Retention and progression
While you may have processes in place to ensure you attract diverse talent, you should also ensure you address barriers to retention and progression for your employees from underrepresented backgrounds. When proper consideration is given to supporting all employees with retention and progression, particularly those for whom barriers currently exist, your company will minimise the risk of losing talented individuals to competitors or from the industry altogether.
Review your promotions process to eliminate bias
An open and transparent approach to promotion, with clear internal recruitment and secondment policies will ensure all staff are aware of internal opportunities for skills enhancement and progression.
Eligibility for promotion should be based only on an employee’s performance against publicised criteria. A promotion should be more than a title change or increase in pay; it should also involve increased responsibility and clear career progression metrics. The process and criteria for promotions should be clearly defined and communicated to foster transparency and minimise confusion.
Organise regular check-ins with employees to discuss Individual Development Plans and wellbeing
An individual development plan (IDP) is a tool to assist employees in career and personal development. Its primary purpose is to help employees reach short and long-term career goals, as well as improve current job performance.
Developing an individual plan empowers Priority Groups to carve out a bespoke career path for themselves. This helpful resource contains an IDP template which you can adapt for your organisation. Including EDI focused metrics in line managers’ IDP is a great way of creating accountability for EDI, and ensuring that responsibility for EDI is in place throughout your organisation.
Regular check-ins are a great way to build psychological safety, meaning employees are likely to report higher levels of trust and feel able to share any concerns or feedback they may have about the organisation’s culture and ways of working, providing an opportunity to raise and resolve concerns at an early stage.
This online conference held by Built Environment Networking focused on the importance of EDI and wellbeing specifically in the construction and property industry, citing the difficulties and complexities in relation to mental health within the sector. The online conference focused on breaking down stigma, raising awareness of issues and challenges, and commentary from those at the forefront of change, sharing details on what is being done successfully across the UK.
The Business in the Community (BITC) What If Your Job Was Good For You? report identifies actions employers can take to transform employee wellbeing in the workplace. It highlights key measures to create an environment in which employees feel supported to be productive and produce their best work. It also outlines how to achieve good jobs for all, while at the same time driving sustainable positive mental health outcomes.
Publish your organisation’s pay scales internally and externally
While there has been an increase in jobs advertised with a clear salary or salary range, salary transparency within organisations remains relatively new.
Benefits to publishing pay include increased equity, as people can query any discrepancy in pay for those that have the same or very similar job descriptions. It is also a motivator if employees know what pay increase is available with a promotion. During your organisation’s regular review meetings, share your organisation’s pay scales with employees to promote transparency and trust.
Connect existing staff from underrepresented groups to new ‘green’ job progression opportunities
With more organisations creating more ‘green jobs’ in-house, it is a great opportunity to pursue a positive action approach when looking to fill these positions. Consider creating opportunities for training, retraining and upskilling workers from underrepresented groups. For smaller organisations, this can consist of providing employees with dedicated time in their work schedule to study for a free government green skill qualification.
For larger organisations this could be achieved through:
- Secondments to other parts of the business.
- Mentoring or working shadow days to parts of the business already undertaking 'green' jobs.
- Information and learning lunches about other roles in the business.
- Sponsoring qualifications.
Consider how to upskill your current workforce for the green skills your business needs.
The Solar Skills site includes information on upskilling grants.
Set up mentoring arrangements for employees from underrepresented groups
Mentoring is one of the most effective strategies for fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Our engagement with employers validated mentoring programmes as a desirable intervention. Reciprocal mentoring schemes help both parties improve and use their soft skills, such as active listening and compassion - traits which are regarded as key for career progression. The University of Sussex provide access to free resources to plan and set up a mentoring scheme, with evaluation tools.
Whilst micro-enterprises may not have the resources and time to set up formal mentoring arrangements, they may benefit from informal mentoring and shadowing of senior roles. This can include assisting with ad hoc tasks and reviewing processes during learning and development time. This helps to encourage growth and inspires individuals to continue learning.
The Women’s Engineering Society runs a mentoring programme called MentorSET. They also have a range of other personal growth programmes such as STEM Returners for those coming back to or transferring into science, technology, engineering and/or maths.
CIEEM also runs a mentoring scheme for their members.