Jak Matthews

I am a dedicated and enthusiastic diversity, equity, and inclusion professional with extensive experience in creating inclusive environments and fostering diversity within organisations, with a deep SME focus on LGBTQIA+ communities. I bring 8 years of HR experience in large, complex, regulated, and multinational portfolio businesses with rapidly changing environments, across a broad range of projects and programmes. Currently engaged in managing stakeholders, community advocacy, and training facilitation.

I am skilled in driving organisational change through benchmarking, policy development, and guidance. Seeking to leverage my expertise in a role dedicated to improving inclusion and belonging to support the diversity agenda. I have excellent people skills, adept at building relationships and influencing at all levels.

I am commercially focused, skilled at coaching and delivering high colleague satisfaction while promoting operational efficiency.

BT | April 2021 – Present 

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Specialist

• Owned DEI data reporting and analysis across three divisions (CFU’s), using data from multiple internal data sources, alongside external benchmarks to produce the narrative to support business cases, and inform creation of project streams.

  Providing

  Lunch and learn sessions with HRBP’s to upskill them on understanding our diversity data.

• Performed assessments to identify inclusion gaps, and devised interventions for addressing inequity holistically that spanned across CFU’s.
• Made project proposals based on researching external best practice and defined key input and output metrics to track impact and value.
• Led on managing the communication and engagement plan for the DEI team and ensured we highlighted to work of our people networks and supported their comms needs.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to embed inclusive practices into recruitment, and introduced at point of need training to help de-bias decision making for recruiters and hiring managers.
• Programme managed local Ethnicity and Disability rapid action plans, alongside other DEI activities.
• Conducted extensive review of Transition Plan documentation and development of refreshed guidance documentation for Individuals, Managers and Colleagues. Through consulting with a mix of field based, office based and front-line employees from across the business.
• Developed a self-service DEI data dashboard available to all colleagues to create a step change in relation to data transparency and empower the organisation to drive change by improving visibility and equitable access to data.
• Led design and implementation of new recruitment and onboarding functionality of largest UK implementation of SAP SuccessFactors (I Connect Project).
• Managed delivery of internal/external integrations design, testing and troubleshooting. Ran unit testing and user acceptance testing.
• Project managed subject matter experts and consultants to ensure accurate agile stories captured per stakeholder requirements.
• Maintained production and development environments for global HR applications and reporting tools, and performed technical review of process documentation for end users. 

Wilmington PLC | October 2019 – April 2021

HR Assistant

• Led on qualitative analysis and conducting listening session across the employee lifecycle.
• Coached and supported managers in conducting Grievance Investigations, Redundancy and ER Consultations.
• Produced guidance on allyship and inclusion for trans and non-binary employees.
• Reporting on trend analysis to HR Business Partners and other key stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
• Supported key cyclical activities such as annual appraisals and salary review processes.

  Led on people and culture initiatives and projects.

Royal London | January 2015 – September 2019 

HR Coordinator

• Managed the regulatory background check process and end to end onboarding process, providing first line HR support to line managers across all levels of the group.
• Owned the relationship between recruiting team and central HR Services.
• Developed and re-wrote guidance and policy documentation, and performed gender neutral language review to remove bias and increase inclusivity.
• Managed data security and reporting for sensitive personal data.
• Strong people skills and corporate citizenship developed through working as an Employee Rep.

Education & Professional Qualifications

Peakon Certified HR Professional – August 2020

Peakon Certified Administrator – July 2020

Bangor University – 2:2 Media Studies BA. Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Practice. 2008 – 2012