Diversity management that works: Summary of recommendations
Develop an evidence-based view of D&I by exploring our research report and practitioner-focused recommendations
Develop an evidence-based view of D&I by exploring our research report and practitioner-focused recommendations
Practitioner expertise and stakeholder views are crucial for diagnosing issues and identifying potential solutions, but managers need to combine this with insights drawn from research and organisational data to help them make better-informed decisions and avoid bias from their own opinions. This report is based on an evidence-into-practice programme, which brought together professional expertise on diversity and inclusion (D&I) with insights from scientific research.
Our lines of enquiry came from a group of D&I professionals discussing the challenges they faced in their work and the concerns raised by their stakeholders. Based on these questions, we searched and reviewed the scientific literature.
Having presented the findings of our literature review to our group of D&I professionals, we drew up a set of recommendations based on the research and professional expertise. We also ran an online discussion forum for people professionals from a range of backgrounds and specialisms to gain further insight and test the robustness of our conclusions.
You can explore the top-level recommendations below, and find more detail inside the full report.
Recommendations for multinational organisations to develop effective diversity management strategies and practices:
To read more about D&I in different contexts, see pages 6–10 in the full report.
By securing buy-in throughout the organisation, you’re one step closer to making your D&I strategies and practices a success.
To read more about buy-in and commitment to D&I, see pages 11–16 of the full report.
Representative workforce data is a crucial component in making more informed people management decisions. The more – and better-quality – people data employers collect, the better they can design and target D&I activity and evaluate progress.
To read more about people data and diversity, see pages 17–24 of the full report.
Though training on D&I can change attitudes and foster a diverse and inclusive workplace, avoid taking it for granted. Follow these recommendations to ensure your training initiatives are effective.
To read more about diversity training, see pages 24–28 of the full report.
Biased hiring and promotion decisions are a major issue in promoting workforce diversity. The criteria of ‘fit’ is well embedded in recruitment literature, but we need to be aware of the potential contradiction between recruiting and promoting people for ‘person-team’ or ‘person-organisation’ fit, and ensuring that talent management practices are inclusive and promote diversity. Here we outline a proposed approach to balancing ‘fit’ and diversity:
To read more about person ‘fit’ versus diversity, see pages 28–33 of the full report.
Positive action programmes should form a central part of any D&I strategy. In the report we consider evidence on the effectiveness of various positive action practices and strategies, including targeted recruitment campaigns, as well as mentoring, coaching and sponsorship for underrepresented groups. Stay on the right side of legislation and avoid misconceptions by following the suggestions below:
To read more about taking positive action on diversity, see pages 33–41 of the full report.
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