D i v ersi ty B usi ness
BUILDING A
DIVERSE TEAM Gemma Murphy, director of ViewHR, explores how to embrace diversity goals and why diversity is an essential part of any business
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iversity and inclusion are very broad concepts that cover so many aspects of who we are, what we do, how we do it and why. Discussing HR’s impact on diversity in the workplace can be a conversation on anything from recruitment, performance, training, development, strategy or growth. The most immediate concern for businesses is to ensure that they are operating under a legally compliant
Diversity and inclusion are very broad concepts that cover so many aspects of who we are, what we do, how we do it and why framework. It is critical to have the right policies and procedures in place to ensure that both the employer and employees are educated and protected when it comes to diversity.
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Following this, the next step is to review and implement strategies to ensure the employee population within the business represents varied cultural, academic and professional backgrounds. Also, businesses must ensure that there is a natural balance of gender, age and race being represented. Culture Building a diverse team is a great starting point to delivering on diversity goals. Ensuring that you approach your recruitment with diversity in mind can seem challenging. However, there are three simple steps to take. Firstly, write a clear job description covering all aspects of the role. Secondly, ensure that you post the role in the appropriate places to attract diverse talent. Thirdly, make sure your selection processes increase (rather than decrease) talent variance. Turning your diversity process into an inclusion strategy takes a little more effort. For an employee to feel included in their workplace they need to have the
DIVERSITY
ACCORDING TO
THE CIPD The moral case for building fairer and more inclusive labour markets and workplaces is indisputable: people matter, and organisations must ensure their people management approaches do not put any group at a disadvantage. It’s also vital for the sustainability of businesses and economies. Everyone stands to benefit when we embra e and value the diversity of thoughts, ideas and ways of working that people from different backgrounds, experiences and identities bring to an organisation. It helps people grow and learn, tackles underutilisation of skills by enabling people to reach their full potential, improves decisionmaking, boosts engagement and innovation, and enables businesses to better meet the needs of a diverse customer base.
Garden Centre Retail October/November 2019
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17/10/2019 11:04