In conversation with Amandeep Gill

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

Meet Amandeep Gill, Founder of a new Public Affairs and Strategic Communications recruitment company, Melbury Wood.

As one of a handful of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) recruitment consultants in the Public Affairs and Strategic Communications industry, BAME in Property was keen to discover how diversity guided (or did not in some instances) the recruitment process for built environment communications.

“BAME is a complex issue in the built environment space and beyond. There isn’t a quick fix, as it has a lot to do with economic status and social mobility too. Often low socio-economic and BAME backgrounds come hand-in-hand,”

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) latest census (2016) of the industry showed that just 9 per cent of practitioners classified as BAME. This is despite 58 per cent of Public Relations businesses being based in London, where nearly 45 per cent of Londoners classifies as BAME.

On the other end of the spectrum was the solution of positive discrimination in a bid to improve diversity in the industry.

“Some clients may actually ask for women or BAME candidates on shortlists. However, I am not an advocate of positive discrimination, as we want to encourage candidates being judged on their skills and merit alone for the job and not their background. Therefore I’m not sure that positive discrimination is a solution to the diversity problem. I’m in favour of ‘positive action’ to help remove those barriers instead.” said Amandeep.

Within the Public Affairs and Communications sector, although progress has been made we can see it doesn’t appear to necessarily reflect diversity in wider society. Companies may have an unconscious bias around candidate’s hobbies, interests and educational background. “Employers have occasionally hinted an ‘Oxbridge’ graduate/profile and often, such individuals may be drawn from a narrow demographic in society,” said Amandeep.

Born and bred in Southall, Ealing in West London, Amandeep is no stranger to diversity. Southall is home to one of the largest South Asian communities in the UK, the majority of whom are Sikh.

The entrepreneurial spirit and having one’s own business has always been there since day one. Like many children of immigrant families, Amandeep was brought up with an extremely hardworking ethic, instilled from a young age.

"My parents were fairly typical for a first generation Asian family in London and ran a newsagent for a while… [In addition,] dad was a cab driver, while mum worked at Heathrow airport. My parents worked hard and ensured that I did too. They struggled and felt they didn’t have many prospects, so naturally they wanted to ensure I had the best platform to succeed."

“From the age of 7 - 11, I went to a private school in Ealing. My parents weren’t educated to a high level, so sending me to private school in their eyes was one way of ensuring I had the best prospects I could," he added.

Amandeep was encouraged to opt for a more ‘traditional’ subject at university rather than business. He enjoyed the social sciences and decided Law would provide him with a good foundation for whatever he decided to pursue afterwards.

He studied Law at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). In his third year, he won a scholarship to study at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, set up by the Drapers Fund.

With such successes in law, I was keen to discover how Amandeep ended up in Recruitment.

“I worked in law for a couple of years after graduating. It was a high street law firm and I enjoyed applying my legal knowledge to real life client problems, I thought I was good at it,” said Amandeep.

No doubt his aspirations went beyond working as a paralegal. “I tried to secure pupillage for two years, but needed to have a steady income and career path to follow and it was an incredibly competitive and oversubscribed profession,” he added.

At the age of 26, although the option was available, Amandeep decided that he did not want to become a trainee solicitor. This was when his transition into the world of Recruitment began.

He began his recruitment career at a global recruitment firm. Law had “[taught me] many soft skills, such as advocacy, communications and writing… all very transferable skills,” explained Amandeep. Although law was interesting, “I preferred policy and public affairs recruitment, as I could relate to it more,” he added.

Amandeep is involved in Ealing politics, hence his interest in the more policy side of recruitment. He was able to relate with his colleagues due to having the knowledge of the industry, coupled with his legal background.

Keen to revive that entrepreneurial streak in him, after nearly seven years of working for recruitment consultancies, Amandeep took the decision to set up his own recruitment company, Melbury Wood in May 2019.

“I’ve worked hard to get to this stage, where I am comfortable with my own skills and network to take on that challenge,” said Amandeep.

Though of course, no entrepreneur is free of support and guidance.

"I wouldn’t have got to where I am without training, support and investment from my former colleagues, clients and candidates. They chose to work with me."

Melbury Wood is a values-based company, conducting its business with four core principles running through it: knowledge, integrity, meritocracy and responsibility.

“I am always looking for something different, what do clients want and can I do that, if I can, how to monetise it in a commercial model,” said Amandeep.

Not short of ambitions, instilled in him all those years ago, Amandeep is serious about growth and expansion.

“I want to built my own little empire. I have ambitions having come from humble backgrounds… I think anyone can do it,” said Amandeep.

“In time, I would like to bring other people into my business, Partners and junior employees. I am keen to embark on training and development, much like what I had received myself early in my career,” he added.

Melbury Wood is not just about making money. Amandeep is passionate about corporate social responsibility and giving back to community projects, which share the same values as the company.

With some big clients under his belt already, there’s clearly an exciting journey ahead for Amandeep and Melbury Wood.

"My potential is only limited by my own vision."

I couldn’t agree more and wish all the best to Amandeep. If you would like to learn more about Melbury Wood, please visit: https://melburywood.com/

Priya Shah, Founder of BAME in Property

Meet The Woman Who Used A Racist Remark As A Spur To Create Her Own Property Network

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

Get to know BAME in Property's Founder, Priya Shah in this Bisnow interview by Mike Philips. Learn more about how and why she set up the group and what she's learnt about the industry on ethnic diversity.

Priya Shah was in a meeting with a client of the built environment communications agency she worked for, making small talk, chatting about holiday plans. She mentioned she planned to go backpacking around South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“But you’re a bit of an Indian princess,” the client replied with surprise.

The comment took her aback, and made her feel undermined and typecast. It raised eyebrows in the room, but no one said anything.

“Because it was a client, I found it difficult to say anything, and didn’t want to be seen as creating a problem,” she said.

In 2017, after the incident, she set up BAME in Property, a networking organisation for BAME real estate professionals. It has grown to 400 people in the network, and 14 partner organisations, including the London Property Alliance and the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Shah’s personal and professional experience gives her an insight into how the real estate industry can turn the current talk about diversity into real action. She said it will involve a real understanding of some of the economic and cultural factors holding ethnic diversity back, within BAME communities who don’t see property as a legitimate profession, as well as within the property industry itself.

Read the full interview here.

Racism, Bias And Self-Doubt: Being BAME In Real Estate In 2019

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

In April 2019, Mike Phillips, UK Editor of Bisnow and BAME in Property asked our 400 members to take part in a survey to find out what it's really like to be a BAME professional in property in 2019.

The results are out and Mike has put together many of the responses in this fascinating piece.

We found that racism and discrimination were commonplace, and about 70% of those who responded said they had experienced racism or discrimination of some kind — sometimes subtle and insidious, sometimes open and vile. There is still very much a sense that the avenues to the top of the profession are closed off, something that even a cursory glance at UK property boardrooms would confirm.

Reasons to be positive? UK property is changing. The conversations about diversity being held within companies and lobbying organisations and in the media are at least highlighting that a problem exists. And those who responded had some concrete ideas about how the industry can turn this talk into tangible change, change that for BAME professionals in property cannot come quickly enough.

Read the full feature here.

Why should the social housing sector embrace ethnic diversity?

Every month BAME in Property picks a theme, an area of housing to explore through the ethnic diversity lens.

This month, we’ve been sharing the importance of ethnic diversity in the social housing sector. From BME housing associations, to Asian Women’s Refuges and housing diverse tenants, ethnic diversity is crucial for this sector.

Our theme was timely, as one of BAME in Property’s first ten Partners was the Housing Diversity Network (HDN), announced on 14 May 2019.

I had a long discussion with HDN’s Chief Executive, Raj Patel, who shared his thoughts on how and why the sector could embrace diversity further, resulting in better outcomes for the very people it is trying to serve. Here are some of my thoughts following our conversation.

The majority of social housing’s leadership is white and male – and little has changed in recent years. For a sector that has more diverse customers than private housing, it is guilty of having some of the least diverse leaders. In an Inside Housing survey published in January 2018, only three out of 64 housing associations have a BME chief executive. And only one of those is a woman – Geeta Nanda, chief executive of Metropolitan Thames Valley.

Similar to the wider housing sector, there is much diversity at graduate and entry levels, with many housing associations offering credible Apprenticeship schemes. However, also apparent across the industry, is that stalling of diversity at the middle management sector, where many women and BAME professionals struggle to progress their careers. There could be many reasons for this, but lack of mentors and unconscious bias are the most commons factors for ethnic minorities leaving the industry.

Not only is this disappointing but it is also slightly concerning. The social housing sector deals with more complex needs within specific communities. Take a women’s refuge for example - women seeking refuge from domestic violence or escaping a forced marriage. These are sensitive cases, often intertwined in cultural nuances that require a different approach. How can the social housing sector respond appropriately to such incidents and be considerate of different gender, ethnic and cultural needs, when it isn’t representative of these? The sector needs to represent the various ethnicities it aims to provide for to truly respond in the most suitable manner, such as taking consideration of different languages and religions, which may impact the level of support required.

Or let’s consider housing estates in inner cities, which have significant ethnic minority populations. Research has shown that a decent roof over one’s head is the solid foundation that children need for a stable upbringing. Again, many housing associations operate within such communities, but often miss the link between crime, housing and education. This is not an isolated issue, but one that requires a more joined-up response. If you do not have diverse representatives outreaching to such communities, it is not creating a sense of mutual understanding. Rather, it alienates the very communities housing associations are set to help.

Social housing also provides for different demographics, including older residents. This type of housing is also known as sheltered housing, which many in the sector may be more familiar with. Traditionally, sheltered housing was adhered to a Western model of housing, lacking facilities for different ethnicities.

This was exactly why Raj set up Ashram Housing in 1991 and the Kalyan Ashram (Kalyan meaning ‘freedom’) shortly after. Aside from accommodating to BME resident needs better, Kalyan Ashram has separate vegetarian, Halal and Western kitchens, a small but meaningful factor in promoting inclusivity and respect for different faiths. Cultural awareness is the foundation for successful relationships between different communities.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I was pleased to hear about the work HDN is doing to encourage greater diversity within organisations. From mentoring to staff development, the HDN is supporting housing associations in ensuring equality and inclusion underpin all of the work the sector does.

In May 2018, L&Q adopted the Rooney Rule in its recruitment process to boost diversity. Its policy ensures at least one candidate from a BME background and one female candidate are interviewed for “senior leadership positions” providing they meet the role criteria. L&Q was also the first housing association to report on the Ethnicity Pay Gap.

Inside Housing launched its Inclusive Futures campaign in January 2018 to help address the lack of diversity at senior leadership levels. The media can report on this and support any campaign, but ultimately, the sector is responsible for making that change.

Looking ahead, some of the biggest issues and opportunities impacting the built environment sector are lack off affordability with regards to home ownership, an ageing population and immigration. The social housing sector has a huge role to play in grasping and responding to these issues. But if it doesn’t consider these issues through a diversity lens, it really isn’t considering them at all.

Priya Shah, Founder of BAME in Property