Meet Emma!

Emma Taylor joined our organisation in June as our new HR Advisor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). This employee-focused position is completely new within our HR department, so Inform took the opportunity to sit down and find out more about her role and how it will benefit the way we work.

Emma began her career in National Grid’s corporate communications team where she created messaging around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, sparking her interest in the area. She eventually moved to that team and undertook qualifications in the area, meaning she was well placed to apply to join our council.

Relocating from Bristol to East Lothian has given Emma the opportunity to rediscover her Scottish roots, saying: “I lived here as a child, so it's been lovely coming back to rediscover Scotland as an adult. East Lothian is so beautiful.”

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion measures aim to create a workplace that is fair, free from discrimination and that offers equal opportunities to employees and applicants. By valuing the differences that people bring and creating an inclusive workplace that supports them, organisations meet their legal and moral responsibilities and better reflect the communities they operate within. 

Emma is passionate about the opportunities that this offers: “We're all different, and that's a wonderful thing, we can bring different skills and different strengths to the workplace, and that's what we need for a successful workforce. By getting to know individuals, their distinct characteristics and strengths we can make the workplace a place where those strengths can really flourish,” she said.

EDI is already a familiar concept to many in the organisation, as Emma explains: “We already have so much knowledge and experience in working with communities to ensure equal access for our customers. The key concepts are the same whether we’re working with service users or employees."

One of Emma’s first priorities is to meet with colleagues and managers across the organisation. “I'm keen to get out there into different departments and different settings. We want to know what people think works now and where they feel their knowledge could be increased. There will be lots of opportunities to learn and have your voice heard.

“EDI is something that is valuable to everybody because when you work in an inclusive environment, it means that whatever your life looks like, whatever your background is, that's considered for how you can best get your work done. It’s there to benefit everybody.”

For further information email Emma