23 MAY 2018

A truly diverse workforce: the benefits and how to get there

The subject of diversity in the work place and throughout society has never been more prominent, and the debate goes to the heart of every organisation. Within employment, high-profile issues such as the gender pay gap and disparities in opportunities across the workforce on the basis of race, disability and sexuality make it a hot topic, central to debate at local and government levels as the ongoing drive for change continues to gain momentum.

Today, the issue of diversity has been brought sharply back into focus by the reports that Oxford University is failing to attract students from diverse backgrounds. Between 2015 and 2017, more than one in four of its colleges failed to admit a single black British student each year*.

We are proud to work with Further Education Colleges who are forward-thinking advocates. Striving for and achieving diversity throughout the student community and the workforce is a key standard and goal common to Colleges we work with and we are committed to helping them achieve that through our recruitment advertising strategies.

So, what is diversity?

It’s useful to take a moment to consider what we mean by diversity. One definition is that a diverse workforce is comprised of employees with verifying characteristics across gender, age, race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, education etc and does not discriminate. Crucially, promoting and supporting diversity means striving for an inclusive environment where each individual feels valued and able to participate and achieve their potential. To be successful, it has to be a recognised and integral part of the organisation’s culture and run through every aspect of its day-to-day activities and long-term objectives.

The benefits of a diverse workforce

The danger is that ‘diversity’ can be treated as a superficial ‘tick-box’ exercise, purely complying with legislation rather than recognising, embracing and celebrating the value it can add to an organisation and its employee’s well-being and engagement.

Achieving diversity in Further Education has double the positive impact. Firstly, as a business, cultivating an environment where staff feel valued and supported means that job satisfaction will be higher, staff turnover will be lower and a strong team will prevail.

Secondly, creating a diverse team of teaching staff is also crucial to appeal to a wider range of students from across the community, who may perform better if they can readily relate to their teachers and where language or cultural differences can be met.

Value and strive for diversity in your recruitment

Establishing an inclusive culture makes recruiting diverse talent much easier. But before that, you need to have a mindful approach to seeking out candidates that can bring something else to the table.

Review your HR processes so that your recruitment searches reach further than your previous tried and tested methods. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Look outside of your own sectors parameters and consider targeting employees in roles within business and commerce that might utilise a similar skillset or are able to convert their wealth of hands-on experience to the teaching environment.
• Widen your search to different geographical areas.
• Be clear that you are able to assist candidates that may need more support throughout the application or recruitment process, such as those who are hard of hearing or deaf.

These and a host of other measures will mean that you will strengthen your Further Education offering by creating a more diverse and inclusive environment.

If you need further help on how to address diversity in your recruitment advertising strategies, contact one of our team who would be glad to help you.

*Source: The Guardian