This month we’re talking with Diane Rumley, Talent Development Manager at Keyton, about the organisation’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Keyton is an owner and operator of retirement villages in Australia. With 65+ villages across Australia, 15,000+ residents and 800+ staff, Keyton’s purpose is to ‘empower independent seniors to choose where and how they live – and to make those choices with confidence’. The organisation acknowledges how important respect and inclusion is when considering retirement living and embarked on their first D&I Strategy in early 2025.

We put some questions to Diane about the new strategy.

Q: You’ve recently embarked on your first Diversity and Inclusion Strategy at Keyton. Can you tell us why that was and continues to be so important? 

Diane: “As a newly formed organisation having transitioned from Lendlease, it was important for us to define who we are, what we stand for, and how we create an environment where everyone can contribute and thrive.

“Developing a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy gave us the opportunity to better understand the diversity that already exists within our workforce, identify where we can improve, and ensure our efforts are focused on the areas where they will have the greatest impact.

“We also recognised that every organisation has blind spots. Engaging an external partner provided valuable expertise, challenged our assumptions, and helped us identify opportunities and risks that we may not have seen ourselves. That external perspective has been critical in ensuring our strategy is both comprehensive and actionable.

“Most importantly, diversity and inclusion efforts are not a one-off initiative. It is an ongoing commitment to building a culture where different perspectives are valued, people feel a sense of belonging, and everyone can make their fullest contribution. This ultimately makes us a stronger organisation, better able to serve our residents, support our employees, and achieve sustainable success.”

Q: Since launching the strategy last year what have been some of your key first steps to make it real? 

Diane: “Our focus has been on building both awareness and understanding, while creating a strong foundation for meaningful action.

“One of our first initiatives was to include anonymous demographic questions in our employee survey. This provided valuable insights into the diversity that exists across our organisation and revealed that many team members were willing to anonymously disclose aspects of their identity, including disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, and cultural background.

“This was an encouraging step, but it also highlighted the work still ahead of us. Our goal is to create a culture where people not only feel comfortable disclosing these aspects of their identity anonymously, but feel genuinely safe, valued, and supported in bringing their whole selves to work.

“We also invested in developing our leaders through an Inclusive Leadership series, recognising that inclusion is experienced every day through the actions, behaviours, and decisions of our leaders.”

Q: If you were sharing your ‘top tip’ with other D&I practitioners starting out on the journey, what would that be and why? 

Diane: “My top tip would be to listen carefully to the quiet voices and pay attention to what isn’t being said.

“The loudest voices in an organisation are often the easiest to hear, but they don’t always represent everyone’s experience. Some of the most valuable insights come from people who are less likely to speak up, who may feel underrepresented, or who are uncertain whether their perspective will be welcomed.

‘The loudest voices in an organisation are often the easiest to hear, but they don’t always represent everyone’s experience.”

“Equally important is noticing the gaps: the topics that never seem to be raised, the groups that aren’t represented in conversations, and the questions that no one is asking. Often, those silences reveal more than the discussion itself.

“For diversity and inclusion practitioners, genuine progress starts with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to seek out perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked. When we create space for those voices to be heard, we often uncover the insights that lead to the most meaningful change.”