Capital Consulting
CORPORATE DNA 55
Capital Consulting
Numbers, numbers, numbers: when I meet HR directors for the first time, I make a point of asking about the composition of the workforce. Disturbingly few have a handle on this – if I had a pound for the number of times I received a loss of eye contact, shrug of the shoulders, or guesstimate figure in response, I would be very rich. HR people – please obtain an employee database, use it to understand your people profile and communicate this to management
Middle managers: much is said about senior-level leadership / ownership / role modelling. I agree these are all important, but the critical population is middle management: those managers who are in touch with – communicating and resonating with – the majority of the workforce. To be effective, any change programme needs middle managers on board
Men: yes, the issue of attracting and retaining women is paramount. There is arguably however an underlying current of men in organisations who want to break free from the long hours, presenteeism culture associated with output and success. We need to look at retaining key male talent in a flexible and creative way
Andy Warhol: age diversity is about to experience its 15 minutes of fame – and quite right that it should. But are our managers really equipped to manage a reporting line consisting of people who went to school with their mothers and fathers? Skills sets, expectations, and reward mechanisms all need to be revamped and rethought to drive and support change
Hip hop or hip op: eventually, we will see increasing evidence that businesses are grasping the age issue from a real commercial perspective – addressing where, for example, they will find and how they will secure tomorrow’ s managers. To do so, they will need to reassess their competency frameworks to ensure that they are up-to-date and fullycomprehensive rather than written and designed for white, western males aged 25-34
Finally, go fishing: there is truth in the expression“ give a man a fish, feed him for a day – show him how to fish, and you feed him for life” and we should focus on sharing our endeavours and successes. I still come across HR directors who are desperate to network in this area – sharing the good news benefits us all.
Jon Whiteley
Jon Whiteley has nearly 18 years’ experience as an HR specialist advising on strategic and operational ways of improving business performance. Over the past ten years, his focus has been diversity, its management from a compliancy perspective and its application as a mainstream business issue.
As head of diversity at Capital Consulting, Jon leads programmes for Amey and npower, among others, effecting behaviour change in organisation leaders and developing policies and procedures that attract and retain an inclusive workforce. Prior to this he held diversity roles at occupational psychologist firm Pearn Kandola and LloydsTSB.
A recognised expert on diversity, Jon is a member of Supplier Diversity Europe, the Ministry of Defence’ s Strategic Diversity Panel, and Croner’ s Diversity Editorial Panel. He is a chartered fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development( CFIPD) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers( ACIB).
Capital Consulting – experts in talent acquisition and recruitment process outsourcing
engage ISSUE TWO 2006