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Tinu

As a senior human resources manager with the council’s Children, Schools & Families Service, Tinu Olowe believes that diversity – understanding and celebrating people’s differences – is the only way to go.

She believes that organisations who have diversity on their agendas are employers of choice because people feel comfortable working for them. They know they will not be treated less favourably or more favourably than other employees.

Tinu, who worked in the private sector before taking on her present job in August 2003, feels that employers who don’t recognise the need for a diverse workforce and fail to acknowledge the needs of people with differing backgrounds and cultures are likely to be left behind.

As a young black woman, what she likes about working for the county council is being valued as herself and for what she contributes. “I felt welcomed from day one and didn’t take long to settle.”

Another plus is the availability of learning and development opportunities enabling staff to develop their careers. “Children, Schools & Families is a very big department and I’m still getting to know and understand the complexity of the work but I know that, when the time comes, there will be chances for me to broaden my experience in termws of progressing my career.”

What also counts for Tinu is that people’s personal contributions and ideas matter. “There is a culture of listening and taking on suggestions that improve service delivery, and opportunities to talk to colleagues outside your department. I feel that if a member of staff raises an issue, it will be listened to.”

As a human resources manager, she knows that flexible working policies make it easier for organisations to retain their staff. “Being able to offer people opportunities to work flexibly when they need to is an advantage - provided it can be balanced fairly against the needs of the organisation. It can’t be a one-way street and there does have to be give and take.”

As the mother of five-year-old twins, Tinu has personal experience of the difficulties of juggling work with family responsibilities. “That’s when it helps to have a supportive manager and colleagues. They understand the commitments I have and the need for flexibility whenever need be. Without that flexibility, I wouldn’t be able to do the job I’m doing now.”