“Creating and managing a diverse workforce is a process, not a destination.”
R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.
All UK employees want to feel part of something good. Whether that’s professional success, creative safety, or a secure salary in a supportive career, everyone has the right to feel included, heard and valued at work.
We also live in a time of rapid change - technological, ethical and professional - and diversity sits right at the heart of it all, especially a contemporary tide of ethical progressiveness spurred on by activism and an unapologetic historical awareness.
This, of course, all filters down to the humble workplace, and workers of all stripes need to be aware that “diversity” is more than a marketing ploy for recruiters - diverse workplaces are by every measurable metric better for people and better for business.
But to really understand the how and the why behind diverse workplaces, you need look no further than our recent HR past, and how thought leaders in the HR industry are changing our future.
The demand for equitable access to opportunity has been a war fought for centuries, and the recent wave of diversity awareness is only the most recent step on the long walk to true equity.
The ethical and professional imperative for workplaces to centre equality, diversity and inclusivity into the workplace is now well established. But this hasn’t always been the case.
From the arrival of the Empire Windrush to the rise of BLM, ideas around who belongs in certain UK workplaces have shifted and osmosed as new generations rise and old generations fall.
ED&I as it stands now - as a reflection on what we see as morally right, as a hiring strategy and as a workplace standard - stands on the shoulders of civil rights, voting rights, and equal rights giants.
However, while the frameworks and foundation for more protected, diverse workplaces have been built by our elders and reinforced by the Government, it still takes a uniquely forward-thinking, hands-on HR team and c-suite leadership team to create a genuinely sustainable diverse workplace.
The laws need to be acted on, rigorously. This is where D&I is most keenly felt - by the business owners and market leaders who are fastidiously bettering opportunities for all.
The last few years have seen a focus on D&I activism, and a rapid uptick in support for a wide-ranging culture of diversity across almost every sector.
On the legal side, Mandatory Gender Pay Gap reporting, and voluntary (but increasingly published) Diversity Policy and Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting has brought to light legacy issues with remuneration equality. It continues to highlight how good, and how bad, some of our biggest employers are at righting a historical wrong.
On the social and activist side, the advent of BLM and the global progressive movement towards learning and equality ushered in by the tragic death of George Floyd has been transformative. The UK has seen some improvements in general equality and representation. But we want to emphasise only some - there are D&I outliers, and there are D&I stragglers.
As the Civilian personnel biannual diversity dashboard report April 2022 shows, there have been marked ED&I macro-improvements in some key areas:
And there have been some statistics trending the wrong way:
As the country is becoming statistically more diverse, the case for more diversity is moot. Some sectors are taking this more seriously than others, such as mid-market tech, healthcare and education.
Inclusive Companies have written a 2022/2023 guide on the most diverse companies in the UK, which includes companies such as CapGemini, Royal Orthopaedic Hospitals NHS Trust, Yorkshire Building Society, Kantar, Direct Line Group and TalkTalk. Other reports - such as ones published by Glassdoor, Learning Pool and PwC - offer an equality, diversity and inclusion policy deep dive.
All of these reports reflect a wider trend to the good - “more than three-quarters (78%) of UK companies have taken steps to increase their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), starting last year”. But like we said above, some see diversity as a workplace non-starter.
If the ethical and moral argument has been firmly won by the wave of activism and the shift to better overall workplace representation, the business case for diversity is even more clear.
In short, and without banging the drum too much, if you repeatedly clone your staff and offer a staff training policy that is blinkered and un-diverse, your business will be restricted, and your access to talent will be significantly reduced.
Diverse hiring best practice is, clearly, more than the sum of equality mandates - the ability to hire from a more diverse talent base takes a full-scale cultural revamping of recruitment processes, recruiting representation and outreach.
Naturally, this doesn’t happen overnight. Below is a selection of best advice on effective, long-term diverse hiring practices:
Diverse internships and apprenticeships.
The right tools for the right job.
Interview structure revamp.
The benefits of hiring a more diverse workforce are clear as day - both the business and ethical positives are hard to ignore.
But diversity cannot be considered a marketing tactic or a short-term hiring strategy. Making a real difference requires consistent application of diverse hiring theories and practice, from c-suite down to intern.
The real mark of a diverse hiring strategy - and the only guarantee of a diverse, thriving workplace - is how authentic and sustainable the methods of connecting to talent are.
DIjobs is a pioneering job board that was created to provide employers and recruiters with the opportunity to advertise their job vacancies and connect with a diverse audience of underrepresented candidates from black, asian, ethnic and minority backgrounds. This also includes jobseekers from the LGBTQ+ community and candidates with disabilities.
We strongly believe in creating an equitable workplace for everyone regardless of their age, background, culture, orientation or ability. So, if you’re an employer or recruiter looking for a job board to promote diversity in your workplace, then DIjobs can help you do just that!
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