Report: Diversity management that works: an evidence based review
Key findings
- Isolated initiatives won’t make workplaces more diverse or inclusive: employers should develop a holistic strategy that considers a range of aspects of D&I and is multi-pronged in its activity.
- A consistent, company-wide set of guiding values and principles on D&I should be in place, which can then be adapted for local contexts.
- Targets specifying D&I practice should be developed in consultation with middle managers. Yet there is a balance to strike between empowerment and control in D&I.
- Employers must recognise that long-term benefits from improving people data quality often offset the short-term costs.
- Employers may do well to focus L&D interventions on perspective-taking rather than on unconscious bias training.
- Employers should focus on complementary fit – that is, how a candidate brings capabilities that are unique or in short supply – rather than supplementary fit (more of the same) when recruiting.
- Employers can take positive action to increase organisational diversity. However, employees throughout the organisation should be able to see why target-driven positive action is necessary and how it will be applied in practice.