On March 8th, people worldwide will come together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), with this year’s theme focusing on the power of ‘Inspiring Inclusion’.
Encouraging others to embrace and value inclusivity not only creates a better world but also fosters a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment for women. These core principles are deeply embedded in K2’s culture, enriching our family values year-round. We are truly grateful to be surrounded by a community of inspiring individuals, regardless of gender, within the K2 family.
The goal of the IWD 2024 #InspireInclusion campaign is to unite in creating a more inclusive world for women. By challenging stereotypes, standing against discrimination, highlighting biases, and actively pursuing inclusivity, we can drive real change. Whether through grassroots efforts or widespread movements, we all have the power to #InspireInclusion. Gender equality isn’t just a battle for women; allies play a crucial role in the social, economic, cultural, and political progress of women.
We are committed to maintaining and enhancing our inclusive and supportive workplace environment by guaranteeing equal access to opportunities and resources for all, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation, while safeguarding all protected characteristics.
To ensure that inclusion remains at the core of our mission, we have implemented various initiatives:
Pronouns: In 2022, we integrated pronouns into all our internal online platforms and email signatures to affirm gender identities and create safe spaces by referring to people in the way that feels most accurate to them.
Gender Statements: We are currently in the process of removing gender statements from all of our policies in line with our True Q values.
Q and the Q Awards: The introduction of the ‘Q’ Awards in 2022, which were developed by an all-female Executive Leadership Team and which celebrate and advance a positive work environment. But what exactly is Q? To put it simply, Q is K2’s soul. It is the way in which we invest in our people through training programmes and reward and recognition schemes. It is the emphasis that we place on protecting and enriching our culture through astute hiring and employee events. And it is the effort that we make to maintain and increase connectivity between our twelve offices through collaborative work and the use of our intranet, MILO. Q makes us both a family and a Great Place To Work®; without it, we wouldn’t be able to deliver on our ethos of ‘because it’s personal’.
We celebrate Q through a quarterly reward and recognition programme. Each quarter, employees are encouraged to nominate colleagues for a Q Award, which recognises the contribution that they have made or are making to K2’s culture. Once the nomination window has closed, the Executive Leadership Team select one global winner and nine regional winners from across K2’s twelve offices. Each winner receives a monetary prize to expense on an activity of their choosing.
True Q: During Q4 of 2022, we evolved our DE&I programme, which was officially launched as True Q in 2023. Built around Q, the collection of qualities which make K2’s employees a family as opposed to a workforce, the True Q programme ensures that DE&I informs all aspects of company life, spanning ethos, culture and service delivery.
Via our annual DE&I Survey, active feedback channels and public reporting (e.g through our annual Sustainability Report), we are able to accurately monitor the impact of True Q and evolve it in response to our people’s feedback. Our feedback mechanisms give our people a voice: knowing that they can be heard fosters a sense of belonging, helping to make K2 a Great Place To Work® for all. Just like our company ethos, ‘because it’s personal’, True Q is people-driven: by leveraging our people’s knowledge and experience, we have created a DE&I programme which is truly aligned with the values of the individuals that it supports.
X Annos: We are thrilled to announce that in 2024, three more remarkable women joined X Annos, bringing the total number of women to 16! At K2, we place huge value on long tenure as it keeps talent within the business and increases employees’ understanding of the unique way in which K2 operates. We recognise long tenure through the X Annos programme, which sees employees who have been with K2 for ten years or more becoming members of the X Annos Family. Being a member of this family brings with it various benefits, for example the X Annos Sabbatical: upon reaching their Ten-Year Anniversary, employees may take three months of paid leave to learn, travel or take up a new pursuit.
Look out for our new interview series titled Women of X Annos – Leading with Experience, which we will be launching shortly.
Our purpose is to continue fostering a truly inclusive environment that promotes a deep sense of belonging, similar to that of a close and supportive family. Within that truly inclusive environment, the true essence of Q is able to shine through each and every one of us.
We #InspireInclusion to forge harmony and unity, and to help drive success for all. Collectively, let’s #InspireInclusion for women and girls everywhere.
