In our latest webinar, we are joined by two of Softcat PLC’s HR figureheads – Anushka Davies (Head of Talent, Engagement & Diversity) and Head of Recruitment, Rachel Cowell. Concept’s Business Development Director, Rob Taylor, leads the conversation in learning Softcat’s Diversity & Inclusion journey, recruitment processes to help D&I, the importance of data and communication to improve outcomes, and much more.

Employers and employees almost everywhere are emphasising the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Companies are eager to find practical and effective ways to find, hire and retain diverse talent, all whilst finding the best fit for a role. To us at Concept, that means attracting, engaging, and welcoming people from all backgrounds, with various views and experiences in life. We want to encourage everyone to have a diverse workforce, which is why we paired with Softcat, a leading, exemplary firm actively diversifying its workforce.

Why should I care about D&I?

Many firms which have had the same workforce over the years may think “I have the right people, so why change?”. We get it. Change is daunting, and requires new processes, thinking, and investment. The answer is simply that diverse workforces are winning workforces. Welcoming all people from whatever background is not only the right thing to do but leads to a happier, more innovative workforce. Your workforce should be a collection of the best people to drive your company forward, how can the same people with similar backgrounds, views and knowledge (etc.) ever drive you to innovate and grow?

How can I start my journey?

Anushka and Rachel suggest firstly evaluating your workforce and seeing what you are abundant with and lacking. Diversity metrics allows you to objectively measure your performance to help identify biases, fairness, and justice in the workplace. 6 diversity metrics you can measure are:

• Hiring and Recruiting 

What are your current policies on diversity when hiring? What does your current candidate pool look like? What about your hiring panel? As well as these factors, you can consider the source of your hires – how can we reach out to new people? If you notice homogeneity across your hires and candidate pool, you should consider implementing new processes to ensure you are being inclusive.

• Equal Pay

Employers must pay their employees equally if they want to boost productivity, creativity, and efficiency. Pay equity helps in attracting the best talent and retaining them. There are two areas of concern currently affecting pay equity: pay between genders and among races. If you don’t have equal pay in your organisation, you are essentially attributing to occupational segregation. You should conduct a pay equity audit annually to determine the discrepancies and the reasons for them. This can help clarify the unexplained reasons for pay gaps that may be connected to gender or racial biases.

• Representation

You can start by measuring the percentage of employees’ demographics by level and function. Having representation across gender, cultures, and ethnicities among others can show existing and prospective employees that they can succeed in your workplace.

• Promotions

According to a report by Mckinsey and Company, only 86 women are promoted compared to 100 men getting promotions. To find out if there is inequality in career advancement, track promotion applications across demographics: gender, race, educational background, etc.

• Retention

Knowing your actual employee retention rates can help you analyse whether you are fostering a workplace that is inclusive. Employee loyalty is a great indicator of your company culture.

• Accessibility 

Diversity and inclusion is a work in progress, hence there are no standard diversity metrics to follow overtime. They should be tailored to your organisation’s goals. Take a personalized approach in selecting which metrics suit your firm. Create a diversity metrics dashboard, so you track those important metrics. Monitoring your diversity metrics is essential in evaluating the effectiveness of your company’s D&I initiatives. Setting achievable goals and tracking progress can help you become an innovative, diverse company ready for modern obstacles. Watch the full webinar above to learn more.

If you’d like to learn more or get involved as a speaker, please contact Robert Taylor. We would love to hear your thoughts on Diversity & Inclusion in your workplace.