An increasing number of companies are recognising the benefits of being socially responsible and to take steps to become equal, diverse and inclusive. If you are an employer or someone in a senior position in your company, this free hub has been created for you.
We have compiled a wide range of information, advice and guidance on creating an inclusive company culture that will ensure your company reaches its maximum potential. Working with a variety of companies of different sizes, we understand the difficulties faced by employers across the UK. As such, we have written these step-by-step guides with you in mind.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
This section of our Employers’ Hub covers all the essentials that you need to understand to get started with developing an inclusive company culture.
Getting to grips with what diversity and inclusion means is difficult. However, failure to properly understand the necessary steps will lead to the company either making potentially damaging mistakes or being accused of tokenism.
As such, we have included:
- General definitions of equality, diversity and inclusion;
- What the laws are and what characteristics are protected;
- What foundations you need to begin improving the equality, diversity and inclusion in your workplace;
- How and why you should monitor, record and publish your progress down this path;
- A guide to understanding why some people may be discriminating without even realising, which is known as unconscious bias;
- How to ensure the way you talk to and approach your employees or colleagues is always inclusive;
- What ideas you could suggest to help create an inclusive work environment; and
- A guide to understanding the challenges of being part of multiple vulnerable groups.
Benefits of Diversity
Current research is adamant about the increase in productivity and profitability of a diverse and inclusive work environment. Not only are you increasing your talent pool, but you make vulnerable people feel comfortable to express themselves and reach their full potential.
If you want greater insights into the benefits or need advice on how to demonstrate the benefits to your colleagues, this section is built for you. Furthermore, it has specific guidance to the benefits of hiring BAME people, those in the LGBTQ+ community, migrants and refugees, religious people, those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and women.
Rights and Regulations
In order to fully understand equality, you must fully understand the meaning of harassment and discrimination. As such, we have developed a guide to the current UK legislation, the Equality Act 2010.
This guide will explain all the different types of discrimination, including how to spot them and how to root them out.
How to Recruit Inclusively
Once you have established the foundations for an inclusive company culture, you can review your recruitment process to ensure it accepts a diverse workforce. This process is more complex than simply stating that you are an inclusive company.
First, you need to understand how to reach and attract candidates from a diverse background. At this point, you can learn how to make your job adverts represent your diversity and inclusivity, followed by a step-by-step guide to reducing any biases throughout the interview and hiring process.
Understanding Equal Pay
Recognising that some employers may be new to equality, diversity and inclusion, we developed this guide to understanding equal pay. Within it, we discuss examples of where pay is not equal, and how to decipher situations that are less clear.
Training Your Employees
As you progress along this path towards equality, diversity and inclusion, your progress may slow somewhat. At this point, you may recognise the need for some expert assistance in supporting open discussion and with training your employees to identify discrimination and root out unconscious bias from their decisions.
Support and Resources
Should you feel like you need some extra advice or guidance in your path to developing equality, diversity and inclusion, we have compiled this short guide. In it, we list some of the best places to access further support and resources for you to utilise.
