Equality and Diversity – how does your organisation shape up?

By Helen Scurr · 29 October 2019

An increasingly multi-cultural population, ageing workforce and skills shortages are all creating new challenges to recruiting, retaining and developing talent.

Creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation is seen as an enabler to deliver better business results as evidenced by McKinsey (global management consultancy firm) who, in 2015, found that gender diverse companies are 15% more likely to financially outperform their peers and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to do the same.

So how does your organisation shape up? Here are some key points for you to consider:

Improve the quality of diversity monitoring data collection

Data and value metrics are a priority for all organisations. Objective data and analyses of under representation and gaps/barriers in the culture provide an evidence based approach to addressing any concerns and identifying areas that require greater focus.

Review the entire recruitment & selection process from attraction to appointment

Narrow attraction strategies, nepotistic recruitment attitudes and a bias in attracting those that look, think and act like you are limiting the talent and skills available to an organisation.  Progressive organisations investigate each step of the selection process and ensure they are genuinely meritocratic and inclusive.

Retain talented employees

All interactions, decisions and talent processes must be free from unconscious bias which plays a key part in perpetuating discriminatory behaviour at work.  It is imperative for leaders and managers to define their leadership/management style and leverage the talent of diverse teams where all employees feel their voices are heard and respected.

After pay, culture is the most important factor in employees deciding whether they remain with an organisation. So, for example, do your employees know when banter crosses the line? Banter is something that most teams engage in and often racism/sexism is passed off as “banter”. This can be harmful in building cohesive and high performing teams.

Increase the knowledge and awareness of all staff

Make equality, diversity and inclusion part of everyone’s role and make it real. Proper equality, diversity and inclusion training is absolutely necessary, and the only way to ensure that employers are not ‘vicariously liable’ for anything done by an employee in the course of employment making the employer liable. Help employees to become aware of their duties and responsibilities in this respect.

Want practical and actionable solutions to all of the above? We can offer:

Learning and development

Delivering on a range of topics such as Dignity at work, unconscious bias, talent management, inclusive leadership, inclusive recruitment, reasonable adjustments, cultural competence, equality data monitoring and banter workshops.

Consultancy

Bespoke consultancy and thought leadership including the designing of strategies, structures and policies that support organisational change.

Equality Audits

Undertaking equality audits reviewing employment and customer facing policies from a diversity and inclusion perspective.