Workers are rubbishing their employers efforts to promote fairness through diversity as a stunt to grab headlines, alleges new research.
Around half of employees consider workplace diversity strategies as filling a tick box to look good for marketing and PR, says the Adecco Group’s report ‘Unlocking Britain’s Potential.’
The dispiriting results of the survey showed workers have a jaundiced opinion of diversity programmes:
- 27% felt the campaigns failed to change workplace culture
- 29% of employers confessed they aim to recruit ‘certain types’ of workers
- 20% of workers felt their organisation ignored marketing to specific sections of society
- 22% considered a diverse workforce could not supply the skills needed by the organisation
Despite the disappointing response to the survey, many employers and workers are confident that diversity has an important role in the workplace.
Seven out of 10 employers believe they are more likely to succeed by operating a fairer and more tolerant workplace.
This reflects in the 44% of workers who would rather move to an employer with a diverse workforce.
The report is part of a campaign by consultancy and recruitment group Adecco to look at workplace diversity as a tool for promoting better productivity and improving competition in world markets.
Chris Moore, director of the ‘Unlocking Britain’s Potential’ campaign, said:”The business case for investment in diversity has never been clearer. A diverse workforce will widen Britain’s talent pool, have a direct impact on employee engagement, and strengthen relationships with customers.
“Our research suggests that we are far from achieving the radical change in outlook required to genuinely promote the need for a diverse workforce in UK businesses.
“While it is encouraging that the case for greater female representation in the boardroom is attracting such prominence, this is only a small but important part of the debate around boosting diversity in the workplace.
“Diversity is a question of encouraging and increasing social mobility – finding ways to ensure that potential British talent, from any and every background, is not overlooked.”