Category Archives: Diversity

Awards, Diversity, News

Time to shine a light on inclusion as 2023 Inclusive Awards open for entries on Wednesday February 1st

The 2023 Inclusive Awards – organised by Inclusive Companies – are open for entries. Returning for the 9th year, the Awards comprise eight categories that recognise and celebrate individuals and organisations who have excelled in their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Set to shine a light on inclusion, the Inclusive Awards entries are assessed by a truly diverse and independent judging panel looking to reward individuals and organisations who can demonstrate their achievements across all strands of diversity including age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race and religion. Nominations are sought from employers and employees working in a wide variety of sectors including private, public, education, charity and housing, to name but a few.

“The Inclusive Awards celebrate individuals and organisations who can demonstrate true diversity, inclusion, equality and equity in their workplace or community,” says Paul Sesay, CEO of Inclusive Companies. “Our judges will look beyond policies and practices to shine a light on those who can demonstrate that diversity and inclusion run through the very heart of all they do. Awards will go to those who are going above and beyond their corporate social responsibility and making an outstanding commitment to equality and equity.”

Last year’s individual award winners were Janet Tidmarsh, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Whitbread, who won the Head of Diversity & Inclusion Award, and Caroline Frankum, Global CEO at Kantar Profiles who won the Chief Executive of the Year Award.

Organisations large and small also carried off awards. Shape Talent won the D&I Consultancy of the Year Award and West Midlands Police the Diversity Team of the Year Award. United Utilities took home the Inclusive Culture Initiative Award while HSBC secured the Outstanding Diversity Network Award. Finally, the University of Sunderland received The Social Mobility Project Award and Barclays Chief Technology Office won the D&I Tech Initiative Award.

‘We need awards until we don’t need awards’

“Last year, one of our judges, Jiten Patel, summed it up nicely by saying ‘we need awards until we don’t need awards’,” says Paul. “I would be delighted to reach the stage where the work we celebrate at the Inclusive Awards is considered the norm, not the exception. However, we are not there yet so it remains important to highlight and showcase the extraordinary work being done, learn from these role models and draw inspiration from their attitudes, behaviour and achievements.”

2023 Inclusive Awards Categories and Timeline

The 2023 Inclusive Awards have eight categories as follows plus a Lifetime Achiever Award that is bestowed on an individual by the judging panel.  The deadline for entries is July 25, 2023. Shortlisted entrants are due to be announced in September and winners will be revealed at the 2023 Inclusive Awards event later this year.

D&I Consultancy Award for innovative consultancies which focus on diversity and inclusion and offer bespoke strategies, training, advice and solutions to organisations looking to create an inclusive working culture.

Outstanding Diversity Network Award for the outstanding contribution of employee networks that have tackled issues internally or externally to influence change in the field of equality and diversity such as age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, faith or religion.

Inclusive Culture Initiative Award for inclusive culture initiatives across organisations with diversity at their core through internal initiative strategies, campaigns and resources that have been implemented to drive diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation.

Head of Diversity and Inclusion Award to recognise the achievements of individuals who have shown leadership, commitment and motivation, driving the diversity agenda throughout their company and wider community.

Chief Executive of the Year Award for chief executives who have shown personal commitment to the diversity and inclusion agenda, valuing the diversity of their employees and leading their organisation to become an inclusive employer.

D&I Tech Initiative Award to showcase innovation from inventions that are removing barriers for minority groups to tech solutions that can drive diversity and inclusivity to create change.

Social Mobility Project Award to highlight organisations which have developed and implemented projects to encourage social mobility and community involvement.

Diversity Teams Award to showcase teams across a variety of organisations that have shown outstanding dedication in diversity and inclusion to enhance the agenda within their businesses.

Lifetime Achiever Award is awarded by the judging panel to an individual who has devoted a major portion of their professional life to enhancing the practice of equality and diversity, making significant innovative and cumulatively outstanding contributions to the cause.

 

Entering the Inclusive Awards

To see the full list of categories and to enter the Inclusive Awards, visit

https://inclusiveawards.com/awardcategories/

Appointments, Construction, Diversity, Diversity & Inclusion, News

Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors appoints new chair to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Council to steer change

A fresh drive to ensure broader representation in the profession of civil engineering surveyors will help to guarantee that places and spaces will be built for all of society in future, not just some.

That’s the view of the new chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Council at the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors.

The internationally renowned organisation has appointed highly respected chartered surveyor Simon Navin to chair its EDI Council, tasked with driving the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda in the civil engineering surveying industry through education and innovation.

 

Simon Navin, MCInstCES, is Geospatial Services Lead at international professional services consultants, Jacobs.

He said: “As within many areas of society, we have a challenge within the profession and the industry to ensure there is much greater equality and diversity and I’m thrilled to be in a position to help steer that change.

“I don’t think, as a profession, that we can design and deliver the built spaces and places of today and tomorrow, if we’re not fully represented by the people that will use those places. I think both the Council and its membership need to fully reflect the future users of those environments, and I see that as my key role as chair of the CICES EDI Council.”

 

The role of the institution is to advance the science and art of civil engineering surveying for the benefit of the public, by upholding and advancing the standards of education, competence, practice and conduct of its members.

Traditionally, civil engineering surveying has been seen as a profession dominated by white males.

The EDI Council is charged with changing that – by broadening access to employment opportunities amongst diverse groups which are currently under-represented, sharing and promoting best practice in equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and encouraging a safe working environment where all members of society can flourish.

 

Simon Hamlyn, CEO at the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES), said: “We are delighted that Simon has agreed to become the new chair of our EDI Council. While we have made huge strides in encouraging a wider cross section of the public to join the profession, there is still vitally important and exciting work to be done.

“Simon’s passion for greater equality and diversity is key to his appointment. He will lead the charge which will see equality, diversity and inclusion, as one of our three golden threads, through all that we do within the CICES and across our industry in future.”

Diversity, Diversity & Inclusion, News

Inspirational diversity advisor given ambassador for peace award

An inspirational entrepreneur and bestselling author from Wales has been honoured with a prestigious award by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) in the same month as being appointed to a new role on the Advisory Panel of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Bernie Davies, a former lawyer, restaurateur, award-winning motivational speaker and owner of the Introbiz West Wales franchise, received an Ambassador for Peace Award from the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) at its UK headquarters at Lancaster Gate, London, on Saturday, December 10, 2022.

The award was presented by the Director of UPF UK, Margaret Ali, in recognition of Davies’ inspirational work highlighting the importance of diversity, inclusion and equality. It follows her speech entitled: ‘Now is the time’, given at the House of Lords on November 15, to mark the United Nations (UN) International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Young Girls.

The UN calls violence against women and girls ‘one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today’. The UPF Ambassador for Peace Award was presented to Davies on the final day of a global, UN-led 16-day campaign of activism against gender-based violence. UPF has now also asked Davies to work further with the organisation.

UPF is an international and interreligious network of individuals and organisations, including representatives from religions, governments, civil society and the private sector, dedicated to achieving world peace.

As a non-governmental organisation, UPF holds a general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. As such, it supports the work of the UN, particularly in the areas of interfaith peacebuilding, peace education, and the strengthening of marriage and family.

The award comes in the same month in which Davies has also won the Women’s Business Club 2022 Speaker Award and been appointed as one of three new independent members on the Advisory Panel for the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has legal powers to investigate complaints about public services, independent care providers in Wales, and allegations against councillors of a breach of their authority’s code of conduct.

The Ombudsman’s Advisory Panel is a nonstatutory forum whose main role is to support the Ombudsman in shaping strategy and providing leadership to the office.

Davies – the first black female to sit on the Advisory Panel – will start her role in the new year. She will help support the Ombudsman with an external perspective to assist in the development of policy and practice on matters of diversity, inclusion, and equality.

Bernie Davies, entrepreneur, and winner of the UPF Ambassador for Peace Award, said:

“To receive this award from the Universal Peace Federation is a great honour. As a survivor of abuse myself, I feel it is vitally important to highlight the plight that so many women around the world face on a daily basis. We must all play a key role in finding ways to end violence of all kinds and demonstrate that those who have suffered its devastating effects can go on to achieve great things for themselves, their families and their communities.”

“To be invited to join the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Advisory Panel is another great honour. I hope my personal experiences will be able to help inform this valuable, impartial service to understand how matters of diversity, inclusion and equality impact on the decisions we make every day, and how a diverse and inclusive approach can benefit society.”

Awards, Diversity, Diversity in Tech, Gender Disparity, News, STEM

Winners celebrate at the TechWomen100 Awards 2022

Vanessa Vallely OBE calls on employers to redress ‘pitifully low’ 21% representation of women in tech with female tech talent pipeline clear to see

Over 100 extraordinary and inspiring women working in tech, came together to celebrate at the 2022 TechWomen100 Awards on Tuesday December 6th at the QEII Centre in London.

The TechWomen100 Awards, powered by Barclays, focus on the achievements of up-and-coming women currently working in tech below senior management level. By shining a light on the female tech talent pipeline, the Awards seek to encourage and support the next generation of female tech role models and leaders.

Now in their fifth year, the TechWomen100 Awards recognise the impact of individuals, companies and networks that are leading the way for future generations of tech talent. They form a key part of the WeAreTechWomen’s campaign to find and support 1,000 future female leaders in technology by 2025. So far, since 2015, the TechWomen100 awards have highlighted the achievements of 450 women.

This year’s Awards attracted over 1,000 entries from which a diverse panel of 20 independent industry judges identified a shortlist of 200. The public was then asked to show its support by voting for these incredible women. A second round of judging by the panel resulted in 100 winners being chosen alongside the overall winner of the public vote to for the 2022 TechWomen100 winners.

 

“I would like to extend huge congratulations to this year’s winners of the TechWomen100 Awards,” says Vanessa Vallely OBE, managing director, WeAreTechWomen. “While the Awards event was a great celebration of the female tech talent pipeline, the fact remains women represent only 21% of the tech industry which is pitifully low.

 “This year’s winners have proved beyond doubt that women can contribute significantly to tech roles bringing creativity, leadership, vision and commitment to this exciting field. As these women pay it forward, create communities, support each other and use their platforms to encourage more women and girls into the industry, I would call upon more employers to step up to support women in tech roles so that more top talent will be attracted to and retained by the sector.”

 

The TechWomen100 Awards 2022 are powered by Barclays and sponsored by Accenture, BAE Systems, Bank of America, BT, Clifford Chance, Credit Suisse, Funding Circle, Goldman Sachs, Huawei, Ipsos Mori, Morgan Stanley, Northern Trust, Oliver Wyman, PwC and Sky. In addition, Durham University and Google are the education partners for this year’s awards, honouring the female talent pipeline in technology.

 

“At Barclays, we’re focused on improving gender diversity through a workplace environment and culture that enables our female colleagues to fulfil their career aspirations,” says Craig Bright, Group Chief Information Officer, Barclays.  “As a leader in technology, this means really investing in how we attract, retain and develop our female tech talent. Recognising and celebrating female technologists is fundamental to closing the gender gap and building a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture across the industry,” he believes. “Barclays is committed to supporting and empowering women in tech to realise their full potential. We seek to promote, support and amplify the voices of those leading positive change and inspiring others, which is why we’re proud to be the headline sponsor for the 2022 TechWomen100 Awards.”

 

TechWomen100 Awards 2022 Winners

 

Champion of the Year – Gemma Willman, Head of Workforce Enablement, Natwest Group

Gemma was chosen for her passion in driving the gender agenda for women in technology

both internally and externally.

 

Company of the Year – Finastra

Finastra was chosen for its initiatives to elevate women in technology alongside its inclusive internal policies which help women to feel supported, both in life and their careers.

 

Network of the Year – Barclays Women in Technology (WIT)

Barclays was chosen for its incredible internal initiatives to support their women in tech.

 

Global Achievement Award – Amna Habiba, founder of BloomED

Just 16 years old, Amna was chosen for her outstanding efforts to teach 1000s of girls in Pakistan how to code.

 

Three additional awards include:

The Editor’s Choice, Lifetime Achievement and the Winner of the Public Vote.

 

Editor’s Choice Award – Flavilla Fongang, Founder of 3 Colours Rule

Flavilla was selected for her outstanding contribution towards building a pipeline of women in tech while simultaneously raising the profiles of black women in the tech industry.

 

Lifetime Achievement Award – Russ Shaw CBE, Founder of Tech London Advocates & Global

Tech Advocates

Russ was recognised for his outstanding support for women in tech.

 

Public Vote Winner – Ekta Soni, Wipro

Her outstanding work attracted just over 5,000 global votes.

 

Full details of the TechWomen100 Awards 2022 can be seen here https://wearetechwomen.com/techwomen100-awards-winners-2022/

 

Awards, Diversity, HR, HR News

Naga Munchetty reveals winners of 2022 Inclusive Awards

Renowned newsreader, TV presenter and journalist Naga Munchetty acknowledged and celebrated inclusive employers and diversity champions as she revealed the winners of the 2022 Inclusive Awards on Thursday December 1st.

Making a welcome return as a live event after a three-year break due to Covid restrictions, the Inclusive Awards is organised by Inclusive Companies and sponsored by United Utilities, Emcor and Auto Trader. It is the only awards ceremony that rewards organisations for harnessing a truly diverse workforce, recognising the significant efforts of organisations nationwide that excel in their commitment to equality and inclusion across all strands of diversity. Alongside announcing the Award winners, Paul Sesay, CEO of Inclusive Companies, also revealed the 2022 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers (IT50) List and launched the first-ever Diversity Power List.

“It’s an absolute honour to host the Inclusive Awards and a privilege to meet these inspiring individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of others in their workplace and community,” says Naga Munchetty. “I would like to congratulate all the finalists and winners and also thank them for stepping up their diversity and inclusion practices: I hope their success encourages many others to follow their example.”

Entries to the eight categories were assessed by an esteemed panel of 20 judges https://inclusiveawards.com/judges/ from diverse cultural and business backgrounds who chose the following winners (please see below for the category criteria).

2022 Inclusive Awards Winners

Winners celebrating at the 2022 Inclusive Awards

Head of Diversity & Inclusion Award – Janet Tidmarsh, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Whitbread

Chief Executive of the Year Award – Caroline Frankum, Global CEO, Kantar Profiles

D&I Consultancy of the Year Award – Shape Talent

D&I Tech Initiative Award – Barclays Chief Technology Office D&I Initiatives

Inclusive Culture Initiative Award – United Utilities

Outstanding Diversity Network Awards – HSBC Balance UK employee resource group

Social Mobility Project Award – University of Sunderland: We Care

Diversity Team of the Year Award – West Midlands Police Diversity & Inclusion Team

 

“I am delighted to see the Inclusive Awards event return and it’s humbling to see so many talented, diverse and inclusive organisations and individuals in one room,” says Paul Sesay, CEO and Founder of the Inclusive Awards. “Diversity and inclusion are hugely important but never more so than during difficult times,” he continues. “The last few years have seen unprecedented challenges for organisations and employees: first, the Covid-19 lockdowns which disbanded work communities and impacted how organisations functioned and delivered their services. Now employers and employees are facing a cost-of-living crisis, political and economic turmoil. Despite these massive distractions for businesses, I would urge employers to recognise that the talent of a diverse workforce is more valuable and important than ever. Fostering an inclusive working environment can bring business benefits and provide a market advantage, not to mention a stronger sense of community to help weather whatever storms lie ahead.”

 

As in previous years, Paul Sesay took the opportunity of the Inclusive Awards event to reveal the 2022 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List and introduce his first-ever, brand new Diversity Power List.

The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List is now in its 7th year and shows the 50 most inclusive companies in the UK as chosen by a dedicated panel of judges, based on each organisation’s performance in a range of areas within the diversity arena. This year, West Midlands Fire Service topped the list followed by Capgemini UK and Touchstone in second and third place respectively. See the full list here: https://www.inclusivecompanies.co.uk/inclusivetop50/2022rankings/

Brand new for 2022 is the Diversity Power List – a definitive, honours-style list of the most innovative and inspirational diverse people in the UK.  From athletes to actors, business leaders to entrepreneurs, famous faces to unsung community heroes, the list includes people from all walks of life showing outstanding bravery and dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion. See the full list here: https://diversitypowerlist.com/2022diversitypowerlist/

“I am immensely proud of the work we’re doing to promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion in the UK,” says Paul. “The Awards are a fantastic way to celebrate all the good work being done and provide the perfect backdrop to announce the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List and the new Diversity Power List. Together, they illustrate incredible vision, talent and dedication from individuals and organisations and across all strands of diversity which I hope will empower, inspire and encourage many others in the year to come.”

2022 Inclusive Awards Winners, Categories and Criteria

Head of Diversity & Inclusion Award – Janet Tidmarsh, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Whitbread

This Award highlights the excellent achievements of Heads of Diversity & Inclusion who have shown leadership, commitment and motivation – driving the diversity agenda throughout a company and the wider community.

Chief Executive of the Year Award – Caroline Frankum, Global CEO, Kantar Profiles

This Award applauds Chief Executives who have shown personal commitment to the diversity and inclusion agenda, valuing the diversity of their employees and leading their organisation to become an inclusive employer.

D&I Consultancy of the Year Award – Shape Talent

This Award showcases consultancies who focus on D&I and offer bespoke strategies, training advice and solutions to other organisations looking to create an inclusive working culture.

D&I Tech Initiative Award – Barclays Chief Technology Office D&I Initiatives

This Award recognises emerging, ground-breaking tech initiatives from inventions removing barriers for minority groups to tech companies developing impressive diversity initiatives to create change.

Inclusive Culture Initiative Award – United Utilities

This Award recognises inclusive culture initiatives with diversity at their core including the implementation of successful strategies, campaigns and resources throughout their organisation.

Outstanding Diversity Network Awards – HSBC Balance UK employee resource group

This Award identifies the outstanding contribution of employee networks that have tackled issues internally or externally to influence change in the field of equality and diversity such as age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, faith or religion.

Social Mobility Project Award – University of Sunderland: We Care

This Award recognises organisations and the projects they have developed and implemented to encourage social mobility and community involvement from all backgrounds.

Diversity Team of the Year Award – West Midlands Police Diversity & Inclusion Team

This Award highlight teams that have shown outstanding dedication in the field of diversity and inclusion and enhanced the agenda within their business.

Diversity, Diversity in Tech, Gender Disparity, News, Tech

Martha Lane Fox on inclusivity in the tech sector, inertia in the House of Lords, and why she’s a ‘dot com dinosaur’

In WorkL’s Autumn Lecture, today Baroness Martha Lane Fox looks back on history, reflecting on the 1960’s and 70’s when women, working from home were programming the Concorde and working in deep tech, yet today there’s an astonishing absence of ‘gender balance’ in the sector.

Martha highlights the tech trailblazer, Dame Stephanie Shirley who employed women in building complex technologies and argues that today “we would be absolutely astonished if we had seen so many women engaged in those areas of technology, they are not associated right now, those deep tech areas of technology, with such a gender balance.”

In the lecture, Martha questions why, today, we are not using the insights and learning from the 1960’s and 70’s, to build a more inclusive and sustainable technology space for the future?

Having studied Ancient and Modern History at University, Martha looks back to the past to learn how to create a fairer and more inclusive future for the technology sector and our digital spaces.  Beginning the lecture, outlining how she was called a ‘dot com dinosaur’ in the street, Martha accepts her “whole career has been underpinned by technology right from the beginning”.

Martha co-founded Lastminute.com and doteveryone, a think tank championing responsible tech for a fairer future.  Martha argues the Covid-19 pandemic shifted our relationship with technology but highlights not everyone was able to move seamlessly to technology during lockdowns.  Her “metropolitan bubble”, helped her “carry on as normal” when the world was locked down yet “only 50% of jobs could be done online, and a huge percentage of the people that weren’t able to work online.”

Martha goes on to stress that there is still a “huge job to do to include everybody in these enormous changes that have dominated so much of the working landscape over the last three years, but before that as well”.  Incredibly Martha cites that “half the world is still not using the internet, can you imagine what that felt like during this pandemic?”

Reflecting on her experience at the House of Lords during the pandemic Martha writes:

“If you had said to me that before the pandemic, we would be online doing committee meetings, we’d be voting and talking in the chamber, within 3 weeks of everything shutting down I would honestly have thought you were smoking an enormous spliff. But actually, that’s exactly what happened.  Parliament was able to digitise itself incredibly quickly and push through some of the inertia that perhaps had hit the organisation previously.”

WorkL’s Employee Experience report, published today, highlights the technology sector as being one of the happiest.  Since 2018 its score has risen from 73% to 87% in 2020.  Pre-pandemic to Lockdown-1m  scores jumped 7% (from 73% to 90% – a score no other industry has ever hit).

The industry has made progress in terms of women’s experience in the industry.  In 2018 WorkL data showed male employees felt more empowered and trusted in their jobs than women (60% in men vs 54% in women). In 2022, this gap stabilises as both men and women score 74%.  Women today feel more empowered in the technology industry.

Looking ahead to the future of the tech sector Martha emphasises the need to question where we get skills from and how we can help people from all kinds of communities to be part of that future that we are building.

For more information on the lecture and WorkL’s Employee Experience report, go to workl.co

Diversity, HR, News

SEVEN ways businesses can make meaningful change beyond Black History Month

Written by Debbie Tembo, DE&I Partnerships Director at Creative Equals

It is one thing for an organisation to mark Black History Month and another for it to commit to being a better employer all year round.

Plenty of organisations often announce measures and declare support for their Black and ethnic minority employees and communities in October, only for these to fall by the wayside come November.

In reality, very few organisations actually deliver the deep work needed to reach parity for Black and ethnic minority people in Britain.

However, there are plenty of measures employers can take to accelerate meaningful change in Black History Month and beyond.

Here are seven ways organisations can actually make a difference and avoid the pledges made in October, turning into lip service come November:

 

1. Develop acceleration programmes for Black and minority ethnic talent

Companies should roll out acceleration programmes that allow Black and minority ethnic talent to be platformed, made visible to senior management, coached and reverse mentored by and between senior management, and in particular, with sponsors. Companies must ensure there are intentional promotions and progression plans in place for Black and minority ethnic employees.

2. Expose Black and minority ethnic talent to senior management

Employers must be consistent in giving Black and minority ethnic talent exposure to senior management. I urge leaders to invite Black and ethnic minority employees to sit in on senior leadership team meetings as part of their professional development, ask them for feedback, reflections and observations during the session, and genuinely take the feedback on board.

3. Allow employees to shape the culture of the business

Change can happen when companies allow employers to shape the culture of the business. Oftentimes, businesses have an ingrained culture and recruit inclusively, but fail to change the structures and systems that allow employees to be themselves once they have been recruited. For example, the simple practice of running inclusive meetings encourages the principle of equal share of voice within employee communities.

4. Bring diversity to the table

I urge companies to look around the room and evaluate who is at the table. If they see it’s not representative companies should commit to doing better next time; making sure that everyone who’s in the meeting has their voice heard and calling employees in, especially Black and ethnic minority employees; and if employees are being spoken over, leaders should speak up and call out the behaviour to encourage a workplace where psychological safety is assured and speaking up is not career limiting.

5. Hire Black and ethnic minority talent in senior positions

I would like to see companies hire Black and ethnic minority talent in senior positions based on their skills and potential to lead with a different point of view that is additive to the culture of the organisation, rather than seen as a threat or the right fit for the culture. Companies must get over the bias that says Black and minority ethnic talent cannot fulfil your organisation’s strategy and stop recruiting them in roles with less advancement opportunities.

6. Stop questioning the expertise of Black and minority ethnic DEI experts

Organisations should hire Black and minority ethnic diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) experts to support their organisation’s efforts and stop questioning the expertise and credentials of these individuals.

7. Engage employee networks of Black and minority ethnic employees in strategic processes

To help make a lasting difference, organisations should engage employee networks of Black and minority ethnic employees in strategic processes and reviews. Companies could seek the counsel of the network in their hiring process and should allow them to call out bias and recommend ways to improve the process to be more inclusive. Sadly, it does not go without saying that companies should pay those in the network for their expertise and time.

 

To reach parity and create lasting change for Black and ethnic minority people in Britain, organisations must go beyond box ticking measures in October. It’s time to commit to the deep work needed and ensure the conversations ignited during Black History Month are given the same dedication and energy all year round.

 

 

 

Diversity, Diversity & Inclusion, HR, Leadership, News

Succession planning is susceptible to bias say 86% of HR leaders

  • Over 33% of organisations are struggling to build a diverse leadership bench through succession planning
  • 36% of HR leaders say their organisational boards are increasing pressure to diversify leadership
  • Gut instinct over data: just 38% of HR leaders use data in hiring processes to reduce bias in succession planning
  • Less than a third of HR leaders plan to actively attract candidates from disabled or lower socio-economic backgrounds

 

Nearly nine out of 10 talent leaders think their succession planning is biased, according to the latest research from talent insight experts Armstrong Craven.

The survey of 213 HR and talent professionals revealed that more than one in three say their organisation is struggling to build a diverse leadership bench through succession planning, with only 36% of respondents saying their organisational boards are increasing pressure to diversify leadership.

 

Rachel Davis, Co-Managing Director at Armstrong Craven, said:

“We believe bias is driven by a more traditional approach, often taken by senior executives who turn first to their existing networks. Even if they move beyond these networks, they tend to fish in traditional, often non-diverse, talent pools. HR leaders need to work with current and  next generation leaders to help them take a broader view, supporting strategic thinking by bringing in different perspectives. Building inclusivity is amongst the biggest business priorities, so it’s essential for organisations to get it right at the very top. Encouragingly, 85% of HR leaders have plans to actively attract or support leaders from underrepresented groups, so gaining a wider view and using external talent data will help them reduce bias in their succession planning.

“There are a number of ways to do this. Having an external succession plan opens up a new field of potential talent. Another potential is to set up a shadow board. This enables a business to better understand their internal talent as the group of (likely younger) non-executive employees work with senior execs. The business gains from their insights, not least on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), yet it also provides the opportunity to learn about and develop potential internal talent faster.”

 

The Armstrong Craven research also highlighted an imbalanced approach to hiring from diverse talent pools – whilst nearly half (49%) of HR leaders have plans to actively attract ethnically diverse candidates for leadership positions, only 30% are doing the same for disabled candidates, and just 32% are planning to attract candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

 

Peter Howarth, Co-Managing Director at Armstrong Craven, explained:

“That there are such differences in diversity hiring is not surprising, considering only 38% of HR leaders use data to reduce bias in succession planning. Succession planning can’t be based on a gut feeling or somebody’s opinion of who could be a good replacement; it needs to be based on data which requires an assessment of business needs to ensure relevant candidates are sought to fill the roles.

“When it comes to diversity in senior leadership*, since pre-COVID (2019) female representation amongst top senior managers has increased by nearly 5%, and ethnic minority representation has increased by 3%, but we are still talking about small numbers compared to the huge proportion of white males. We are not even skimming the surface of the neurodiverse and gender diverse talent pools.”

 

—

*Green Park 2021 https://www.green-park.co.uk/insights/?gppc_category=Ethnic+Minority%7CWhite&gppc_level=Top+20&gppc_year_1=2021&gppc_year_2=2019

 

About Armstrong Craven

Armstrong Craven is a global leader in research-driven talent solutions.

Working with the world’s most influential and respected businesses undergoing transformational change, its industry-focused experts provide talent mapping, pipelining, executive search and talent insight services to help businesses ensure they attract, hire and retain the scarce and senior talent they need on a global basis.

Disability, Disability at work, Diversity, News

PageGroup CEO Calls on Businesses to Remove Disability Employment Barriers

FTSE 250 recruitment company, PageGroup, is calling on the industry to do more to support people with disabilities get into work. This rallying cry – led by CEO, Steve Ingham CBE, comes following a survey of over 1,000 UK business leaders which highlighted that almost three quarters (74%) feel that there are barriers to hiring people with disabilities in their organisation.

In a market where there are currently more vacancies than there are job hunters, these businesses are overlooking talented and skilled people with disabilities, including those who are neurodivergent, by closing the door on them at the very first step in the process.

To encourage businesses to improve and diversify their hiring practices, PageGroup has brought together key charities, social enterprises and changemakers in this space to launch a set of free resources designed to foster accessibility in recruitment across all industries, specifically for people with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and the neurodiverse.

In creating these resources, PageGroup has partnered with cloud-based web accessibility experts Recite Me, and worked closely with Leonard Cheshire, Genius Within, and Vision Foundation to identify simple yet meaningful solutions to help open up the jobs market and remove initial barriers to employment for those with disabilities.

With just a quarter (27%) of business leaders in the UK saying their organisation uses assistive technology to improve the hiring experience for people with disabilities, for example tailoring adverts for people with visual impairments or adopting ‘text to speech’ apps, there is a clear need for greater focus on inclusion at all stages of the recruitment process.

To offer greater accessibility to opportunities, PageGroup has installed Recite Me’s website plugin software across its sites to increase access for candidates applying for roles.

Today, job seekers can see the toolbar in action in eight markets on Michael Page and Page Personnel websites, and expect to see it continue to roll out across their sites globally in the coming months. The Recite Me toolbar is a website extension designed to offer users with visual impairments, learning disabilities and neurodiverse abilities a truly inclusive online experience with a range of customisation options to ensure accessibility.  These include screen reading, line-by-line tracking, distraction elimination, text zooming, and colour correction on pages to assist users with a variety of disabilities. Users can design an online experience to best suit their needs, helping every candidate to kick off their job search in the best way. As most job searches begin online, these adaptations are a radical improvement for job seekers included in the approximately one billion web users with dyslexia, visual impairments, autism, ADHD, epilepsy, and hyperlexia.

PageGroup’s CEO, Steve Ingham, said: “For the past 12 months we’ve seen job vacancies skyrocket, with many suggesting that the market is ‘candidate short’. But the fact of the matter is that there are hundreds of thousands of disabled or neurodiverse candidates who are unable to access roles due to inaccessible recruitment processes.

“At PageGroup, we are determined to create change. Whether that’s the industry leading work our award-winning DE&I team do internally, or the support we give our clients through our DE&I Client Solutions team, or our new accessibility resources for businesses across the country – this is a priority that runs through the very core of our business.”

“Accessibility in the recruitment process is crucial, but that’s just the first step for businesses – it’s important to remember that it doesn’t just end there. Whether it’s introducing technology, making offices wheelchair accessible or designing layouts that create spaces for everyone to thrive, businesses must realise that they can never be truly done, only constantly striving to do better.”

Ross Linnett, CEO at Recite Me said: “We are proud to be partnering with PageGroup to deliver resources for businesses that will open up the conversation around inclusion and accessibility in hiring. We have also been working with PageGroup to integrate our website accessibility software across its websites. An important milestone, as visiting a webpage is often the first step of a job seekers’ journey, yet inaccessible websites mean many candidates face barriers at the first hurdle. We’re excited to be helping to open opportunities for those who have previously been excluded from the job market because of inaccessible technology.”

The resources are designed for business leaders and hiring managers, with the advice relevant for workers at all levels across all sectors. The only way to instigate positive change and remove employment barriers for those with disabilities is to take meaningful action. Businesses can learn more and access the resources here.

Diversity, News

360+ Global Experts to Share Insights & Advice on LGBTQ+ Inclusion at WorkPride 2022

WorkPride 2022’s five-day global virtual conference, starting Monday 20 June, features over 360 diverse voices from around the world at 71 events, offering expert advice on LGBTQ+ inclusion in the world of work. With an increasing number of companies wanting to ensure LGBTQ+ inclusion at work, myGwork’s upcoming WorkPride 2022 (20-24th June), is well-timed to help leaders and LGBTQ+ allies create more inclusive workplaces.

After a hugely successful event last year, attracting over 20,000 delegates from around the world, the LGBTQ+ professional networking platform myGwork returns with another action-packed WorkPride 2022, with sessions delivered in English, as well as Spanish. Once again, WorkPride will welcome thousands of virtual attendees worldwide to network, share best practices and learn strategies to help create workspaces that are inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

This year’s event boasts top international LGBTQ+ voices including former Olympian Michael Gunning, Trans Broadcaster India Willoughby, Tik Tok star Nosebleedfitz, political commentator Albie Amankona and first openly gay major league rugby player Devin Ibanez, alongside LGBTQ+ professionals and allies from Fortune 500 companies. The panels and workshops will provide the opportunity to deep dive into conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion, mental and emotional wellbeing, allyship and career progression/business opportunities in the workplace for LGBTQ+ professionals and graduates, with global expert advice from public and private companies/organisations in practically every sector.

Global experts will offer timely advice, support and thought leadership on allyship (Monday 20 June), networks (Tuesday 21 June), careers (Wednesday 22 June), business (Thursday 23 June) and wellbeing (Friday 24 June); as well as tips on how to get ahead in sectors like tech, legal, finance and more. Additionally, the conference will include diverse and ethnicity-specific panels to provide an opportunity to delve into different intersectional LGBTQ+ community needs and issues, covering disability, generational/age, race/culture (Latinx, South Asian, Black, etc), and much more.

“We’re delighted to return with an action-packed WorkPride this year featuring more than 360 speakers from around the world. Our diverse speakers and agenda provide a brilliant opportunity for LGBTQ+ professionals, allies and inclusive employers to network, share best practice and learn strategies that will help to create inclusive workspaces for all. It’s a must-attend event for every leader and manager who wants to learn more about the tremendous role that LGBTQ+ professionals play across all industries, and how to be a better ally to promote much-needed inclusion, and ultimately retain this valuable and vibrant talent,” stated myGwork Co-founders Adrien (CMO) and Pierre Gaubert (CEO). “It’s also an ideal event for LGBTQ+ graduates and professionals looking for their next role to find out more about opportunities at inclusive companies attending the event.”

EY, the global professional services provider, is WorkPride’s headline event sponsor, for the third consecutive year. This year’s day sponsors include Sanofi, Booking.com, RS Group, alongside many of myGwork’s supporting partners sponsoring specific panels.

Finally, this must-attend event is completely free of charge for professionals, graduates, inclusive employers, allies and anyone who believes in workplace equality. WorkPride 2022 will provide a unique opportunity to share best practice and mingle with thousands of like-minded – yet diverse – people across the globe on LGBTQ+ inclusion matters. Attendees will also get the opportunity to win a cruise of a life time each day of the event, generously donated by Virgin Voyages, alongside other coveted prizes, such as tea for two at London’s Shard and other top-of-the-range goodies.

For more information on the WorkPride 2022 agenda or to sign up, check out the myGwork website here.

About myGwork
myGwork is the largest business community for LGBTQ+ professionals, graduates, inclusive employers and anyone who believes in workplace equality. It aims to empower the LGBTQ+ community by offering individual members a safe space where they can connect with inclusive employers, find jobs, mentors, professional events and news. The company’s founders Adrien and Pierre Gaubert won the Attitude Young LGBTQ+ Entrepreneur of the Year Award and were also recently honoured as one of the Top 100 Global LGBT+ OUTstanding Executives. More recently, myGwork was shortlisted for The 2022 Digital Leaders Impact Awards as a finalist in the 6th Digital Leaders Impact Awards 2022 celebrating UK tech for good. The company also won this year’s Bank of London’s 2022 Rainbow Honours. Additionally, myGwork was listed in the Top 5 Startups with Pride by Geek Times and it recently won the Diva Magazine Award of Corporate Allies.

About WorkPride
WorkPride is a five-day series of events for professionals, graduates, inclusive employers and anyone who believes in workplace equality. Each year, WorkPride welcomes thousands of virtual attendees from around the globe to network, share best practice and learn strategies to help create workspaces inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.