It ’ s time to put ideas into actions when it comes to creating diverse and inclusive workforces – and here ’ s how to do so .
What does meaningful progress on D & I look like for
businesses ? This was the question at the heart of an AMS virtual masterclass run during Changeboard ’ s 2020 Future Talent Conference . It featured AMS Sector Managing Director Janine Chidlow , independent D & I Consultant Jim Richardson and entrepreneur Tim Campbell .
“ This is a new era for D & I and there is a real opportunity to make a change . It ’ s no longer acceptable to say and do nothing – but it ’ s even worse to come out with tick-box initiatives . It ’ s time for real action ,” says Chidlow in the conversation above .
Issues such as the Black Lives Matter protests , transgender rights and sustainability cut right across society and increasingly the workplace . While admitting that you ’ re never going to get everything right , it ’ s important to have difficult conversations with your employees . Making space for all voices to be heard is true inclusion , explains Chidlow .
For Campbell , real progress is actually about taking a step back and first acknowledging privilege – whether racial , gender or societal . Only then can you begin to build a more diverse workforce , he argues .
Second , it ’ s important to treat diversity like any other business requirement and listen to experts .
It ’ s no longer acceptable to say and do nothing
“ The problem with diversity is that often it ’ s the person being discriminated against who has to come up with the solutions ,” says Campbell . “ If you were dealing with risk , you ’ d bring in experts to deliver results . It ’ s wrong to expect employees to create solutions as well as doing their day jobs ,” he adds .
This is why many organisations are creating dedicated leadership roles for D & I . A 2020 report by LinkedIn found that job postings for chief diversity officers grew by more than 100 % in the 45 days after the Black Lives Matter protests began . But is creating high-powered positions enough ?
Ultimately , it ’ s about changing cultures – and that has to come from the top . However , the business case for increased diversity is already clear , says Jim Richardson , citing numerous reports from McKinsey , Deloitte and PwC that show more diverse workforces perform better financially .
He believes that business leaders need to be braver when it comes to creating diverse teams .
“ I ’ d love companies to invest in people who don ’ t fit quite as well as they might initially think , and then train them up . I want organisations to look in different talent pools to where they normally do . To really make a difference , you need to hire people who aren ’ t an exact match to you ,” he says .
Boardrooms are failing on diversity
More than a third of FTSE100 companies are set to miss a government target to have at least one director from an ethnic minority by 2021 , according to the Parker review . The figures , released in February 2020 , show that 37 % of FTSE100 companies had no non-white board members . At FTSE250 level , things were even worse : 69 % of businesses had all-white boards .