How to improve diversity in recruitment and the workplace, post-COVID

Whether the UK workforce continues to return to the office or settles in further to home working, the world of recruitment continues to adjust to the unprecedented upheavals of 2020. Many businesses have been forced to postpone or cancel hiring. And many candidates have found their offers rescinded. But before we switch to some seemingly more positive news, bear with us. This situation is by no means all doom and gloom, as where there is adversity, there is opportunity. It’s now a well acknowledged fact that successful businesses need to be diverse, embrace change and that means having a diverse workforce.  Let’s take this opportunity to review the ways in which we recruit and manage our workplaces to ensure we are doing all we can and in so doing, make sure your business can be as successful as possible.

Read on to find out some top tips on improving diversity in recruitment and the workplace, post-COVID-19. 

Review your policies relating to accessibility and inclusion

• Candidates are now more and more attracted to businesses that celebrate diversity and inclusion. Demonstrating your positive approach should give you a competitive edge over other companies who may be lagging behind. 

• As we adjust to new working practices, why not take this opportunity to look at your policies and make sure they are working for the benefit of all your employees. 
• Are there rules or guidelines for work practices that are now outdated? 
• Perhaps your policies on flexible working for single parents could use a thorough review. Or maybe you could offer more support with child care? 
• When it comes to accessibility for employees with disabilities, consider whether your on-site facilities are completely accessible and if not, what more do you need to do.  

Ensure your IT provision is inclusive and fit for purpose

• Most businesses are still managing remote workforces, and are likely to in one shape or form into the future. 

• Whether you’ve needed to invest in IT infrastructure already, now is a great time to review your IT and tech provision and make sure it is as inclusive and accessible as possible. 
• By making sure all your team have equal access to the IT and tech they need for their role you will not only keep your current workforce happy but you’ll be a far more attractive prospect for candidates looking for a new role. 

Make sure your entire recruitment process promotes diversity

• To make sure your recruitment process promotes diversity you need to look at every aspect of the journey a candidate will have. 
• This includes your advertising, the channels you use, the job spec, interview questions and process and the selection criteria and methods. 
• The ways you have been conducting recruitment may have become rather entrenched in the company policy and approach over the years so make sure you review it with fresh eyes and involve a diverse panel of advisers to help you. 
• Unconscious bias is often difficult to spot if policies and procedures are devised by people from the same background. 
• There are a number of charities and organisations that can help guide you through this. You could also ask for feedback from applicants about their experience of the recruitment process. Always make sure the recruitment process focuses on finding the person with the right skills and that the questions you ask in the interview are entirely relevant to the role. 
• Keep your eyes open for anything that could be perceived as obstacles to certain people or groups and adjust your approach accordingly. 

Be honest about what you can offer

• Clearly, none of us are able to predict how working life is going to change and fluctuate over the coming weeks and months. 
• We might end up back in the office, we may continue to work from home. The chances are it’ll be a mix of both. 
• While it’s important to attract a diverse range of candidates, make sure you are upfront about what you can offer. 
• This includes your ability to provide IT and other equipment, how flexible you can be with working hours and what your expectations are for colleagues joining meetings and suchlike - either remotely or in person. It’s important to be aware that you may be legally obliged to provide a certain standard of comfort to your colleagues when they are working remotely. See the HSE webpages for homeworkers for more details. 

Promote an open working culture

• All procurement and supply chain professionals know that promoting an open working culture matters. 
• Transparency and communication are key factors for getting this right. It is vital that businesses have a strong message and direction from the top when it comes to culture and promoting an open, inclusive culture.. 
• Many businesses have struggled to maintain effective communication channels during the pandemic. This is understandable to a point, but it’s vital that business leaders maintain the communication structures necessary to support their diversity and inclusion efforts. 
• This could include initiating and maintaining forums for discussion, facilitating ethical reporting hotlines (by phone, email or app), carrying out anonymous employee feedback exercises and making sure all members of staff are aware of their responsibilities. Because when it comes to tackling issues relating to diversity and inclusion, it should be everyone’s responsibility to get on board. 

As always please feel free to reach out to us for any support on anything mentioned above, you can email me directly at b.riley@bramwithconsulting.co.uk