Achieving a Diverse and Inclusive workplace

As we enter Pride Month it is no surprise to see that many brands and companies will have changed the colour of their logo and voiced their support of the LGBTQ+ community on social media. However, these actions mean little if diversity and inclusivity practices and policies are not a part of the company’s culture.  

In February of this year, CIPD published a report about inclusion at work for LGBTQ+ people and the findings were concerning. They revealed the high levels of discrimination and homophobia that still exists within the workplace. This is something that must be tackled to protect employee’s mental wellbeing and productivity, which in turn will improve business processes. 

People are the heart of any organisation, every single employee contributes to the “persona” that a business seeks to achieve, which makes it crucial to have a diverse group of people who can effectively work together towards a common goal. Therefore, having a diverse recruitment strategy is not only morally right but can enhance your business as it will attract a wider, more varied pool of candidates with more diverse skills and cultural knowledge. Moreover, diversity can drive innovation, enhance productivity, increase job satisfaction and lead to higher employee retention.  

The combined impact of the pandemic and social justice movements has made diversity and inclusion more important than ever, and organisations have become more aware of how important it is to have a diverse and inclusive workforce.  

So how can you get started on your diversity and inclusion journey? The most important thing to remember is that it is an ongoing journey and learning experience but here are some useful tips to help you on your journey: 

1. Always lead with an inclusive attitude and encourage all employees’ contributions and participation in equal measure 
2. Ensure a fair recruitment process which could mean advertising on diverse job boards, considering anonymous CV’s and organising diversity recruitment training 
3. Gather anonymous information from employees to gain an insight into their experiences and find areas for improvement 
4. Be open to learning- host workshops, invite speakers who are experts in the field of diversity and inclusion, promote and encourage relevant online courses 
5. Ensure the relevant support is available to minority and underrepresented groups and that this support is readily accessible  

MCS Group understand the importance of the above and benefit greatly for a diverse staff coming from expansive backgrounds. In 2020, MCS Group were awarded the Diversity and Inclusion charter-mark by Legal Island for our diverse and inclusive workplace. We are the first recruitment company to receive this prestigious award and could not be happier with the praise received from Barry Phillips Chairman of Legal Island who stated: 

"It says a lot about MCS that even in a recession and amongst all this disruption they not only continued with their D&I work but actually developed it further. This isn't window dressing. This is D&I in their DNA!". 

If you want to discuss your hiring needs and are looking to embrace a more diverse workforce, contact one of our specialist recruitment consultants today!