International business partner, Райффайзен Банк
«We have been cooperating with Ksenia since 2021. The topic of DEI was new to the bank at the time. It was necessary to develop a holistic approach to embed diversity issues into everyday practice. Ksenia offered a comprehensive solution that allowed us to focus on the most pressing challenges and, as a result, get the best results.
We started our work by creating a DEI committee, describing the vision and strategy. We then conducted a staff survey, based on which we developed an action plan. The survey showed that the topic of diversity is often associated by staff with issues of discrimination against particular groups. The stereotypical view is "DEI is not about me, it doesn't concern me".
To raise staff awareness of DEI, we included in the plan the publication of scientific articles and personal stories of employees, online discussions on hot topics and meetings with external guests: experts on specific DEI issues and representatives of different social groups.
This made it possible to start a dialog with employees, to arouse interest in the topic. Articles published on the intranet often provoked polar opinions and heated discussions. Meetings with guests telling personal stories and alternative viewpoints did not leave anyone indifferent.
This made it possible to start a dialog with employees, to arouse interest in the topic. Articles published on the intranet often provoked polar opinions and sparked heated discussions. Meetings with guests telling personal stories and alternative viewpoints did not leave anyone indifferent.
All of this helped to stimulate interest in the topic and to highlight that it is normal to have different points of view. To create a healthy discussion, we held trainings on non-violent communication, which fit perfectly into our strategy of creating a comfortable environment for better business results.
In addition to helping with outreach, Ksenia conducted over a dozen sessions for bank leaders. The main purpose of these programs was to introduce the topic of DEI, to learn the basic concepts, to become aware of their own stereotypes and how to work with them.
During the project (more than 3 years) Ksenia also moderated the work of the DEI-committee, helping us at all stages of the project. I heartily recommend Ksenia as an excellent DEI specialist, a competent project manager and a reliable partner in achieving goals»
Ex-Diversity and Inclusion Leader at Disney
«In January 2022, the Babat Consulting team held a session for employees of the Russian office, where they spoke about the latest trends in the field of diversity and inclusion development. The event was held as part of the week of information about programs and approaches of organizations to use the potential of employees from different groups: women, people with disabilities, employees belonging to different generations.
Ksenia and her staff showed a high level of professionalism at all stages of preparing and conducting the event. In particular, all the wishes and recommendations of the company's management regarding the content of the session were taken into account. Communication was prompt and in a clear and understandable language throughout our work together. According to the results of the survey, which we conducted at the end of the session, Disney employees highly appreciated the quality of the event and the invited experts»
«I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ksenia Babat for conducting a series of impactful workshops for Finom last year. These sessions were dedicated to Pride month, but Ksenia expertly expanded the theme into broader topics of diversity, acceptance, and interaction with individuals different from ourselves.
Our series of workshops, delivered in two languages, were incredibly engaging and relevant. Ksenia's approach was interactive and dynamic, incorporating a blend of theory and practice. The theoretical content was anything but dull; it was tailored to our specific context at Finom. Ksenia took the time to understand our background, and how our organization is structured, and made the theory directly applicable to our everyday situations. This personalization ensured that everyone could see themselves and their experiences reflected in the material, making it highly relatable and practical.
The workshops included interactive elements such as polls, examples, storytelling, and exercises, all presented in a lively format that made the 90 minutes fly by. The impact was immediate and profound. Following the workshops, our employees couldn't stop discussing the content, applying the learnings to real-life situations during.
Many employees approached us afterward, eager to continue the conversation and delve deeper into these topics.
Ksenia's professional expertise and exceptional preparation significantly contributed to the positive transformation of our corporate culture. Her work has brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds, promoting understanding and cooperation. We are deeply grateful to Ksenia for her invaluable contribution to Finom and for helping to bridge gaps between different social and cultural groups within our company.
Thank you, Ksenia, for your outstanding work and dedication to fostering a more inclusive and cohesive work environment at Finom!»
«We had a task to familiarize the HR department and managers with the topic of diversity and inclusion, to highlight the key, problematic and complex issues of acceptance and representation of different groups of employees, to explain the importance of DEI for the company and its future development. For expertise and methodology, we turned to the Babat Consulting team. And it was that very match!
We received a deep and individual approach, at each stage of which we felt maximum involvement in our tasks for the best implementation of the project. Ksenia and her team of methodologists created for us DEI training materials for internal recruiters and onboarding team, helped to develop an online DEI course for line managers from scratch. As a result, we received excellent products that not only contain important meanings for us, but without which we can't imagine our work anymore»
«Ksenia and her team show high professionalism and a responsible attitude at all stages of our joint projects. We would like to make a special mention of the speaker selection process. Ksenia attracts highly qualified and charismatic speakers who fully meet our needs and the theme of the events. All speakers demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic and can effectively convey information to the audience.
Ksenia is supportive throughout the project, helping us to feel confident and relaxed about the outcome. Thank you for your attention to detail and consideration of all wishes during the launches!»
«The DEI culture at Takeda is one of the most important components of the corporate culture. It reflects the values of the company, especially in the context of globalization and diversity of presence in many countries around the world.
After talking to Ksenia and getting to know the team, there was no doubt about further cooperation. Together we developed a program adapted to our realities and needs.
Speaking to "factory" people in the same language, engaging and emphasizing the importance of the topic, bringing DEI-culture to a new level - this is professionalism to the highest degree! And the employee surveys that showed their high awareness of DEI are proof of that.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the whole team and Ksenia separately!»
«I would like to sincerely thank the Babat Consulting team and Ksenia personally for their help in organizing our Inclusive Culture Week. Our colleagues selected interesting speakers for us and helped with the program of the whole event. More than 1200 employees were able to touch very important and necessary topics of working with stereotypes through mindfulness techniques and building effective cross-cultural communication through empathy. I hope we will continue our fruitful cooperation in the future!»
«In 2021, at Essity Russia, we started working on creating a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. We engaged Ksenia Babat and her team to develop a DEI strategy and implementation plan.
Ksenia helped us conduct an in-depth HR process analytics and internal survey. We would like to emphasize the thorough approach to the processes. As a result of the first analytical stage, we got a clear understanding of specific areas for improvement and development.
Together with Ksenia, we also held workshops for the management team, during which the leaders of Essity's Russian division immersed themselves in the culture of psychological safety, diversity and inclusion. And generated ideas for further action.
The result of our work together was a plan to implement a culture of diversity, inclusion and equality in Essity Russia. Big thanks to Ksenia and her team for their support, flexibility and openness»
Culture and Engagement manager
HR Manager Global Brand Innovation and Sustainability, Essity