Why is more work needed on diversity, inclusion and belonging in business?

So while we’ve noticed increased awareness of the issues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the technology sector over the years, it’s clear there is still some way to go until it is a fair and hospitable place for everyone.

Despite many businesses' desire to do better, you only need to look at the multitude of reports there are online to find progress is far too slow.

Amongst the hundreds of stats available, reports such as Hired’s UK Tech Workplace Equality Report and further research has highlighted that:

• Women make up only 18% of all UK tech roles.
• The vast majority of tech workers identify as white (66%). Just 3% are black, 17% asian, 2% hispanic and 6% mixed race.
• 84% of all interview requests go to men and only 16% to women.
• 3 in 5 women have been discriminated against in the workplace because of their gender and 29% have also experienced sexual harassment.
• 38% of non-white people been discriminated against because of their ethnicity, 21% experienced bias during the interview process and 15% experienced harassment.
• An estimated 54,000 mothers every year are forced to leave their jobs because of mistreatment.
• A quarter of LGBTQIA+ people have found they are paid up to £14,999 less than a heterosexual colleague.
• 71% of neurodiverse people aren’t taken seriously at work.

There’s a lot of focus on diversity at the recruitment stage, and while that is a key aspect of the DEI journey, building an inclusive culture that’s welcoming of different needs and strengths is critical to addressing these inequalities.

What’s the impact of inaction on businesses?

If we’re to continue on this path, it will be detrimental to our businesses. A lack of diversity and inclusion not only impacts the wellbeing of staff, it also hinders our ability to attract and retain people or innovate and succeed financially.

For example, job seekers and staff are increasingly putting a higher value on companies who push towards diversity and inclusion. So, if you want to make sure your business isn’t left behind and is a place people want to work at, it’s vital to start thinking about DEI at your business.

How does having a more diverse and inclusive team have a positive impact?

It goes without saying that diversity and inclusion - where people from all walks of life are included, valued, treated fairly, and have a voice - leads to happier and healthier teams.

Research also shows that diverse businesses are way more resilient and adaptable to change. People from different backgrounds and lived experiences bring new perspectives and fresh ideas, enabling you to build products and services with everyone in mind.

What kind of changes can businesses start to make?

We recently held an event to launch our new initiative Diverse Sussex, in which award-winning Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader Sheree Atcheson gave an illuminating talk with some great tips:

• Gather data and analyse it regularly

• Engage senior leadership and middle-management
  Often goals and visions come from senior leadership whilst action comes from middle-management. Your senior management must listen to what’s required from an operational perspective, and give middle-management the space, time and training they need to fulfill those goals.

• Embed accountability
  Instead of defining a lofty goal of X representation, define what failure looks like, who owns it, and when to address why change is or isn’t happening.

• Rework hiring processes
  Think about what improvements you can make at your business if you continually see a lack of diversity when hiring. Look into mandatory training for all team members on privilege awareness, inclusive interviewing, intersectional allyship, etc.

• Analyse and amend company processes, such as promotion, values, probation, reasonable accommodations, grievances
  Before you make any changes it’s important to understand what is and isn’t working and why, and whether your processes are benefiting or excluding people.

• Be transparent
  You can’t bring people on a journey if they’re not rooted in the journey. Share your DEI data both internally and externally. It’s not about whether your data is good or bad, it’s about what you do with it next.

• Intelligent listening

• Set goals and strategise

So, what is Diverse Sussex, and how did it come about?

The initiative is powered by data and propelled by actionable change. Through annual reports consisting of anonymised and aggregated data from businesses in the community, we can pinpoint where challenges and imbalances lie, where we’re improving, where we’re lacking, and where we must focus our collective efforts.

To help organisations create actionable change, we have put together a library of resources packed with advice and guidance. This toolkit is split into different categories; Awareness, Attracting, Selecting, Onboarding, and Belonging; and is designed to inform their knowledge and practices.

How do businesses sign up?

No matter where you are in your diversity, equity and inclusion journey, if you’re a tech business (or have a tech team) in Sussex we encourage you to become a Diverse Sussex signatory.

Becoming a signatory solidifies your organisation’s desire to do better and contributes to our shared learning, whilst giving you access to our full toolkit and exclusive DEI events.

It’s quick and easy to sign up. Simply register an account at diversesussex.com/join, wait for your welcome email and fill in our verification form to confirm your signature.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk