Can ED&I Working Groups Drive Real Change? Lessons from Not On The High Street

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Working groups can be a powerful tool for embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) into business strategy. But how can organisations ensure that their working groups move beyond discussions and deliver real impact?

In our latest Skill Sessions webinar, we spoke with Ben Bushby and Noor A. from Not On The High Street , who shared their insights on how to create lasting change in ED&I efforts through working groups.

In this edition of our LinkedIn Newsletter, you will explore:

✨ The role of working groups in driving ED&I impact

✨ How Not On The High Street integrated ED&I into their organisation

✨ Practical strategies for creating sustainable, high-impact working groups

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Why working groups matter

As Ben and Noor emphasised during our webinar, working groups should not be isolated or seen as just an HR initiative — they should be embedded within the entire business strategy to drive lasting change. By turning working groups into an impactful tool in ED&I efforts, you can:

📣 Amplify employee voices and sustain momentum – Working groups bridge the gap between employees and leadership, ensuring real workplace experiences shape ED&I initiatives. By keeping discussions active and tracking progress, they prevent diversity efforts from losing traction.

🎯 Create accountability and action – Rather than just raising awareness, working groups translate feedback into tangible change. By setting clear objectives and fostering ownership, they embed ED&I into everyday business practices.

🙋♂️ Encourage broad participation and culture change – Open working groups help shift ED&I responsibility from a small team to the entire organisation. Employee-led efforts drive inclusivity from within, making an impact without requiring large budgets.

Diversity Working Group at Not On The High Street

At Not On The High Street , the Diversity Working Group plays a key role in embedding ED&I into the business. Noor A. , Head of Legal, has been instrumental in this effort, bringing her legal expertise and passion for diversity to the forefront. As the former Chair of the Diversity Working Group, she’s seen first hand how leadership and commitment can make ED&I a shared responsibility across the organisation.

Yet, the group’s work extends beyond discussions and policies; it ensures that ED&I efforts are actively pursued and linked to the company’s broader success. Ben Bushby , who leads the People Experience team, stresses that working groups provide a valuable opportunity for employees to have a voice and contribute to the business’s growth. Through his active role in the Diversity Working Group, Ben ensures employees feel supported, connected, and respected.

When properly structured, working groups offer employees a voice, create accountability, and ensure that ED&I is an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time project.

But how do you ensure your working groups lead to meaningful change? 💡 Here’s what we learned from our discussion with Not On The High Street .

Lesson #1: Gathering and acting on employee feedback

Ensuring employee feedback isn’t just gathered but also acted upon is a common challenge for working groups.

Ben Bushby shared that truly effective working groups actively close the feedback loop by taking action and showing that input leads to tangible change.

👇 Best practices for capturing and acting on feedback:

• Utilise anonymous surveys alongside other channels, allowing employees to provide honest feedback in a comfortable and secure way.
• Close the loop by transparently sharing key takeaways and concrete next steps with the organisation.

Lesson #2: Start early but adapt as you grow

Noor A. explained that embedding ED&I early in a company’s growth helps establish a foundation of inclusivity that can evolve naturally as the organisation expands. Starting early reduces resistance as the business scales and structures solidify.

👇 Tips for scaling ED&I working groups:

• Begin with organic, informal discussions to build momentum before transitioning to formal structures as your organisation grows.

A great example comes from another Skill Sessions speaker, Danielle Cudjoe-Michalski (ICF ACC) co-founder and co-lead of the Neurodiversity Network (NDN) at GSK . Danielle shared how NDN started with something as simple as grabbing a coffee with a coworker. “Then we realised — this is really interesting. If a small group of us are having local conversations, connecting over coffee, and sharing ideas, surely this is something bigger that we need to develop.”

• Rotate leadership roles to keep ideas fresh, preventing stagnation and ensuring diverse perspectives in decision-making.

Lesson #3: You don’t need a big budget to make an impact

One of the key insights was that impactful ED&I initiatives don’t need to come with a hefty price tag.

Ben Bushby and Noor A. shared examples of low-cost, highly effective strategies that created real change without the need for large budgets or executive buy-in.

👇 Examples of cost-effective strategies for ED&I at NOTHS:

• Bias-free hiring: Ben’s team improved their recruitment process by using gender language checkers in job ads and anonymising applications (removing identifiable information like name, age, and gender) to reduce unconscious bias. (Check out our edition where we share inclusive recruitment tips from AXA UK.)
• Cultural celebrations: Noor shared how the company marked Chinese New Year with employees sharing personal experiences, including a Chinese colleague who shared personal stories alongside a senior leader who offered insights from living in China. Other celebrations included hosting a food spread for Eid, and company-wide takeover meetings on Ramadan and Pride Month, creating a more inclusive environment.
• Highlighting diverse voices: For Black History Month, the company promoted black-owned businesses, elevating their visibility on Not On The High Street’s platforms and social media to recognise their contributions, all without needing significant budget allocations. Noor also highlighted recognition for sellers from minority backgrounds around relevant events, such as increased visibility on Not On The High Street’s social channels and complimentary platform credits.

Lesson #4: Ensuring representation and rotational leadership

Having diverse voices in leadership positions within working groups ensures the initiatives remain relevant and sustainable.

Noor highlighted the importance of rotating roles to avoid burnout and maintain energy and innovation in the group. She shared, “My biggest tip would be to keep things on rotation. Our SLT sponsor isn’t just one person; they rotate so everyone shares the responsibility to learn, share, and take on the load. The same applies to the chairs and note-takers, which brings fresh perspectives and different approaches. Most importantly, it makes it everyone’s responsibility.”

👇 How to ensure fresh perspectives and engagement:

• Encourage a mix of senior and junior employees to join the working group, bringing a broad range of insights and experiences to the table.
• Set term limits for leadership roles, rotating positions regularly to prevent fatigue and introduce new approaches to the group’s efforts.

Lesson #5: ED&I is everyone’s responsibility

A standout point from the discussion was that ED&I shouldn’t be siloed to certain groups or a minority demographic — it’s for everyone.

Ben stressed that working groups should be inclusive and encourage participation from all employees. “You don’t need to be from a minority demographic to support ED&I and make a difference,” he shared. “There’s sometimes a stigma that you need to belong to a certain group to participate, but that’s not true. My advice is — don’t let that be a blocker to getting started.”

👇 Ways to make ED&I everyone’s responsibility:

• Frame ED&I as a core business issue rather than a social or HR-only initiative, ensuring it resonates with all employees.
• Provide training and resources to help employees understand how they can contribute to a more inclusive workplace, making it clear that ED&I isn’t just for specific groups.
• Celebrate diverse perspectives, small wins and progress, reinforcing that each contribution counts and fostering a sense of collective achievement within the company.

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