Further evidence for the business benefits of diversity has been illustrated in a joint report from the CBI and TUC.
The report, Talent not Tokenism, showed how leading companies, including Arriva and Pinsent Masons, achieved a diverse workforce and the benefits it has brought them in.
Transport company Arriva has sent 5,800 staff on diversity courses, set up 24 learning centers to raise skills, and begun a diversity recruitment programme. Now, Arriva North West & Wales has seen an increase of 60 per cent in female bus drivers and Arriva Yorkshire has seen the number of people leaving within two years of employment fall by a third.
The report states that companies who look beyond the "usual suspects" for staff contribute to higher morale and productivity, improved retention rates and lower recruitment costs. A diverse workforce will also provide better understanding of customer needs and help address skills shortages, it adds.
Solicitor Pinsent Masons was praised in the report for its positive approach to lesbian and gay equality. Its approach, including working with suppliers to improve their diversity, has won it lower staff turnover and attracted new clients. Its lawyer turnover rate has fallen from 17 to 12 per cent.
Richard Lambert, CBI director-general, said: "[Achieving diversity] does not have to be hard work or legally complex - simply making the effort to work out your precise needs, reaching out as widely as you can then hiring, training or promoting the best person on merit."
The TUC's general secretary, Brendan Barber, said: "The need to unlock the talents of all – to create a truly representative workforce – is even more crucial at a time of economic uncertainty.
"Employers wanting to diversify the workplace will always find unions a willing ally. Diversity policies work best when the entire workplace is involved," he said.
Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, added: "This guidance is a real-world, commonsense collection of stories and suggestions that will be useful for companies of all kinds and sizes."
Thanks to People Management
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