'Celebrate that we all bring something unique to the workplace'

The change I had in my mindset towards how I wore my hair at work has been a journey.

The older I get, the more self-aware I am becoming with my personal experiences within the workplace, which has helped me to build confidence. I still have moments where I doubt myself or feel there is some judgment from others because of my appearance, but I have to remember to be my authentic self.

My hair is naturally curly as I’m mixed race – my mum is Indian and my dad is Jamaican. I have tried a range of hairstyles. When I wore my hair straight at work, I used to find that I fitted in better or was taken more seriously. When it was curly, I could tell it was perceived that I didn’t put as much effort into my appearance. It’s almost ironic, because anyone with curly hair knows how much work it is to maintain.

People’s perceptions and judgment did upset me as I would describe myself as an ambitious person. The judgment doesn’t necessarily need to be demonstrated with the words that people say – their reactions, actions and emotions can be telling. When I noticed it wasn’t just me being judged on my appearance, but other employees too with a lot of talent, I knew that I had to drive and achieve results for equality and inclusiveness within the workplace.

I encourage everyone to feel confident within their appearance, and I encourage employers not to judge or make business decisions for others based on how they look.

If you actively support people to celebrate who they are, then they will feel like they belong and that they have a voice, regardless of their appearance.

200 Degrees Coffee Roasters has around 200 employees and recognises that DEI is a shared responsibility for all employees. I have supported rolling out a company-wide equality and diversity audit to ask our employees for their opinions and for us as an employer to listen to them.

I frequently share resources, lead DEI workshops and liaise with external DEI specialists to provide expert knowledge and insights for our employees. My focus is to make sure we’re consistent with promoting inclusiveness within the company and putting actions behind our words.

For me, a culture that makes people feel comfortable to be their authentic selves and one where we are all unique is always going to be a good thing. It is important for businesses to reinforce positive behaviours consistently throughout the employee journey. Embrace inclusivity from the offset with the tone of the job adverts and interviews, all the way to onboarding.

Many of us spend a lot of time at work; if given a choice, we’ll be more likely to choose the employer that embraces our authentic selves.

Now read Mark's story, 'Being able to express myself means I’m not holding back'