Why an employer should consider diversifying its workforce

Companies throughout the North West, and elsewhere, are facing a very tight labour market. Many sectors of the economy having vacancies that are sitting unfilled. If that is a situation you are faced with, what is the solution? Recruitment through normal channels may not be adequate and so companies must look to a wider talent pool.

Looking to hire dedicated, hard-working talent from underrepresented talent groups can help to bridge skills gaps in your business. Organisations who work on being more inclusive and welcoming will attract a wider range of candidates to them, increasing choice for the employer.  It remains the case that most recruiters are passive when it comes to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I).

As well as offering a wider range of candidates it is increasingly the case that procurement policy in the public sector (and some areas of the private sector) now prioritises social value. Funding commissioners look for evidence that businesses are making positive differences to their CSR and social value, of which D&I forms a part.

The available talent is there if companies look for it and actively pursue D&I in their recruitment. McKinsey’s latest report shows that 1 in 4 pupils in schools in the UK are from an ethnic minority yet only 1 in 16 board members in UK companies come from this background. 16% of the working-age population are living with disabilities or long-term health conditions yet only 46% of working-age disabled people are in employment compared with 76% of the general population. This shows organisations are missing out on talent at a time when recruiting is challenging and that they are not reflective of the communities they serve.

There is already evidence that an approach like this does lead to better bottom lines, with companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. While companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.

Things don’t end there, with numerous other benefits to having a focus on D&I in recruitment:

• Solve people/ skills challenges
• Lower employee attrition
• Innovation (creating products/ services that have broad appeal)
• Be an employer of choice
• Attract a wider range of candidates (broad appeal with job seekers)
• Develop new products and services
• Reduce recruitment costs
• Gain/ hold Public Sector contracts
• Increase sales
• Strengthen bottom line
• Mirror the make-up of your local community – reputation as a good employer
• Reflect your customer base – customer-loyalty and attachment to your ethos
• Commissioner priorities – many invitations to tender demand proof of social impact
• Deliver Social Value – more and more customers and employees are as interested in a company’s ethos as they are in charge rates or rates of pay
• A deeper pot of knowledge that can relate to more diverse groups that may otherwise be missed or ignored
• Seeing things from a different perspective can help expand company brand and appeal to a wider audience

Companies wanting to access these benefits now have access to a new service, Aspire in Partnership. This is a service designed to help businesses attract and retain best-in-class talent from a diverse range of backgrounds – creating a productive workforce and opportunities for all. If you are facing recruitment challenges, then please contact AiP.

Our comprehensive recruitment solution covers temp, temp-to-perm and permanent recruitment, across a wide range of roles and sectors. We will help you to make positive changes to your recruitment processes:

• We will target individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including LQBTQ+, people with disabilities and health conditions, minority ethnic communities and gender networks
• We will review all candidates before they are submitted to you, so you can be confident all candidates that you select for interview are prepared and are of a suitable standard
• We can also pre-train candidates in the key skills you’re looking for – this allows them to hit the ground running, saving you time on induction
• We can advise on best practice when it comes to onboarding your new starters, so they feel like part of the team straight away
• We will help you to take fresh approaches to induction, training and progression planning, so your new hires develop with your business – this helps with staff retention, satisfaction and productivity

For more information or to start your journey to a more inclusive workforce with Aspire in Partnership, email AiPEnquiries@gcemployment.uk or call us on 0161 245 4946.