Pride in our people: We believe in the power of diversity

Imagine if you had a workplace where everyone felt included, understood, represented and given a fair chance. A workplace where people are comfortable enough to speak up in social conversations and project meetings, and can put their hand up for a promotion knowing they’ll be judged by their skills, experience, output and nothing else.


You’d have a pretty amazing workplace wouldn’t you? For a start, employees wouldn’t fear Mondays. The team would enjoy coming to work to see each other and you’d be keen to work together and kick some goals.


You may already feel this as you join your Monday morning WIP meeting, but take a minute to think about the rest of your team. Aristotle’s famous quote ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts…’ sums up teamwork well. If someone is intentionally or unintentionally made to feel excluded or of lesser importance, you’ll struggle to see success.


At Novatti we have put ourselves under the spotlight and focused on what we can do to ensure we have an authentic culture of inclusion. We’ve listened to our employees, listened to external experts and asked ourselves the hard questions.


There’s no one-size-fits-all solution and we’re not claiming to be the subject matter experts in this (like we are in FinTech😉). Our work in this space will never be complete, but so far we’re delighted to report on some wins.


It’s been a journey filled with growth, learning, and plenty of warm, fuzzy moments that have made our workplace feel more like a supportive community.

An Opportunity to Improve

At Novatti we come from a mix of cultural, gender, and age backgrounds and we wanted to ensure that we have a workplace where our teams know and feel that we have their back. And so, we want to continue to take steps to ensure we embrace everyone, no matter who they are, where they’re from or whom they love.


We weren’t the only workplace that had room to improve. Many Australian businesses still have a long way to go to make LGBTIQA+ employees feel welcome Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer/Questioning, Asexual (LGBTIQA+) people are estimated to make up 11% of the Australian population (Gippsland PHN, 2023) but, what’s really alarming is that 40% of LGBTIQA+ Australians report that they don’t feel accepted in their workplace (La Trobe University, 2020).


When LGBTIQA+ employees feel accepted and comfortable in being their true self with their entire workplace, everyone wins, yet it appears that many Australian workplaces are still missing the mark.


According to the Australian Workplace Equality Index, there’s been a concerning downward trend over the past three years in LGBTIQA+ employees openly sharing their identities at work. This reluctance can stem from a variety of fears, as employees worry that revealing these personal details might inadvertently put their career progression at risk, alter their relationships with colleagues, or leave them feeling isolated and vulnerable to both subtle and overt forms of discrimination (McFadden and Crowley-Henry 2018).

What We’ve Done

One of our proudest achievements this year has been the Queer Town Training program, where we’ve learned, laughed, and loved, thanks in part to our very own LGBTQIA+ advocate, Archie Beetle, Queer Town’s Founder and CEO.


Archie and Queer Town worked with our leaders to upskill and educate them, identify areas for improvement and then helped to create a plan to engage the rest of the business and discuss how to further embrace diversity.


A key outcome the group identified was the need to ensure all staff at every level, within each department, had both a shared language around LGBTIQA+ inclusivity, as well as a clear understanding of its importance and how best to implement it in day-to-day operations.


The PX (people experience) team broke the cohort down into smaller, location specific groups across six workshops to ensure greater depth of learning and freedom of conversation in a more intimate setting.


The outcomes from this training were truly outstanding.
96% of staff reported that the workshop was overall helpful.
92% stating they felt better equipped to create a safer environment for LGBTIQA+ peers


The program has had fantastic feedback from our team.


“Queer Town’s session really made me reflect on how I – and our organisation – could be even more inclusive. It was a great opportunity to learn more. Their training, as well as their openness and vulnerability, was fantastic….” Novatti Employee.


And even helped with supporting a transitioning team member.


“Initially, I was unsure about how Novatti would react to my personal situation, but I was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming reassurance and support I received from management and the People Experience team. Novatti’s commitment to creating a safe, respectful, and accepting work environment is evident in the support that they, and the entire business, has shown me.


The positive impact of Novatti’s efforts on my work life has been profound. I feel comfortable and valued at work, which has significantly improved my overall work experience….”


These achievements have also been acknowledged by leaders in Australian FinTech, who awarded us the 2024 Finnies Best Workplace Diversity Award.


“It’s an incredible recognition of our commitment to embracing everyone, no matter who they are, where they’re from or whom they love. Our diversity of people has been essential in our ability to innovate and find solutions to our customers’ complex payment problems….” Mark Healy CEO of Novatti Group.

Other Strategies for Developing Diverse Workplaces

Novatti has also launched other initiatives aimed at fostering inclusion and building diversity: