succeed. While we’ve made meaningful differences so far, we also understand that diversity and inclusion are commitments which need to be prioritised to allow for more development opportunities within the current business model. 

In the upcoming future there’s opportunity to invest in inclusive practices and advocate for equality across the engineering industry. We plan to host inclusive workshops that bring people together, educate and help enhance our overall business growth objectives. Tailoring sessions to create safe spaces to share experiences and gain new perspectives for underrepresented groups as well as focusing STEM skills. 

The strength of our business lies in the diversity of our people. That’s why we’re committed to fostering a workplace where everyone regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, or disability is respected and supported to succeed. We want to create an environment where individuals can thrive without fear of judgment, bringing their full authentic selves to work every day. Following our valuable company principles to ensure that every member the Acorn team has an opportunity to feels seen and heard. 

At Acorn we’re encouraging a more inclusive future together, one opportunity at a time. If you are interested in joining us and being part of this journey, we would love to hear from you. Explore our available positions today and feel free to contact us now.