HR’s role in supporting diversity in the workplace

Employers, Hiring / 07 June 2022

Diversity factors high on employer agendas as the Great Resignation, a skills shortage, and legal obligations drive companies to reconsider their workplace culture. HR’s central role within that culture, its role as mediator, and expertise in employment law and best practice places this function in an ideal position to promote and support diversity in the workplace.
HR’s role in supporting diversity in the workplace

What is diversity?


Diversity embraces the acceptance of difference and recognises that that difference is relative to the individual. A diverse workforce may include employees who vary in their gender, ethnicity, religion, age, marital status, or educational background.

Promoting diversity in the workplace means recognising those differences and implementing processes to ensure that each employee is treated fairly and without discrimination.

When combined with inclusion, the drive to ensure that all employees feel valued, included, and recognised for the individual they are, diversity promotes a more accepting and constructive work culture.

 

The benefits of a diverse workforce


Beyond the legal requirements to treat their employees fairly and without discrimination, the benefits that a diverse workforce presents to an employer include:

  • an extended talent pool as candidates are drawn from a wider demographic
  • a company culture that is more attractive to candidates and improves employee retention
  • increased innovation as the workforce draws on a wider demographic that is more representative of the company’s client base and society in general

 

What is HR’s role in creating a diverse workforce?


If diversity is not simply an issue of moral ethics but also good for business in creating a more satisfied and innovative workforce, what kind of role can HR play in promoting and supporting diversity in the workplace?

 

Ensuring diversity and inclusion begins at the top

The promotion of diversity at work should begin at the most senior roles in the business to ensure acceptance and implementation in the wider workforce.

By holding senior employees accountable for the dissemination of diversity and inclusion, HR can ensure that changes in the business’s culture are easier to achieve.
 

Creation and implementation of diversity policies and procedures

As with any other area of employment law and best practice, each company should have a policy and procedures that relate to diversity and inclusion at work. It is the responsibility of the HR department to create this policy. It is also their role to conduct regular reviews to ensure that the policy remains relevant to the employer and their workforce, and in line with current legislation and best practice. Finally, HR must ensure that the policy is adhered to.

For information on what a diversity policy might include, have a look at this template and advice provided by ACAS.
 

Recruitment

HR can ensure diversity is forefront in the recruitment process by creating or re-writing job descriptions that consider all the elements of diversity that apply to candidates and employees, for instance, age, gender, and parental status. The wording of job descriptions should:

  • be neutral
  • show no preference towards one demographic over another
  • be easily understood by all, regardless of literacy levels
  • avoid gender coded language
  • avoid jargon or technical terms

The requirements of the job should be considered with a fresh eye to ensure that they do not exclude certain demographics and that they are actual ‘requirements’ rather than simply preferences.

The wording of job adverts should be handled in the same way, but with the added considerations of accessibility and location to ensure that as wide and diverse a pool of candidates as possible will be made aware of the vacancy.

Where possible, anonymous screening should be used to remove unconscious bias towards particular groups and consideration should be given to the format of application processes and interviews.

This topic is handled in more detail in Creating job adverts with diversity and inclusion.
 

Training

Beyond the implementation of a diversity policy, training should be given to all relevant employees, for instance, line managers who handle employee performance reviews. HR is responsible for ensuring that any training is fully up to date with current legislation.

The HR department may take the role of diversity trainer on their own shoulders or outsource the function to a specialist organisation like the Diversity Trust.
 

Communication

By its nature, HR interacts with not only senior employees but the entire workforce. Providing all members of staff with the chance to communicate their needs and opinion is an important factor in ensuring that each and every employee feels valued and heard.

Training, staff handbooks, and surveys can all form part of this communication, but HR’s role must also include the opportunity for employees to talk face-to-face when they have a problem or a solution related to diversity in the workplace.
 

Monitoring diversity

With its cross-company function, HR is in the perfect position to monitor diversity in the workplace, including:

  • the promotion of diversity and inclusion from the top down
  • adherence to diversity policy and procedures
  • effectiveness of the policy
  • measuring levels of diversity in the workplace
  • examining the recruitment process
  • staff performance and productivity
  • employee retention
  • comparison to similar organisations
  • keeping up to date with developing best practice
  • ensuring that the business acts in accordance with diversity related legislation

By monitoring all of the above, HR can build a complete picture of diversity in the workplace more effectively than any other department within the business.

 

What is HR’s role in creating a diverse workforce?


Diversity in the workplace is an issue that concerns every member of staff; however, HR have a valuable role to play in supporting this concept. With their expertise and central position within any organisation, they are perfectly placed to ensure that the entire workplace is aware, educated, and included in the drive for a more diverse and inclusive environment.

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