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Commitment and collaboration

Organisations that are explicit, clear and engaged with their EDI strategy have a greater chance of succeeding and have a better reputation among stakeholders.

Commitment goes hand in hand with accountability, which is critical to the overall success of any EDI strategy. Public commitment also facilitates collaboration with others. This section outlines practical steps you can take to make a meaningful commitment to EDI and work with others to make progress.

The close relationship between EDI and digital inclusion means that organisations in the digital and tech sector may also particularly wish to consider how they can use their digital and tech expertise to assist with their EDI strategy, for example, committing to increasing the digital capability of the workforce.

Learn about EDI and how it applies to your sector

The starting point for any size organisation will be learning about EDI and how it applies in your sector; consult and share your findings with your organisation’s board members and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

Sharing those that are relevant to you with others in your organisation and outside will give you an opportunity to digest what you have read, discuss ideas, and disseminate key information about supporting underrepresented groups.

Collect data on the diversity of your workforce

Data is fundamental to any successful EDI initiative. Without understanding the breakdown of who is in your workforce, it is difficult to identify where particular interventions will successfully improve EDI outcomes. We have information and resources to help you collate your organisation's data. 

Tech Talent Charter has a specific guide for collecting diversity and inclusion data. 

As a starting point, consider the method you will use to collect data - a short survey can be a useful tool. Begin with asking about the nine protected characteristics and consider any qualitative information you would like to gather from your workforce. Once you have collected demographic data, ensure that you analyse the results through an intersectional lens.

If you are a larger organisation, consider commissioning a third party to conduct an annual EDI audit. This can help your organisation to keep track of any progress and help to refresh your strategic EDI approach.

Engage with industry organisations and trade unions for advice on EDI

For Priority Group individuals not currently working in the sector, seeing a whole industry committed to positive change may help alter perceptions that the industry is not for them.

Engaging with other industry organisations can help organisations access advice and support, whilst also sharing lessons learnt and best practice. It provides an opportunity for the industry to evolve into a sector committed to inclusion.

In their extensive engagement with micro and small enterprises, Good Things Foundation identifies ‘peer-based networks’ as an integral part of organisational development, providing space for small business owners to discuss challenges and solutions.

Trade unions 

Trade unions are also an authoritative source of guidance on equality issues in the workplace. If your employees are members of a union, their representatives will be an important stakeholder in consulting on and developing your EDI strategy. Whether your employees are members or not, the Trades Union Congress has a range of helpful resources on EDI issues.

If you are a larger organisation, consider the ways in which you can take an active role in sharing information with smaller organisations. This provides your organisation with an opportunity to demonstrate leadership on relevant EDI topics.

Here are some of the ways that your organisation can start to think about engaging and collaborating:

  1. Encourage and support employees to speak on external industry panels and publicise these events explicitly via all appropriate channels;
  2. Attend networking events for underrepresented groups within the industry and highlight role models, encouraging leaders and managers to attend events;
  3. Sign up to relevant industry membership groups or pledges and work with other organisations to set and achieve EDI aims which are specific to the sector;
  4. Share EDI best practice for the digital and tech sector with other organisations, as well as obtaining guidance on how best to facilitate a robust EDI strategy and culture. Share collaborations publicly to bolster accountability;
  5. Consider cross-sector mentoring and reverse mentoring;
  6. Take part in research within the sector to improve data disclosure, data gathering, and data analysis in relation to EDI.

  • Tech Talent Charter (TTC) - a government-supported, industry-led membership group bringing together over 700 signatory organisations. Membership is free and allows organisations to network and share practical tools and materials.
  • #ChangeTheFace Alliance - an informal collective of like-minded thought-leading technology companies who collaborate to make the tech industry a more inclusive place. They have worked together to create a set of Guiding Principles which set out how they aim to change the face of technology going forward.
  • #RaiseTheGame - a pledge to improve EDI in the games industry which is administered by Ukie and aimed at businesses of all sizes. It focuses on improvements through diverse recruiting practices, building inclusive working environments and representing voices in their games.
  • Esynergy support Beequal (Balanced Empowered Equal) - a community who are passionate about tech; one of their shared goals is to diversify their workforce.
One of the biggest themes that we heard back from our staff was to make meaningful partnerships with organisations that support people from underrepresented backgrounds.

Rocksteady Studios

Embed EDI into your business plan as a strategic priority

An EDI policy typically starts with the nine protected characteristics. However, a pioneering approach to developing an EDI policy would look to go beyond legal requirements, for example, by considering social mobility and/or intersectionality.

Take a look at an example from the British Council.

To create your EDI policy:
  1. Before embarking on creating an EDI policy it is crucial to first set a specific vision on what your EDI policy is and its impact on your company and its customers. 
  2. Review existing resources, such as this one from High Speed Training, which includes guidance and a free template.
  3. Outline the behaviours expected from the workforce and ensure they align with the organisational and EDI values.
  4. Clearly state that any form of discrimination, victimisation, harassment or bullying is unacceptable, in the form of a zero tolerance approach and statement. Set out procedures for dealing with complaints and reporting. Take a look at this resource from Acas.
  5. Be clear about how to access support in general, or when reporting concerns. 
     

An effective EDI strategy should detail how the organisation seeks to improve its EDI outcomes over a defined period of time, typically with specific and measurable actions.

  1. Set a clear EDI vision that articulates what EDI means for your organisation. Be specific about the type of culture you want your organisation to uphold;
  2. Engage key stakeholders (senior management, board members, employees, and trade union representatives) to create your EDI strategy - EDI strategies work best when they have the buy-in of senior leadership, and any Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). You can find more information on ERGs in the ‘Building an Inclusive Culture’ section.
  3. Collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data (i.e. surveys, focus groups and interviews) to assess your current workplace demographics, staff experiences, and to identify any gaps specific to your organisation's needs and context. This will help set appropriate EDI goals and provide a baseline to benchmark improvements against;
  4. Set an EDI budget - it is important that your organisation has the resources to deliver on any commitments built into the EDI strategy. This budget must be proportionate to the gaps identified across your organisation as well as your EDI ambitions;
  5. Identify the internal / external resources needed to deliver against your EDI strategy and upskill your teams on EDI best practice. Consider creating an EDI team or an EDI Committee to help engage employees across the organisation and work with senior management;
  6. Put your plan into action and communicate progress regularly. Be transparent with your employees about areas where improvement is needed, and how you will go about this. Be sure to regularly consult and share your findings with your organisation’s board members and ERGs;
  7. Senior leadership should visibly lead EDI and revisit the strategy on a regular basis in order to monitor and deliver progress. Agreed goals should be regularly measured and assessed against results, and any necessary changes put in place. The acronym SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound) can be useful in setting goals.

This process can reinforce the EDI policy and support the wider intended culture of the organisation. By reviewing existing policies, it can also open opportunities for addressing how well the policy supports the organisation, where it is, and where it is planning to go.

When reviewing existing policies employers must consider the accessibility needs of their employees and clients. A key barrier for underrepresented groups is accessibility, so when reviewing existing policies, consider asking:

  • Where is their office?
  • Is the built environment accessible?
  • Does your website explain how to reach the office by public transport?
  • Does it also explain how to reach the office if you are disabled?

Take a look at policies for HR, career progression, recruitment, and leadership development. Analyse how accessible these policies are to various departments within your organisation. This includes carrying out research, focus groups or using spotlights, as seen below, to consider the most inclusive and equitable practices. Consider working with a professional organisation to conduct a policy review to help you identify  and close policy gaps in your organisation.

A flexible work schedule is a great way to make your organisation more attractive to potential candidates, particularly if they have caring responsibilities. Reasonable adjustments ensure your organisation is inclusive to all, by meeting their specific needs. They typically will involve adapting working methods, procedures, or the physical work environment to mitigate against any potential disadvantage.

It is important to note that employers have a legal duty to deal with requests for flexible working in a reasonable manner, and offer an appeal process should the request be denied.

Our research highlights that some employers in the sector are willing to implement additional support where this is requested. However, there can be great advantages to offering such support as a benefit to all. The Women in Tech Survey (January 2023) asks respondents about what employee benefits would make a job description stand out to them and finds the most popular benefit to be flexible working hours (63%) followed by remote working (53%). Flexible working can also improve employee well-being and morale, reduce sick leave, protect against burnout and ill-health, and increase productivity and career longevity. It is also a crucial way to support parents and carers, and help retain neurodiverse and disabled employees.

Senior leadership support for your organisation’s EDI ambitions is critical as they have influence over organisational priorities and can ensure the EDI vision is effectively communicated.

Equally important are middle leaders and managers; without their buy-in, EDI is very difficult to embed. Spending time ensuring they understand the organisation’s vision, values and expectations on EDI is critical to how the strategy is received and implemented. 

A maturity matrix is a useful tool to assess your organisation on EDI, review progress, and consider next steps. This can then be shared internally and externally; inviting feedback from both internal and external stakeholders can provide further opportunities for honest reflection and building on key successes.

See an example of a maturity matrix

Regular internal communication on your organisation’s commitment to EDI is crucial to keeping employees engaged with your strategy. Making your EDI commitment public ensures accountability of senior leadership, encouraging stakeholder buy-in. Communication around your EDI strategy should also invite views and feedback from both internal and external stakeholders. Where feedback isn’t positive, it is important to be honest about any challenges, admit mistakes, and treat EDI as an ongoing process of improvement.

Many organisations communicate their commitment to EDI by signing a pledge. This can be helpful in raising industry standards and encouraging open dialogue across organisations.

FocalPoint, a growing start up, took action by joining the Tech Talent Charter, committing to work with signatories to improve EDI in the UK tech workforce.

esynergy, a technology consultancy company, also took action by becoming a signatory of the Tech Talent Charter, the Race at Work Charter and becoming a disability confident employer. 

Adgistics, a small digital organisation, made public commitments to building a more inclusive workplace. They list practical steps on their website that are appropriate for their organisation size, such as: issuing of employee surveys, safe-spaces and educating employees on what it means to build a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Similarly, Firefish Software, a small technology company, details their EDI commitments and actions on their website, including celebrating cultural events and running internal focus groups.

Tech Talent Charter (TTC) has a list of all of its signatories, which spans over 800 organisations, ranging from micro to superlarge-sized employers.

BT launched an Ethnicity Rapid Action Plan and a Disability Rapid Action Plan alongside a variety of EDI targets and pledges. 

Publish pay gap reports

While high-level data reporting is necessary, you should also gather data on pay, to understand if there are any major disparities.

Do not limit this to gender alone, but research potential discrepancies of pay by ethnicity, disability or within departments and teams.

In 2020, As Seen On Screen (ASOS) began collecting data for pay reporting based on ethnicity. They published their report in 2021, showing developments in countering the discrepancies they found.

We recommend that organisations are transparent with their data and any steps for action that result from the findings. This helps build trust among staff and shows accountability.

In March 2022, the UK government launched a Pay Transparency pilot with the aim of removing barriers for women in the workplace.

Although current pay-gap reporting is only required for gender, and for organisations of more than 250 employees, many organisations are coming to understand the power of collecting and sharing this data. It is also a chance to get ahead and put in place pay reporting measures that are likely to become law in the near future. For example, Deloitte (a techUK member, highlighted in the Delivering Diversity 2020 best practice report) recognised this and has been voluntarily measuring and reporting on their ethnicity pay gap since 2017.