Introducing Becki Britton-Griffiths, Database Project Manager and Chair of the Workman LGBTQ+ Employee Network, who first joined Workman in 2011 as a temp and became a full time member of the team in 2016.
What three words describe Workman?
Challenging, autonomous, inclusive.
What has been your standout moment at Workman so far?
The absolute brilliance of our IT team at the start of the pandemic enabling the firm to continue working and personally being able to get all my billing done in time, given that it was a quarter month and year end.
How have you put your skills to their best use on a Workman project?
My background is in the Arts; as a stage manager for festivals and lecturing Musical Theatre students so the ability to be in front of senior stakeholders and deliver ideas that I believe in is something I have to employ most days.
Tell us about your role as Chair of the LGBTQ+ Employee Network, and why you feel this is important to the firm?
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion is something that I am very passionate about. So when the opportunity to get involved with how Workman is developing in this area, I jumped at it. I feel very privileged to have been nominated as Chair for the LGBTQ+ Network; I have a particular focus on looking at our policies and procedures. I believe there can be a lot of cross-pollination between the different Employee Networks at Workman, where the use of language is key in ensuring we as an employer stay as inclusive as possible.
And what difference do you believe the work of the LGBTQ+ Employee Network, and others like it, can make to the industry as a whole?
The more diverse a group of people are, the more opportunities we have for different perspectives, learning and growth. Individually, as a firm and as an industry. That can only be a good thing, right?
What more could the industry be doing to make change and inclusivity happen for LGBTQ+ employees?
Not to sound like a broken record, but it’s all about our policies. When the language in policies is exclusive and not inclusive then how can we achieve equity? Benefits that are offered to husbands or wives but not people in enduring relationships, for example.
What change would you make to the wider property sector? And why?
Normalise the checking of our privileges and unconscious bias, so that we can start to attract a more diverse workforce on all fronts: not just LGBTQ+, but ethnic minorities, disabled, and neuro-diverse people too.
What are your spare time pursuits and how do they feed into your role at Workman?
Well, I am a new Mum to Madeline, so most of my spare time is spent with my daughter and wife. When I get a chance though, I’m normally in my shed making anything I can out of wood. Most of my carpentry projects involve some form of problem-solving so I’m always bringing my lateral thinking into work too. Next on the list is to make is a mud kitchen out of pallets for Madeline.
What first led you into the property industry?
Honestly, I never thought I would end up here. But here I am over seven years later (11 if you count my temporary contracts) and enjoying the various challenges that come my way.
What is your favourite building worldwide and why?
There are so many, but I’d have to say that the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur are simply magnificent. I was lucky enough to visit in 2016, where I enjoyed Mozart’s Requiem in the concert hall on ground floor after having stood on the skybridge that connects the two towers, made famous in the 90s film classic, Entrapment. Elland Road Stadium is a close second!
What three dinner party guests would you choose and why?
Three of the strongest women I can think of!
Freda Kahlo – My absolute favourite artist.
Marsha P. Johnson – A key figure in the Stonewall uprising of 28.06.69 that sparked the revolution and the first Pride protest.
Marion Griffiths – My Grandma. I came out to her shortly before she passed away. I would give anything to introduce her to my wife and daughter.