Here at Strawberry, we understand that for our employees to feel seen and heard, we actually need to listen to what they have to say. For that very reason, we set up an internal Diversity Advisory Board in 2023 to set the ball rolling for strategic decision-making at Strawberry and provide ongoing feedback on how we can make our organisation even better, both for our guests and employees!
The board includes a diverse bunch of people with different nationalities, ages, genders, backgrounds and disabilities. This will help us with our plan to continue to be at the forefront of progress when it comes to inclusion, equality and diversity. But also to support in creating inclusive workplaces that truly reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate.
Jostein Rajala, Niken Theilmann and Mousom Uddin have spent many years in the hospitality industry and at Strawberry. For the past year or so, they have also been members of the Diversity Advisory Board.
Inclusion, equality and diversity are matters close to Jostein’s heart. Having grown up as gay in a Christian community during the 1990s, he quickly learned what it feels like not being accepted for who you are and being excluded. He believes it is our responsibility that we treat our fellow citizens with the respect and dignity that everyone deserves.
“Human beings, especially those in positions of leadership, need to maintain the best possible working conditions for all their employees – regardless of their culture, gender, sexual orientation, skin colour or nationality. ”
Jostein believes that an understanding of what diversity really means in practice is what has fuelled his successes:
“I have opened two hotels in Stockholm and won numerous awards at our annual Winter conference, which I think is very much down to the fact that my team have always focused on diversity and inclusion. Our diverse teams within the company bring different ideas, solutions and perspectives to the table that improve operations, and ultimately also have a positive impact on financial results.
Those of us working at Strawberry understand that the road to progress is not always linear. It is essential to value individual efforts and give people a step up to help them pursue their dreams!
Mousom (above to the right) started out in various housekeeping roles via an agency, before getting employed directly by Strawberry.
”When I first moved to Sweden about eleven years ago when I was 25, I got a job washing dishes at a Quality Hotel. I then worked within housekeeping for a few months, before being transferred to another Quality Hotel as site manager. I did my absolute best to deliver and I loved every minute of it! I had got these jobs via an agency and really wanted to be directly employed by Strawberry – and that dream came true!”
Mousom’s story shows that it pays to be bold and work step-by-step to achieve your goals! This is an organisation of opportunity and managers will certainly reward people for their efforts.
”When I spotted an ad for a new hotel opening in the city, I was told all the positions were filled, even before the hotel had opened. So, I sent an email to the General Manager, Jostein Rajala, and I ended up as Housekeeping Supervisor, as well as a couple of days a week working at breakfast and in the Barception. Just three weeks after we opened, I was made Breakfast Manager. When Jostein moved on to open another hotel, I became Housekeeping Manager there before taking on a new challenge as Barception Manager a couple of years later. Just a few months into the job, I am incredibly proud to say that I was promoted to Operations Manager!”
Originally from Indonesia, Niken spent 12 years living in Germany before moving to Norway almost twenty years ago. Having held numerous positions within the hospitality industry in both Indonesia and Germany, she eventually became Housekeeping Manager at Comfort Hotel Porsgrunn.
“I joined the Diversity Advisory Board, as I feel I have a lot of practical experience to share, having been an immigrant twice in my life. Now that people are travelling and moving for work more than ever before, diversity and inclusion become even more important. We need to adapt and adjust to this new dynamic – and that begins with helping and respecting people.”
Strawberry’s has set a goal to recruit 70,000 new employees by 2030. The Diversity Advisory Board will contribute to this future challenge by advising the top management on diversity and inclusion.
“The main challenge that Strawberry faces, in my opinion, is a lack of diversity at the top, while the employees represent all kinds of different nationalities and cultures. For Strawberry to keep growing and delivering positive financial results, it is essential to attract employees that can provide different perspectives, solutions and ideas. It is also crucial that leaders are as diverse as the talent we are trying to attract.”
Mousom says that the Diversity Advisory Board shows that the top management really cares about the employees and making a difference: “We have been talking about diversity at a management level and how to include more people from a non-Nordic background in the top management.”
Niken agrees that despite the progress already made, there is still room for improvement.
“Strawberry has a long history of recruiting employees with different nationalities, backgrounds and genders, and is very engaged in the Pride movement. I’m certain that we will continue to lead the way when it comes to diversity. The next challenge is to improve diversity on a management level. We need to start right at the top with the decision-makers.”
Rather than just ticking a box, Jostein hopes that the advice will result in real actions and tangible results. Mousom is embracing the opportunity of discussing these key issues with such a talented group of people, and is ready to put their words into action!
We know that working with people from different cultures and backgrounds makes us smarter, more effective and more creative – better in other words. And that’s why we aim to be the industry leader in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion. Yet these are complex topics, and no one person has all the answers. So, we created the Diversity Advisory Board, which enables us to listen, learn and make informed decisions to better take advantage of the full range of potential to be found in our company and society at large,” says Anna Mårder, VP People & Culture.
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