EDI Leadership – Page 2 – The Equality Blog

Challenging Workplace Racism

It’s sad that in 2020 racism in the workplace is still a very real thing. Whether it is appointing managers or promotion panels subconsciously overlooking black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates, or the occurrence of overt instances of discrimination and harassment on the office/shop floor, it’s undeniable that there is still a lot of work to be done on this front.

While nearly all companies have legally binding anti-discrimination policies set up, and governments have issued directives and legislation to try and eradicate this issue, it’s still worth taking the time to highlight the cases where things have gone – or are going – terribly wrong. With that in mind, here are four signs that racism may be an issue in your workplace:

1. STEREOTYPING

Managers must look out for examples of stereotyping in the workplace, which can provide the basis for racial discrimination to occur. Often based on misconceptions and incomplete information, stereotyping is particularly harmful as it portrays false generalisations, and attributes the same characteristics to all members of a group, ignoring the receivers of racism as individuals in their own right.

Be wary of the language used, and topics discussed, by colleagues. Are terms like “they” and “us” “your lot” used often to create a divide? Also, are workers making derogatory comments about elements of a person’s culture or customs?

2. HOSTILITY

Whether it is a black woman who is informed that she is too aggressive, a Muslim man criticised for not drinking during social events or an Indian immigrant/Eastern European mocked for their accent, managers should be able to spot unfair criticism and hostility towards BAME persons.

Victims of racism in the workplace can be subject to accusations of being out-of-place, and not fitting in the office/workplace culture. Moreover, BAME people tend to find that normal differences of opinion or failing to get along with a co-worker may be treated as more serious due to the hostility held towards them in a racially charged work environment.

3. OVERCRITICAL

With the increasing pressures of the modern time-poor, stress-rich business world, criticisms of employee performance from team leaders and peers is common.

Managers must be mindful, however, of how fair the criticism is to all staff, particularly minority groups, reacting quickly to criticisms that go a step too far. Victims of racial discrimination at work have reported being vilified for doing their work.

4. CONSISTENTLY OVERLOOKED

The “glass ceiling” is a prolonged issue that ties together all the previous points, and results in many talented, ambitious and well-educated BAME men and women failing to gain jobs, promotions or salary boosts, compared to their white counterparts.

But when the opportunities do finally arise, victims of racism note that their authority is constantly challenged and undermined by those both above and below them on the career ladder.

Thanks to Equality and Diversity UK for these signs on how to identify if racism may be an issue in your workplace.

#BlackLivesMatter

In relation to the tragic events of May 25th in Minnesota, I support the black community at this difficult time and remain committed to using my voice to effect real change. It should not take a video of a man being killed and thousands of people in the street for us to pay attention.

I am inspired by the strength and character of the black community in the face of these senseless tragedies and am committed to standing up for what is right and not just standing by. Shallow, tokenistic commitment is worse than silence. If you are interested in racism only when it is trending, keep your solidarity to yourself.

I encourage all the community, where you see racism and racist behaviour then call it out, challenge it and if it’s in the workplace tell someone. Silence is no longer an option and we will step up for our black colleagues, now more than ever.

If you are not Black, please remember your voice is needed right now—being anti-racist means speaking up, being an ally and challenging the injustices that may not directly affect you. Stand up, make noise about the events happening right now, educate family and friends and continue to push for change. Recognising white privilege has become a major focus in building a fairer society, but we also need to recognise the privilege of living in the west.

Now is not the time to be silent, neither is it the time to jump on a bandwagon. It’s a time for real reflection and care with regards standing by the black community at this time and move forward with real steps to end racism and injustice. Racism can only be addressed together, we can not afford to stand on the sidelines making excuses.

Let’s unite to confront and stop the spread of race-related hatred, violence and systemic injustice.

As, Kehinde Andrews, writing for the Guardian, says “It is time to radically rethink society to make it value black life. History tells us that the oppressed won’t wait for ever. It is time to get on the bus or get out of the way. ”

Black lives matter.

No individual can solve the deeply embedded issue of racism but if you want to see real change then you must be that change, don’t wait another second for others to lead you. Be the change you want to see, challenge your community, challenge your workplace to be better. With racism so deeply rooted in our social order, there can be no quick fixes – but here are some steps you can take in the workplace.

Be clear and concise-we’re talking about Black issues

Make it clear we are talking about Black issues, not “people of colour.” This is not the time for digressing or diluting the issue for non-Black comfort. There is no place for this—ever. Step up in a direct and empathetic way.

Talk about this, openly

Make it clear why this is a crucial conversation to have. Do not post in Black/race-focused groups only. This is relevant for everyone. Talk about systemic racism, sharing links to Black-driven research, making it clear this is a structural issue we all must address.

Create a safe space for colleagues to vent, and be open, if they want to be

Violence on Black colleagues is not an anomaly—people are emotionally scared and physically exhausted. As we’re all mostly working remotely, this may mean having open-diary slots with managers or creating an open space on your communication platform for folks to talk if they want to.

Signpost mental health support

Talking to colleagues isn’t enough. People need to know what professional mental health support is available to them and how to access it as soon as possible.

Managers must step up

Ensure managers are giving space to Black colleagues in particular, right now. Managers play a huge role in supporting people with everything happening in society—empathy is key. What affects or doesn’t affect you does not necessarily map to everyone else.

Do not centre yourself

Do not focus on yourself in these conversations. If you are not Black, your pain and hurt is not the priority right now. This may be an anomaly for you—it is not an anomaly for Black colleagues who live this life, every day.

Senior leaders must step up, especially if they are white or non-Black

Senior leadership must actively speak about this, whether they are uncomfortable or not. Their privilege must be used to make a difference. They should also signpost resources / donation links. They have a responsibility to show up for everyone. Keep in mind, most in leadership are white or non-Black, therefore their role as allies are important. They have the privilege of being listened to. They must amplify, learn and talk to their fellow white and non-Black colleagues to invoke real change.

Analyse your data

Remember that one post doesn’t fix systemic racism. Highlight your compulsory anti-racism training (not opt-in, which is not useful). Gather our data across different protected characteristics to allow for analysis of bias in hiring, probation and promotion processes. Use this data to challenge our processes. If Black colleagues aren’t being treated in the same way as others, share this transparently and spend time creating an action plan to challenge.

Do not add emotional/educational labour to Black colleagues

Every single person is different. That means people are processing this in many ways right now. Please make sure you’re not forcing Black colleagues to engage. This is emotionally/physically exhausting. If they want to, that is fine. If not, that is also fine. There is no onus on them to educate us.

Being Conscious About Our Unconscious Biases

What is Unconscious Bias

The term ‘cognitive bias’ was coined by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in 1972 which quite simply means “our tendency to filter information, process facts and arrive at judgements based on our past experiences, likes/dislikes and automatic influences.”

How do these biases show up in Leadership?

A lot of leadership is about taking decisions involving group of people. Instinctive leaders often tend to decide quickly based on limited information or experience they have at hand. The result is that they end up taking wrong decisions (which may have worked for them in past but may not work in a different context), or discriminating with people of a certain colour, race, sex or nationality based on their past experiences with similar people. At work, biases (or the perception of bias) is the biggest contributor to people disengagement and cost of disengagement is huge. Lack of critical thinking also leads to short-termism where decisions are taken for immediate gains and solutions of today become thorny problems of tomorrow.

Some Ways to Deal with Unconscious Bias

Get Conscious. Be more aware about unconscious cognitive biases. Knowing that they exist is the first important step to tackling them. And they exist in plenty. Here is a list of all unconscious biases and what they really mean.
Ask questions, often. When considering a decision, ask questions that elicit understanding and clarify details. When you ask questions, you extend an opportunity to others to really express them. You are extending an opportunity to yourself to understand their thinking more closely. Encourage a culture where asking questions is valued.

Look for Patterns. Data over a period of time reveals patterns. Looking for patterns from the results of past decision can lead to important insights and learning. Sometimes data can blind us unless we learn to look at the pattern and story behind the data.

Look for the contrary. It helps playing a devil’s advocate and taking a contrarian view of things. It not only challenges others to think harder but also helps you in really understanding if they are just defending their own biases.

Embrace Diversity. This starts with hiring decisions. Don’t hire people whose beliefs are compliant with yours. You will tap into diverse ideas and viewpoints only when you have people with diverse thinking patterns on your team.

Attend to data and evidences. When you ask your people to bring data, evidences and trends, it does not mean lack of trust. It only means that you are intentional about serving them better by taking the right decisions.

Communicate clearly. Clear and accurate communication is a leader’s tool #1. Avoid using generic terms to describe people, situations and things. Biases are most commonly visible in how a leader communicates. Being mindful about our words is critical to thinking and communicating objectively.

Thanks go to Tanmay Vora for this excellent and concise explanation of what ‘unconscious bias’ is and how we can combat it in the workplace.

Building Inclusive Workplaces

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) explain that true inclusion is created by embedding inclusive practices and values into the organisation’s way of doing things. Whilst inclusion can’t be the sole responsibility of the people profession, people professionals nonetheless have a key role to play. They can support employees, line managers and senior leaders to build inclusive behaviours and values, ensure policies and practices are inclusive, and challenge organisational values and behaviours that don’t actively promote inclusion. Importantly, any action should be guided by organisational data and carefully evaluated – further research needs to test the most effective ways to build inclusion.

Explore the areas where you can take action to build inclusion.

Involve all employees in inclusion

All employees need to understand their role in building inclusive workplaces. This involves employers setting clear standards of behaviour for inclusion, treating all colleagues with dignity and respect, and empowering employees to challenge exclusionary behaviour.

What you can do:

Make inclusion relevant to people at all levels of the business; what does inclusion mean in their job role and what they can do to be more inclusive?
Work with employee resource groups to highlight employees’ roles in inclusion, promoting alliance.

Develop line manager capability

Managers are key in inclusion. The relationship they have with employees, and how they carry out people management practices and policies, will impact employees’ opportunities and experiences of work.

Treating all employees with respect, supporting their development and ensuring they’ve a say in the workplace is core for any manager. Managers need to ensure there’s a level playing field for their team, and support employee’s individual needs. However, bias can play a role in the opportunities that individuals are given at work – given our preferences for people ‘like us’.

What you can do:

Examine progression and hiring data to ensure that there’s a level playing field and address any bias.
Embed inclusion in line manager training and development – for example, raise awareness of issues relating to inclusion and empower managers to carry out people management practices effectively.

Build senior commitment to inclusion

Many senior leaders are line managers themselves; they set the tone for the behaviour that’s expected in the business. And, with a drive towards increasing diversity on boards, attention must also be paid to how inclusive the boardroom is. People professionals should work with senior leaders to embed inclusion into the organisation’s way of doing things, highlighting the importance of their advocacy and buy in.

Senior leaders need to:

actively champion and sponsor inclusion activities
develop self-awareness and understand their own biases
role-model inclusive behaviour in their own people management, and in their own leadership team.

Evaluate policies and practices

A two-step approach is needed to put in place people management practices and policies to support inclusion:

Consider the formal and informal mechanisms that can be improved to enhance inclusion for all employees. For example, ensure that there are clear mechanisms for feedback that allow employees to feel like they have a ‘say’ in the organisation.

Create specific policies and practices that support particular groups or individual needs. For example, make sure there are clear policies in place to support individual needs; these need to be implemented by managers and backed up by a supportive workplace environment.

Consider how you can:

embed inclusion into wider people management practices
communicate the policies in place that support inclusion
use organisational data to review policies and practices.

Examine organisational culture, climate and values

Creating an inclusive climate and culture requires fair policies and practices, recognising and valuing difference, and including all employees in decision-making processes. Senior commitment in the form of real advocacy and buy-in is important in creating a truly inclusive organisation. In some cases, organisations might need to evaluate their own norms and values.

What you can do:

Work with employees throughout the business to understand current norms and values; is ‘difference’ seen as positive or negative, and do employees understand their role in inclusion?
Evaluate people practices through an inclusion ‘lens’ – do practices and policies align with inclusion?
Ensure that senior leaders support inclusion, and, importantly, role-model inclusive behaviour and value difference, rather than distrust it.

For further guidance on building inclusive workplaces check out this CIPD report on Building Inclusive Workplaces (Sept 2019)

Creating Dyslexia Friendly Workplaces

It is estimated that 15% of the population have dyslexia and/or other specific learning differences (SpLD), therefore it’s highly probable that there will be neurodiversity within any workplace. Organisations must commit to being a dyslexia-friendly organisation by supporting staff with dyslexia and/or other specific learning differences (SpLD) by applying reasonable adjustments to their workplace.

Dyslexia is a hidden disability and is therefore a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 which the Trust is under the Public Sector Equality Duty to uphold. As such, where a diagnosis of dyslexia is made then the Trust must make reasonable adjustments to staffs working environment or working conditions to reduce h the impact of the SpLD. For example, if a member of staff has difficulties working with a computer for long periods then a reasonable adjustment might be to ensure that they avoid continuous all day computer work.

Being dyslexia-friendly makes good business sense and embedding this ethos within the Trust benefits everyone; it enables our staff to fulfil their potential and also supports our dyslexic service users and other stakeholders.

Dyslexia is a neurological difference and can have a significant impact during education, in the workplace and in everyday life. As each person is unique, so is everyone’s experience of dyslexia. It can range from mild to severe, and it can co-occur with other learning differences. It usually runs in families and is a life-long condition.

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

Neurodiversity can be a significant asset to an organisation, bringing a diﬀerent dimension to problem-solving or creativity in the way that an organisation operates and delivers its products and/or services.

Alongside meeting legal requirements there are many benefits to raising the awareness of dyslexia in the workplace and creating a dyslexia friendly work environment. It helps to establish an inclusive culture for all employees and ensures that individuals can use their strengths, such as atypical problem-solving and creativity. It means that organisations are striving to support staff, to get the best from them and the best for the organisation.

Creating a dyslexia friendly workplace doesn’t have to involve expensive changes. It often just takes some thought, and small changes can make a dramatic difference.

Things to consider:

Staff awareness of dyslexia, and the challenges and strengths it presents.
A flexible and supportive approach.
Introduction of assistive technology.
Changing communication methods i.e. printing company-wide information on different coloured paper, or in a larger font, or making it available as an audio file.

A dyslexia friendly workplace can reduce stress, increase morale and motivation. This is turn can have an impact on reducing staff turnover and sickness leave.

How can I support my dyslexic employees?

As well as meeting your obligations under the Equality Act 2010, supporting your employees makes good business sense. Effective changes don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, often small organisational changes can help to get the very best from your employee.

It’s worth keeping in mind that any changes you make to your way of working can benefit all employees, not just those with dyslexia, and may also benefit your dyslexic customers and clients.

Examples of Reasonable Adjustments

The British Dyslexia Association provides the following examples of reasonable adjustments for commonly reported difficulties:

Reading

Give verbal as well as written instructions
Highlight important points in documents
Use voicemail rather than written memos
Supply screen-reading software or a Reading Pen
Print resources on coloured paper, and change background colour of computer screens and presentations

Reading and writing

Allow plenty of time to read and complete a task
Discuss the material with the employee, giving summaries and/or key points
Present information in other formats e.g. audio or video, drawings, diagrams and flowcharts
Offer/use mind-mapping software
Offer/use digital recorders
Offer/use speech to text software
Ask someone else to take the Minutes of meetings

Spelling and grammar

Spell checker on all computers
Offer assistive text software on all applications, where possible

Computer work

Change background colour of screen to suit individual preference
Supply anti-glare screen filter
Allow frequent breaks, at least every hour
Alternate computer work with other tasks where possible
Avoid continuous all day computer work

Verbal communication

Give instructions one at a time, slowly and clearly without distractions
Write down important information or encourage the employee to take notes
Write a memo outlining a plan of action
Provide a digital recorder to record presentations/training
Check understanding

Concentration

Make sure there is a quiet space available away from distractions such as doors, busy phones, loud machinery
Allocate a private workspace if possible
Allow an employee to work from home occasionally, if possible
Use a “do not disturb” sign when tasks require intense concentration
If interrupting, allow the person to pause and write down what they are doing to refer to when resuming work

Appointments and deadlines

Remind the person of important deadlines and review priorities regularly
Encourage the employee to use the daily calendar and alarm features on his/her computer or work phone.

Tips for organisation of property

Ensure that work areas are organised, neat and tidy
Keep items where they can be clearly seen for example shelves and bulletin boards
Ensure the team returns important items to the same place each time
Colour code items, if appropriate
Ensure work areas are well lit

Organising workflow

Prioritise important tasks
Create a daily, dated “To Do” list
Use and share diaries
Write a layout for regular tasks with appropriate prompts for example for meetings or taking notes
Build planning time into each day

Supporting directional difficulties

Always try to use the same route
Show the route and visible landmarks
Give time to practise going from one place to another
Supply detailed maps
Supply GPS car navigation system

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – A Glossary of Terms

Thanks to Jan Lawrence at In-Equilibrium for this concise explanation of the main terms used when discussing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

Equality – Fair treatment of individuals or groups, ensuring they are treated equally and no less favourably in areas including those of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender re assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity.
Direct Discrimination – Treating a person less favourably than another is being treated, or would be treated, because of their protected characteristic(s). Direct discrimination also includes:
Associative Discrimination – when an individual is discriminated against because of their connection with someone who has a protected characteristic(s).
Perceptive Discrimination – being discriminated against because it is believed an individual possesses a protected characteristic(s). It applies regardless of whether the individual possesses the protected characteristic(s) or not.
Diversity – Acknowledging, valuing and respecting people’s psychological, physical and social differences in order that their full potential and contribution can be realised.
Inclusion – A sense or feeling that an individual or group are welcome, respected, supported and valued in order that their unique needs, working and learning styles are met. An inclusive environment will embrace differences and offer respect both verbally and in actions to ensure that everyone can fully participate.
Indirect Discrimination – Happens when an organisation’s conditions, policies or practices which, on the face of it appear neutral, have an impact that particularly disadvantages those who share a protected characteristic(s); unless whoever applied it can provide ‘objective justification.’
Harassment – The Equality Act 2010 defines harassment as, “unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.” Harassment applies to all the protected characteristics except, Marriage and Civil Partnership and Pregnancy and Maternity. Employees can complain of behaviour that they find offensive even if it is not directed at them and they do not possess the relevant protected characteristic themselves.
Positive Action – Is distinct from unlawful positive discrimination (which involves the practice of favouring an individual who belongs to a group which suffer discrimination). Positive action is lawful when an employer takes steps to counteract the disadvantages it believes people who shared a protected characteristic face. Any decisions taken following positive action must then be made on merit (unless section 159 of the Equality Act 2010 applies).
Protected Characteristics – The Equality Act 2010 specifies 9 features which, for the advancement of equality and opportunity, are afforded protection from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. In alphabetical order they are: Age, Disability, Gender, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion or Belief, Sexual Orientation.
Reasonable Adjustments – The duty to make reasonable adjustments is covered in the Equality Act 2010 to ensure positive steps are taken to remove the barriers those with disabilities face so they are not substantially disadvantaged. The 3 main areas organisations and establishments need to consider are:
- To change provisions, criterions or practices which may provide a barrier unless it is unreasonable to do so
- To change a physical feature of a business or premises which may make access or use difficult for those with disabilities
- To provide auxiliary aids or services, which may include additional services, in order to help a person with a disability to either access or do something
Stereotype – A widely held, positive or negative, image or idea which an individual believes about the characteristics of a certain group.
Victimisation – Occurs when an individual is singled out for unfair treatment or discrimination as a result of making a complaint/grievance, threatening to make a complaint/grievance or supporting a complaint/grievance made by a third party.

Equality Impact Assessment

It is vitally important that all workplace policies and procedures that impact upon staff have been through a robust Equality Impact Assessment or EIA. Such an assessment is an internal audit process which is specifically designed to measure whether a policy, project or scheme is at risk of discriminating against any disadvantaged or vulnerable people.

Under the Equality Act 2010 it is illegal to discriminate against an employee because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. As such, without effective review, a new policy or procedure may unintentionally discriminate against a group of employees because they share a protected characteristic.

For example, a new policy may be published which states that hats or head gear cannot be worn at work under any circumstances. However, such a policy would discriminate against Sikh men, for whom the wearing of the turban is mandatory.

In this situation, a robust Equality Impact Assessment would have been able to identify that such a policy would discriminate against staff from certain religions. This type of discrimination is referred to as indirect discrimination and, generally speaking, occurs when an organisational policy or procedure is put in place which applies to everyone and is not discriminatory in itself but it may put those with a certain protected characteristic at a disadvantage.

The purpose of the EIA process is to prevent discrimination and where the assessment identifies a risk of discrimination action can be taken to make the necessary changes to ensure discrimination does not happen. In this way, the EIA is a useful tool to help improve or promote equality in an organisation to help remove barriers and improve participation for underrepresented groups.

In most situations, organisations don’t set out to purposefully discriminate against any of their stakeholders but sometimes a lack of awareness, especially where a policy, process or scheme may disadvantage one group over another, the EIA can help to identify and make changes to ensure everyone is included and not disadvantaged.

Here is an example from ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, where they highlight how equality impact assessment can make a positive impact to the workforce. ‘One local authority found a recipe for success over its meals on wheels service. The authority was concerned that the food it was serving up wasn’t to everybody’s taste. So it used an equality impact assessment to find out why. The authority discovered that in certain ethnic communities, only a few people were tucking in. So the authority decided to change the menu to ensure that these diners had a range of different types of meals more likely to appeal to choose from. Soon there were many more ‘happy eaters’ among these communities, while ‘white British’ users were also delighted at the improved choice and quality of the food. In this way the authority not only improved its service but saved money as well.’

If a regular audit of an organisations policies, processes and practices is not undertaken then an unintended act of discrimination may remain undetected for some time, that is until someone makes a complaint or is let down by the service they receive. This is exactly how indirect discrimination happens in the workplace and an EIA can be used to identify this early so changes can be made in the best interests of all.

Generally speaking, for an EIA to be effective it must ask four key questions of what it is assessing. For example, if using an EIA to assess the impact of a new policy then we must ask: 1.) What is the intention of the policy? 2.) How is it seeking to achieve this? 3.) Who benefits (and does not benefit) from the policy and how? 4.) What are any ‘associated aims’ (or other policies) attached to the policy and how do they impact? By doing this we can assess the intention of the policy, what method it uses to enforce the policy, who actually benefits from the policy and what other influences are there that impact on this policy, which should help us to identify risks.

Culture First, Diversity and Inclusion Second

Diversity and Inclusion is not just about compliance with legislation, it’s about leading change, implementing improvement initiatives and engaging, motivating and improving the potential of staff.

Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google LLC, said of inclusion “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”

This is equally true of the boardroom as it is the operational side of an organisation and the distinction that equality is not just about compliance with legislation must be supported at board and executive level within an organisation in order for diversity and inclusion initiatives to have any real impact.

As such, the first job to improve diversity and inclusion in an organisation is to get board and executive backing. Furthermore, unless the culture of the organisation is right then no diversity programme will help. Consequently, before any diversity and inclusion initiatives are rolled out it is essential that the culture of the organisation is one which is receptive to change, to new ideas and inclusion.

Where an organisations culture does not yet lend itself to inclusive practices then wholesale organisational development is essential and any diversity initiatives will fail until that culture is fixed. Organisational design and re-structuring is the subject of a number of books for human resources leaders and beyond the scope of this post.

But, where you have a workplace culture which supports change and new ways of practising as well as the public support of the board or executive leadership then you can examine the current picture of diversity and inclusion in the organisation with a view to implementing an improvement strategy.

Good diversity and inclusion practice recognises that historically certain groups of people with protected characteristics such as race, disability, sex and sexual orientation have experienced discrimination. To that end, an organisations equality strategy must be about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents.

Furthermore, really, a good equality, diversity and inclusion programme or strategy attempts to ensure that no one should have poorer life chances because of their gender, their race, the way they were born, where they come from, what they believe, who they love, or whether they have a disability.

As a final point, in order to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace, it is absolutely vital that we don’t just think about the data; we need to collaborate with people because the organisations people – whether that be staff, customers or service users – are at the heart of all successful diversity and inclusion improvements. Only through working with their people can an organisation reduce bias in hiring, foster inclusivity and create feelings of belonging for employees of all backgrounds.

The Business Case for Diversity

Increasingly, the term ‘Equality’ (and what used to be referred to as Equal Opportunities) is making way for discussions on ‘diversity’ as this term is much broader in its scope and gets to the heart of the integration challenges facing the UK workforce.

Over the past five decades our society has become increasingly complex and multicultural as population growth continues, subsequently becoming more diverse and with an aging population. Furthermore, changes to employment law coupled with an increase of the age at which an employee can retire and draw a pension means we now have increased competition in the workplace for fewer and fewer jobs.

As Vijay Eswaran, Executive Chairman, QI Group of Companies, explains: ‘In this era of globalization, diversity in the business environment is about more than gender, race and ethnicity. It now includes employees with diverse religious and political beliefs, education, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientation, cultures and even disabilities. Companies are discovering that, by supporting and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, they are gaining benefits that go beyond the optics.’

In the UK, it’s common for staff, when surveyed in the workplace, to perceive diversity as being a focus on ethnicity and race whereas issues of religion, education or culture are often overlooked or misunderstood. Subsequently, diversity is actually a much broader term than a few labels and includes those other – difficult to define – human qualities that are dissimilar to our own perceptions or those of our communities but are widely prevalent in other communities. It is this fundamental difference that diversity looks to both celebrate and include alongside our own perceptions.

Vijay Eswaran argues that workplace diversity leads to greater innovation. ‘The coming together of people of different ethnicities with different experiences in cities and societies is a key driver of innovation. The food that we eat every day is a result of this blending of cultures. The most successful musical genres, such as jazz, rock’n’roll or hip-hop, are the products of cultural amalgamation.’

Whilst recent equality laws have helped to challenge discrimination and prejudice we still face equality gaps in the workplace, some larger than others. In response to the increasingly diverse needs of our communities the government have delegated a duty of responsibility – known as the Public Sector Equality Duty – on councils and their partners, including publicly funded bodes, such as the education and health care sectors, to be more accountable for ensuring everyone has an equal chance in life regardless of background or start in life.

To this end, in order to meet both government legislation as well as the diverse needs of our workforce, organisations must ensure they build an inclusive culture where diversity and equality of opportunity work hand in hand. This is referred to as the business case for diversity, an organisational wide understanding of how diversity can benefit both the business aims of the organisation and the needs of the community.

Positive Action for Under Representation

Positive action is very often a misunderstood or misrepresented term. Unfortunately, some still talk of it as a deliberate act by Human Resources to recruit more ethnic minority staff into an organisation. Its misunderstandings such as this that show positive action must not be confused with positive discrimination, which is illegal.

Positive action is where you identify that your workforce is under represented in a specific area and do something about it. For example, as we have seen in recent years, many UK Company boards are under represented by women and companies have taken positive action to address this. Positive action in this case could be to promote board vacancies specifically to woman in the organisation, or to have a leadership programme for board members of the future that actively encourages participation by woman. However, you will notice that the example above does not dictate that UK Companies hire only woman and discriminate against male applicants to solve the issue – which would be illegal – it simply asks that we make the effort to involve woman, promote our board vacancies to woman and encourage them to apply. Though, it’s worth noting, despite much work to improve the representation of women on the boards of UK Company’s it has done little to increase representation of women of colour in these roles. As such, further work is still needed in this area for boards and governing bodies to be truly representative of the community we serve.

As such, positive action can be defined as the voluntary actions an employer takes to address an imbalance of opportunity or disadvantage that an individual with a protected characteristic could face in the workforce. Positive action can be used wherever your workforce is under represented or is not reflective of the community it serves including (but not limited to) age, disability, ethnic minority, LBGT+ or gender.

A good example of where positive action can look to redress an imbalance is in construction industry where there are only 3 female apprentices for every 98 male apprentices. As such, positive action here might be to better promote the construction industry to girls in schools and other educational settings, or to show progressive imagery on construction industry posters and advertisements which show woman in construction roles.

I often hear senior leaders actively supporting the business case for diversity in the workplace but I don’t always see an effective strategy of positive action to meet the business case. Diversity is the celebration of the differences between us and valuing the how those differences make our workforce stronger. Diverse experiences can lead to diverse solutions in the workplace. If you hire the same type of people all the time you will get the same outcome all of the time. As such, ensuring your business has diversity in its workforce can ensure that you have diverse solutions amongst your staff.

The first challenge then is to know where your workforce lacks diversity. The only way to do that is to examine the make-up of your own staff and ask yourself the following question: does your workforce represent the community it serves? But this is a big picture situation. We need to examine the context of the community you serve. For example, if you generally serve a region of the UK then you need to look at the make-up of that region. If the latest Government Census indicates that the population of that region predominately – say 95% – identify as being ethnically white British then how does your workforce compare? Again, you can look at gender and establish what percentage of the community is female and what percentage are male and compare that to the make-up of your own workforce. The same applies to those members of the community who identify as disabled or LGBT+. Only when you know the make-up of the local community can you identify what aspects of diversity you actually need to improve.

Subsequently, only when armed with this knowledge can you then look to positive action to help recruitment build you a more diverse workforce.