Focus on culture, data and management.

Diversity and inclusion has been high on the charity sector’s agenda, and rightly so. The sector must do better in terms of BAME people, disabled people and others with protected characteristics that are in leading roles and serve on boards.

It is clear that as I write this, all organisations are focused on their response to Covid-19, and that the impact on the sector is huge. However, that does not make diversity and inclusion any less important. We will find out how the virus has impacted on different communities in time, but early indication suggests that people that were already disadvantaged are more affected.

At Prospectus we have, like so many other organisations, been on a journey of learning and increased focus on diversity and inclusion. Recruitment and search businesses have a unique role to play as a conduit between candidates and organisations looking to hire. Over the past year we have provided more training to all our staff on issues like unconscious bias, relevant legislation and how to conduct competency based interviewing focused on skills, experience and potential, not your background, gender identity or disability.

Importantly, we have also started internal conversations about how we as an organisation and individuals can play a role in shifting the dial. This have included all staff meetings, as well as various team and individual conversations about topics relating to diversity and inclusion. Our own Non-Executive Board drives this agenda through a dedicated inclusion champion. We have also invested more into collating and understanding relevant data from our recruitment activities.

In the past year Prospectus managed more than 36,000 applications for jobs with our clients across the charity, foundation, social enterprise and global NGO sectors. A total of 24% of the candidates we placed into roles came from a BAME background, compared to a total of 40% of those that applied. On disability, five percent of placed candidates are disabled, with the same number of applicants declaring a disability. 70% of all placed candidates are women compared to 59% of all applicants, and a total of 19% declared as LGBT+ compared to nine percent of all applicants. The data allows us to understand candidate journeys better, where there might be barriers, and where to focus our efforts to achieve change.

Because Prospectus works vertically with our clients, providing Board search through to entry level hires, we can also look at how the diversity data changes with different levels of roles. Disappointingly but perhaps not surprisingly, there were appointed fewer BAME people to executive and board positions than to other roles throughout organisations, at about one in five of our placed candidates, whilst on disability the number is five percent at board and executive level. Just over 50% of appointed candidates here are women.

There are complex reasons for the underrepresentation of BAME and disabled people, and it seems clear that something happens during careers and in organisations. So whilst many organisations are making great progress in recruiting diverse talent at more junior levels, there needs to be an increased focus on how to retain and develop talent too.

So how can you make an organisation more inclusive?

Based on our experience and conversations with leaders across the sector, I would suggest focusing on three areas; culture, data and management.

Culture and intent are critical and a key starting point. There needs to be complete buy in from boards, executive teams and throughout organisations. Ensure there is a diversity and inclusion champion, that these issues are on the agenda and that action is taken and followed up on. Start conversations about inclusion, and try to understand the different experiences individuals have of the organisation and in what way this impacts how they feel about their engagement and opportunities for career development.

Numbers are important so that you know how you’re performing. What areas of your organisation are less diverse? If you don’t know, you can’t do anything, or you might focus on the wrong interventions. Use employee engagement surveys to ask questions relevant to inclusion, and break down the data along race, gender, disability and other protected characteristics. If you don’t, the averages might hide important information. Make sure recruitment and on boarding processes supports your ambitions.

There is clear evidence that employees with protected characteristics experience both explicit and implicit discrimination at work, for example through micro aggressions. Studies from the United States also suggest that BAME employees are more likely to have to work harder for promotions and career advancement than their white peers. Managers are really important in changing this. They are the frontline and have the ability to support and engage their employees directly. By building trusting relationships and having high quality conversations, you help create an authentically inclusive environment where people can thrive and develop. It’s therefore really important to equip managers to have conversations about these issues, so that they can support individuals.

There is so much that can be done to make organisations and the charity sector more diverse and inclusive. None of this is easy, but it is important that we do it. Progress is too slow, but my experience is that we are moving forward and more is being done. Inclusive organisations are more successful and you miss out on talent by not being one. As demands on charities are ever increasing, with a focus on impact and leadership, accessing and developing talent from all communities is vital.

If you would like to discuss any aspects of your diversity and inclusion strategy, the Prospectus team would be delighted to help. You can contact us on 020 7691 1925 or email us here.