Initial considerations

These can be gathered into two main groups:

• Organisational status quo: employers' perceptions that the existing workforce and their methods of recruiting and retaining employees satisfy all the stakeholders so there is no need for improvement
• How to get started: organisations may not know how to start; or what diversity would look like for them

Organisational status quo

Reasons people use for not addressing fairer recruitment issues:

• if the existing recruitment structure works then why change it?
• our budget is not big enough to consider higher recruitment costs
• I already pay good salaries, so I already have the best people
• the organisation already has lots of contracts so why is diversity an issue for us?
• the existing workforce mirrors our customers so why do we need to be more diverse?
• our employees and customers are happy with the organisation the way it is, so why change it?

The business case for diversity

The main points of the business case can be summarised as follows:

• recruiting from a diverse pool of talent means you have a wider choice of the most talented employees
• recruiting from a diverse pool of talent means you have a better chance of employing candidates with different perspectives. Diverse perspectives can produce interesting and innovative ideas in an ever–changing business environment
• recruiting a diverse workforce represents society and allows you to move into emerging markets with diverse customers for your products and services
• recruiting a diverse workforce will increase your chances of meeting public sector contract requirements that will be linked to and dependent on the management of equality and diversity
• recruiting a diverse workforce can give you a positive public image
• recruiting a diverse workforce may assist in productivity through having employees who mirror the community. Organisations that recruit from the local community tend to have employees with a vested interest in the organisation

Helpful Signposts

• 'Managing Diversity and the Business Case: Research into Practice' by Mustafa F Ozbilgin, Gary Mulholland, Ahu Tatliand Dianah Worman available from the CIPD Bookstore.
• Diversity Professionals Forum 'Reframing Diversity'

How to get started

There are many organisations that provide information and support to employers embarking on 'Fairer Recruitment'. Using their expertise to inform your policy and practice is one way to begin planning your approach (see more resources).

Consider the following questions:

• What would a more diverse organisation look like?
• Why do you want to do it? For example, is the trigger the business case or is it quota led?
• Are all elements of your organisation supportive of this drive? Is everybody on board? Or will the objective be resisted by HR, or among line managers? Most importantly what does your chief executive think about it?
• What are your objectives? Is it 'to drive diversity', 'to drive inclusion', 'to be more equal' or all three?
• Do you have a specific objective? Do you specifically need more BME individuals? Or is your issue about gender? Are you focussed on one specific diversity strand or all of them?
• What is your general objective? Is it about your reputation or image? Is your main issue that you have a reputation for being white and middle class?

These questions will help you to begin identifying the possible barriers

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