Businesses need a staffing model that attracts a diverse talent pool

Businesses need a staffing model that attracts a diverse talent pool

Diversity is not about benefiting one group over another, instead it is about maximising existing talent and nurturing future talent, regardless of an individual’s background.

It is often said that the growth in the US economy during the 20th century was driven by the ‘melting pot’ that resulted from the mix of so many cultures working together. That time was all about what you could do, not where you came from.

Closer to home there is a focus on diversity at the moment having celebrated International Women’s Day last week and with the Jersey Diversity Awards taking place on Friday. In addition to these high profile events we are also starting to see the law, and in some instances sector regulators, taking a more robust stance where diversity is either not evident or change is just too slow.

Diversity is not about benefiting one group over another, instead it is about maximising existing potential and nurturing future talent, regardless of an individual’s background. For diversity to have its best impact we need to create an open environment where the focus is on talent.

We also need to understand what the barriers are for certain groups and to find ways to break them down. Often these barriers are hidden in the structure, culture and unconscious bias that a business creates which make it more difficult for some groups to succeed than others.

So, what does this mean for business and in particular for smaller businesses?

It is too easy to say that being an employer who embraces diversity and encourages flexible working practices that maximise the opportunities for everyone will mean good employees will want to work for you, will be more engaged and as a result your business will be more successful.

I do believe that statement to be true in the long term, but the operational and cost impact of creating a truly flexible and inclusive workplace can put significant pressure on a small business with few employees in the shorter term.

It is worth looking at how other economies have tackled the lack of diversity across their business base. Some have focused on having a skills programme that creates a large skills pool and helps to encourage wider participation in particular roles. As a long term solution for the whole economy this is a sound strategy.

Others believe that setting a formal target for underrepresented groups is the only way to stimulate change. But the biggest problems with this is that it does not address the challenges faced when the actual pool of applicants is itself not diverse.

This, I think is the crucial issue. If, when you are advertising a role, the pool of applicants, whether they be internal or external, is not representative of the community that you are working in, then you need to understand why. Is it the way you are describing the role, where you are advertising it, the conditions you are placing on the role or even the image and reputation you have as an employer?

If you can understand why you don’t have a diverse pool to choose from you can then adapt your recruitment and working practices to encourage a more diverse workplace.

After all, a rugby team consisting only of try scorers won’t win the Rugby World Cup, instead they need great players with different build, skills and speed in each one of the 15 positions in order to succeed.

There is no doubt that all businesses need a staffing model that has enough flexibility to attract a diverse talent pool because when they get it right productivity goes up along with staff engagement.

The diversity challenge will be won when all businesses recognise that to maximise their success they need to embrace diversity across their entire organisation. When this happens we will really start to maximise the talent we have in Jersey.

Here at Jersey Business we work confidentially with our clients to help them with challenges such as this in order that they can then grow to achieve their full business potential. If the above resonates with you then do come and see us as we would welcome the chance to help you to embrace diversity and see your business grow.

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –