Bentley wants to show everyone that it embraces diversity and launches one very special Flying Spur model, dedicated to people supporting all ethnic and sexual genders. Bentley aims to become the most diverse luxury car manufacturer. To this end, it has set a target of increasing diversity in management to 30 per cent by 2025.
To mark the launch of the strategy, a challenge was set for the Bentley Design team to create an automotive artwork that celebrates diversity in all its forms. Designer Rich Morris, who paints and sculpts in his spare time, rose to the challenge by creating a piece of four-wheeled art using the nine colours of the Progress flag. His design joins the words “Love is Love” through a single, unbroken line that traces faces, dancing figures and shapes – representing the unifying power of humanity, regardless of race, creed or sexuality. The Unifying Spur will be revealed to colleagues at Bentley’s Crewe factory before embarking upon a programme of external activities in the coming months.
Bentley’s five step strategy focuses on outreach, recruitment, succession planning, culture and development. Early career talent acquisition will be over-indexed towards organisations with diverse intakes, while the recruitment of established hires will explore new talent pools. To ensure that all talent within the business is supported, succession planning will be reviewed to ensure early identification of diverse talent within the business.
Development programmes will ensure that colleagues from all walks of life are able to grow and achieve their full potential. This will be underpinned by measurable KPIs and targets, and Board-led engagement to drive a positive culture and remove unconscious bias. The recently-launched colleague network groups will also help drive engagement within the business through a series of strategic events and activities.
