Yesterday, representatives from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, think tank Praxis, the IT and Development Centre of the Ministry of the Interior (SMIT), the Environment Investment Centre, Estravel Group, Alexela, and Rushmore Technology signed the Diversity Charter. The network of caring and conscious employers now includes nearly 230 employers across Estonia.

Katrin Merike Nyman Metcalf, Chair of the Board of the Estonian Human Rights Centre and one of the signatories, reminded everyone that diversity issues are under attack globally due to deliberate misinterpretations. In the long run, promoting diversity does not reduce productivity—on the contrary, organisations that invest in a quality work environment tend to see better results thanks to more loyal and motivated employees.

Alexela board member Karmo Piikmann, Environment Investment Centre director Andres Treier, and Praxis CEO Urmo Kübar all noted that while the importance of a people-centred work culture and valuing diverse perspectives has long been recognised in their organisations, joining the agreement is another meaningful step forward. Birgit Nurmela-Savason, HR expert at Rushmore Technology, shared that she’s a fan of diversity and inclusion—understandable in a small company where employees come from six different nationalities! Estravel’s HR manager Kairi Luur highlighted the importance of the network—it’s valuable to learn from the experience of organisations that share the same values. Kärt Kinnas, SMIT’s Deputy Director General for People and Culture, noted that institutions where people feel supported give something back to society as a whole—because that’s exactly the kind of society we want to live in. The importance of valuing diversity was summed up perfectly by Ülle Jaakma, Rector of the University of Life Sciences. Although she is a biologist by training, she said it doesn’t matter what angle we look at diversity from—it always needs to be protected, because our ability to cope with change, and ultimately to survive, depends on it.

Studies show that today’s job seekers in Estonia most value employers who follow the principles of equal treatment. We invite all organisations who want to support a modern work culture to sign the Diversity Charter and join our network! The next signing event will take place later this year.

Photos: Aron Urb