The issue of diversity and equality is gaining momentum in many UK organisations.
This is due to a combination of factors such as increasing legislation, shifting demographics and the current concern to attract the most talented applicants from the widest possible pool.
New research published by Roffey Park looks specifically at how organisations can implement successful diversity and equality strategies. Based on interviews with eight crosssector organisations, including Royal Mail, Ford Motor Company, Buckinghamshire County Council, Fujitsu, AOL, HBOS, the Crown Prosecution Service and Bedfordshire Police, it provides a number of different organisational insights into how to create and implement strategies that are sustainable, future focused and linked to business objectives.
This article, based on the new research, will look at a number of stages involved in implementing a diversity and equality strategy from developing a vision through to measuring and evaluating progress.
1. Developing a vision
Often the biggest challenge of implementing a diversity and equality strategy is knowing where to start. Developing a vision that is meaningful for the organisation and stakeholders is the logical first step in deciding an approach to diversity and equality. This is a particularly important task that can demonstrate the values of inclusion and equality in the very process chosen and the people involved. Often diversity strategies can experience a backlash from some employees who have trouble relating to their purpose. It
is therefore vital to get a shared understanding around diversity and equality and to ensure that the strategy is relevant for every employee.
As Donna Halkyard, Diversity Manager at Ford Europe suggests:
“Inclusivity is absolutely key. Making sure that diversity and inclusion is appealing to the whole cross section of the workforce is very important. You need to get everyone.involved and help them to see the what’s in it for me, why is this diversity and inclusion stuff relevant to me. How can I benefit and how can the organisation benefit?”
An organisation’s vision for diversity and equality typically has a dual focus: staff and customers/service users. But not all organisations have developed both strands. Roffey Park’s Diversity and Equality Survey suggests that 76% of organisations have clearly outlined what diversity/equality looks like in practical terms for staff (this figure increases significantly in larger organisations) but fewer (53%) have done the same for customers/clients. Both strands are likely to need attention in most organisations as the war for talent and the multicultural environment in which organisations increasingly operate become difficult to ignore.
2. Taking a strategic and systemic approach
All too often organisations adopt a ‘scatter gun’ approach to diversity that is not tied in to the organisation’s overall strategy and objectives. Policies are introduced but make little difference because they are either not linked with key business objectives or not followed through with actions. Perhaps this is unsurprising because, frequently, little measurement and evaluation of progress is attempted. Research conducted by the Centre for Applied HR Research (2005), found that organisations demonstrated a wide and diverse range of interventions with little overall strategic direction or linkage to the business goals. They were of a short-term nature and were not embedded into the fabric and culture of the organisation. Diversity must therefore be clearly linked to business objectives, as Charlotte Sweeney, Head of Diversity at HBOS suggests: “If it impacts on business priorities and key deliverables there is more chance of sustained change.”
3. Sharing ownership
The role of integrating diversity and equality into the business is far from simple. This is not something that HR or Diversity practitioners can do alone. Influencing the right stakeholders is particularly important as is building up networks inside and outside the organisation. The more people involved the more sustained the work is likely to be. Mainstreaming diversity and equality into general business strategy is a primary aim for most organisations that show a commitment to the issues, as Stephen Alford, Diversity Manager at Fujitsu suggests: “There should be one co-ordinated action plan – bringing together different departments.”
Dean Taylor, at Buckinghamshire County Council suggests that diversity, inclusion and cohesion: “is part and parcel of everyday management so our approach is it’s not an add on.” He likens it to a stick of rock with diversity distributed at all levels. If Diversity and Equality strategies are to be successful they
need to have senior level leadership, involvement and support. Leaders need to motivate others to be part of the leadership on this subject and see it as part of their personal day-to-day performance. In addition to senior level leadership, organisations need to develop shared accountability. Creating
structures such as steering groups and diversity councils that all levels of employees can participate in have been helpful for many.
4. Changing behaviour
In order to make real progress in this area, organisations must move beyond the rhetoric of policies and aim for real behaviour and culture change. Learning and development that is practical, contextualised, directly applicable to individual roles and engages hearts and minds is likely to impact positively on
attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Effective communication and consultation channels and supportive practices and policies (such as diversity awards, flexible working and mentoring) can also help to create an inclusive culture where diversity and equality is seen as relevant to all employees. Our research
suggests that good leaders on diversity and equality issues are seen as authentic, congruent, humble and courageous, and organisations should focus on developing and encouraging these characteristics. If they do, some research suggests they will be developing effective leaders per se (Collins 2001; Goffee & Jones 2006).
5. Measurement and evaluation
Measurement is vital in ensuring the success of diversity strategies because ‘what gets measured gets done’. This is typically an area that gets missed or is seen to be intangible and difficult to measure. Consequently the link between workplace diversity and financial success is not always immediately apparent, nor is it always linear. (Lockwood: 2005). However the organisations featured in this research spend a lot of time measuring and evaluating their diversity strategies. Perhaps this is why they have made so much progress in this area. Measurement can help organisations to drive change, if the techniques used are designed to suit the particular circumstances and contexts (Mulholland, 2006). They use tools such as reviewing and reporting, inspections and audits, performance management, management information and benchmarking with other organisations to measure and evaluate progress. Softer measurements are also important in evaluating initiatives such as seeking staff feedback through
focus groups and surveys and finding out how diversity and equality is viewed by managers.
Conclusion
There are strong moral, legal and business cases for focusing on issues of diversity and equality in the
workplace. Demographic and societal changes are likely to continue in the future and as organisations move towards more global ways of operating they can no longer afford to ‘bury their heads in the sand’ on this issue. It is imperative that organisations understand the diverse society in which they operate and the diverse needs of their employees. Successful diversity and equality strategies therefore should incorporate and continually develop the five areas emphasised in the research guide: developing a vision,
taking a strategic approach, sharing ownership, changing behaviour and measuring and evaluating progress.
References
McCartney, C and Lock, A (2007) Implementing successful diversity and equality strategies Roffey Park
McCartney, C (2007) Diversity and Equality Survey Results Summary Roffey Park
Lockwood, N (2005) Workplace diversity: leveraging the power of difference for competitive advantage SHRM Research Quarterly
Mulholland et al (2006) Managing Diversity: Words into actions CIPD
Goffee, R & Jones, G (2006) Why should anyone be led by you? What it takes to be an authentic leader. HBS Press.
Collins, J (2001) – From Good to Great – why some companies make the leap and others don’t Random House.