Messages from our staff

Annette Hutchinson, Head of HR for the ATT and CIOT, shares the views of our employees on how important diversity is within our organisations

The ATT and CIOT actively support diversity and inclusion, both in the workplace and in recruitment. 

It is important because about 65% of our staff, who are largely jointly employed, are female. Slightly more than two thirds of CIOT staff are white UK nationals with the rest from diverse backgrounds.

We recognise that being able to draw on a rich and diverse range of experiences and perspectives benefits us. This includes valuing work-life balance and wellbeing. After all, nearly a third of CIOT staff work part time and 65% work remotely all or some of the time.
What I love about this organisation is the people who work here. Diversity, equality and inclusion means everyone is welcome and welcomed. We share our cuisines, viewpoints, interests, hobbies and differences with mutual respect. We work well together because we accept each other and listen. There’s always more that we can do, but I'm confident we will be able to do it together.

Here are some further comments on diversity from other members of staff:

I think we are very good at having a diverse workforce and being inclusive. However, that is no reason to rest on our laurels as unconscious bias can easily creep into our working lives.

When I joined the CIOT/ATT, I immediately noticed the richness of diversity and this showed that I was in a place that gives everyone a chance. Over the years, I have experienced a workplace that is safe and welcoming to all kinds of people. I have been given the opportunity to grow professionally.

Working at ATT and CIOT has been one of the only places where I have felt comfortable about referring to going to church and being a Christian. A factor in this is probably that workplaces based in London are generally more accepting of cultural and religious diversity than those where I have previously been based.

My experiences with my daughter’s disability connect me to staff and volunteers through shared understanding, experiences or helping each other with tips, links to resources or just being a sounding board because ‘we get it’. The CIOT supported me by allowing a flexible start time and flexibility in how I worked.

My impression is that the ATT and CIOT are committed to continuous improvement and that includes having a more diverse workforce. It will hold us in good stead if we remember continuously that diversity gives us access to a greater range of talent and can make us more effective and, hopefully, even more successful in our important work.

We are growing a global tax community of members, students, volunteers, employees and others – and expanding an extraordinary group of charities and valuing employees opinions.

The CIOT is the most diverse place I have ever worked – every culture is represented, and there is good BAME representation, which is unusual compared to most offices I have been in. I have only ever seen everyone get on as individuals, without any thought to what they look like. I hope that people treat everyone respectfully regardless of their background – that is what I do.