Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Intern (12.5 Month Placement) Review

My overall role related to helping other platforms within the business enable diversity, equity and inclusion related activities. However, broken down into day-to-day tasks as an intern, it included having meetings to coordinate employee resource group's activities, updating files/spreadsheets, sorting out event logistics, signing people up for training, creating posters, answering emails and shadowing meetings. I also attended events related to inclusion, internally and externally.

At times I was given high levels of responsibility, however, at times I was not given much responsibility at all. Due to the 'enabling' nature of the role, often the actual responsibility of delivering actions which directly impacted our company's diversity/inclusion would be delegated to the employment marketing team/intern, the recruitment team/intern or members of employee resource groups. Often my role included supporting with that delivery where needed, and making note of the outcome. As a global company, the UK team was part of a wider global team who were in charge of the delivery of key cross-country events. I would describe this role as quite reactive, meaning that a lot of the responsibility I was given was unplanned. When the opportunity came up, these responsibilities were often very meaningful. Because I had entered the role at a time when the scope was still being fleshed out and undergoing some changes, some of the planned goals I was given in the beginning had to be reassessed or stopped. Hence, I had to be flexible with the responsibilities within this role.

I had learned new skills of stakeholder management & visibility, task prioritisation, team brand management. I was able to practice juggling multiple projects simultaneously. Existing skills I had developed were use of spreadsheets, team work, communication and self-reflection.

I received great pastoral support from my manager and wider team. They were extremely supportive in my growth as an individual and invested in my well-being. My line manager was always ready to provide feedback and placed great importance in our check-ins. Due to the global nature of the team, I had less direct contact with team members in other countries, but I was able to reach out to them when I needed. Support for projects and tasks themselves were below average. Often times I was the first person in the team to use a certain tool or engage with a certain project. Hence, I had to navigate how to do these, and capture the lessons learned from them. Additionally, I had experienced an occasional lack of support when my line manager had unprecedented leaves. Following that, I was assigned a proximity manager, however the proximity manager was not from my direct department, and so lacked context for my projects.

The company culture in Filton for office-based roles is flexible and places great importance on employee-wellbeing. However, at times this can be confusing and create double standards, such as when it comes to issues like hot-desking, working from home and dress-codes. The staff (both contractors and fixed) are friendly and open. It is often a sociable environment. There is a large early careers cohort. There are many active employee resource groups. There are also good benefits in terms of occupational health and facilities. There are many ways to volunteer as part of Airbus, however, you will have to be mindful of the internal systems and processes. There is also a lot of training available on sustainability and diversity which you can undertake.

I liked the schedule and routine. I also appreciated the ability to make my working hours flexible which complimented that. I felt supported in my well-being by my line manager and colleagues. I liked the built environment of the facilities which included collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, lockers, kitchenettes, quiet rooms. I found the scope of my role itself difficult to understand and navigate. The workload of the role could have been better paced, and tools used could have been more intuitive. Additionally, I felt there could have been overall clearer communication between teams, which would have made my role easier. Overall, I would say I am grateful for this internship, and greatly enjoyed what Airbus had to offer, however, in the future, I would apply for a different role.

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