2.Know Your Workforce

'If it matters, you will measure it'. Organisations working towards creating a diverse and inclusive workplace need to be clear on the diversity of their current workforce so they can measure progress towards their diversity goals. Use the results to set the benchmarks for the diversity of talent you want to attract when you look for new employees. 

Actions you can take: 

• Clarity – explain to people your reasons for gathering information and what you will use it for.
• Collection – ask your employees to provide their data and make it clear that the information they give is anonymous.
• Collation – once you have the figures do some analysis. Compare it to the local catchment area for your workforce – is your organisation representative of the people who live in the area? Not only that, look at where people of ethnic minority origins sit within your organisation. Is there a glass ceiling? Do you have adequate representation of ethnic minority people at management levels? Could you do more to encourage career progression for ethnic minority employees?
• Communication – share the information with your employees. If you found the organisation was not representative of the community then develop and share an action plan for improvement with your employees – ask them for their ideas.  It is also important to think about how you will review and evaluate your action plan and who will be involved in that process.
• Widely communicate your diversity action plans to your employees and include regular updates on actions completed/goals achieved.
• Remember to work with employee representatives such as trade unions.
• Know where to find out more – The simple ACAS form can be used to measure workforce diversity. ACAS_Delivering_Equality_and_Diversity.pdf (198 kb)