ATUL'S WISDOM BLOG

We are living in revolutionary times when ethics and diversity are rarely far from the news. I want to help leaders transform their understanding of equality and see it not as an 'us and them' issue, but one which is about 'us and us'. On this blog you will find topical commentary on some of our pressing leadership and culture change dilemmas, and practical ideas of embracing the richness of difference. I am grateful for your comments which are being shared with the whole world - dialogue is one of the best ways of building bridges and breaking walls. Welcome.

To see my biodata, click here

To contact me directly email Atul

To follow Atul on Twitter

My latest research on this subject, sponsored by the international accounting firm MAZARS was launched at the annual Equality conference hosted by ENEI in London on 14th March 2012. It generated a lot of interest and comment, and is already attracting media coverage nationally. Here is the report on my speech in the well-known People Management. Denise Keating, Chief Executive of ENEI said: "Thank you so much for such an articulate and animated presentation on a highly topical subject."

I am a writer, broadcaster and consultant on Diversity and CEO of Diverse Ethics, and have been reflecting on the themes of leadership and diversity over several decades. For this research, I decided to draw upon my own experience of being a Board member of national bodies, and interviewed prominent Board members and stakeholders directly involved in the Board appointment process. Among the people I interviewed were Ruby McGregor Smith, CEO of MITIE, Nick Marsh of Harvey Nash headhunters, Anne Watts, Chair of the Appointments Commission and Prof. Binna Kandola of Pearn Kandola. The full details of the research, the interviews and findings are published in the book 'Boardroom Diversity - The Opportunity' which you can download and read for free in the Resources button below.

Here is a summary of the key findings:

1. The Davies Report has taken the whole issue of Boardroom Diversity backwards rather than forwards by focussing purely on women. The key secret is to avoid groupthink and draw from people with a wide range of experiences and skills, and not from narrow social classes and monocultures. In fact, if women from the same culture are appointed, they could be perceived as less of a threat then people from different cultures. Boards seem to be afraid of difference, and that is wrong. Challenge should be allowed and welcomed as a way of mitigating risk.

2. Diversity is a huge opportunity for business to improve its innovation, leadership and portray an open and inclusive culture, vital to the future of any global business today.

3. Leaders are by and large ignorant of the meaning and nuances of equality, especially in the area of cultural intelligence, which is clearly not valued in the Boardroom.

4. Leaders need to walk their talk and not rely on policies and statements to show intentions. They are failing in their leadership of the culture of the organisation if they do not change their behaviours. At present, the evidence suggests that there is a lot of unconscious bias.

5. Holistic thinking and leadership is the call of the hour, and Boards need to draw from world wisdoms to enrich their thinking and actions.

6. There are a large number of competent leaders available, if the definition of leadership is allowed to widen from its very rigid and narrow confines in the Corporate Boardroom.

7. The UK public sector has a very transparent and adjudicated process of appointment which helps increase diversity. In the private sector, the appointments process is opaque and a closed shop - another sign that Executives do not want challenge. Governance skills can be very strong in the public sector, and the private sector could draw from such leaders for its Board membership.

8. The merit rhetoric of appointments is false and tiresome. Board members are not appointed on merit, and this lie should not be repeated. In fact if emotional and cultural intelligence are added to the merit equation, the whole outcome would change.

9. Stakeholders such as investors and fund managers should put pressure on management to diversify. They are not doing so at present.

Above all, diversity is a huge opportunity for Boards to upscale their leadership and organisational culture, and this should be seized with gusto and not massaged or avoided.

TO DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN FREE COPY OF THE RESEARCH, PLEASE CLICK THE RELATED RESOURCES BUTTON BELOW.

WE PROVIDE A RANGE OF TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY SERVICES ON 'BOARDROOM DIVERSITY', AND TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THESE PLEASE CLICK RELATED RESOURCES BUTTON BELOW.

Recent research finds racism in the recruitment industry

In a recent survey of 2500 people conducted by ‘Race for Opportunity’ the research showed that Black and Minority ethnic applicants had a lower chance of getting a job through a recruitment agency than white applicants, even where they were more qualified. Whilst only 29% of BAME applicants got jobs via an agency, 44% of white applicants succeeded in this way. This is a significant discrepancy. Earlier research by the Department of Work & Pensions had consistently shown that identical CV’s with different names (white vs. Ethnic minority) sent to recruitment agencies found that the white named candidates were much more likely to be short-listed for interview.

What is really going on here? The picture is quite complex. One of the major reasons is that both recruitment agents and HR professionals tend to be white – these professions are exclusive rather than inclusive. This increases the chances of bias, and therefore you have recruitment bodyguards who tend to prefer to hire someone who looks and behaves like them. Sometimes, because of their desire to earn a quick commission, they assume that if they do not put forward ‘white’ candidates to the recruiter, they may not get the fee. There is a lot of greed and short-termism in this industry.

The UK Asian community is by and large very hard-working and well educated – even Oxford and Cambridge now boast over 500 undergraduates from the Asian community – a huge proportion. Another aspect we bring to our work is a positive attitude, something which is rare for employers to find. We have a strong sense of commitment and application, and loyalty to our employer. This comes from a culture of ethics and integrity, and an upbringing based on strong values like hard work, respect and self-discipline.

For all these reasons, the research above is most surprising. Surely any employer would be looking for the best talent and application, and if Asian candidates demonstrate this, then they should be given a chance for an interview? In fact, we have now built quite a reputation and track record of a positive work ethic and solid performance in many employers all over Britain – like the KPMG’s, the Tesco’s, and John Lewis. Surely with this factual evidence, recruitment agencies and employers would want to hire Asians for their positive attributes?

In my book ‘Celebrating Diversity’ and on my website www.diverseethics.com and on Twitter, I regularly write about these topical issues, to showcase the huge strength of the diversity of Britain and its benefits for employers. My latest book on ‘Boardroom Diversity’ demonstrates the huge problems at the leadership level, where there is very little cultural diversity. This influences the entire culture of the organisation, and makes people feel that they need to fit in to climb up. Did you know that in spite of the huge success of Asian businesses and entrepreneurs in Britain today, there are very few Asians sitting on the Board of FTSE companies either as Executive Directors or Non-Executives. So there is discrimination at the bottom and the top. And something very sinister must be going on in the middle of organisations, where Asians often find themselves getting stuck and blocked in their progression.

One positive development is that big employers are now setting up their own minority groupings, to encourage employees from minority backgrounds to meet and network with one another, and support them through mentoring and guidance. For example, Price Waterhouse Coopers has an active Hindu society, whose Diwali event in 2011, was a real eye-opener. Similarly, Ernst & Young has a very active Asian society – and these groupings are replicated in many large employers. This helps to create a core of people and influence within the organisation, and employees of such companies should participate and often volunteer their time and skills to support the networks.

So if you are a young Asian graduate, what should you do to get a job? Networking is really helpful – did you know that 50% of all jobs are never advertised, and these are also the least competitive methods of entry. Use our social networks at the temple and community centres, approach friends and relatives, and try to avoid asking for a job straight away. Instead ask how you can get some mentoring and guidance for your job applications. It is very important that you maintain a positive attitude each time you apply for a job, and keep your spirits up. Some employers do give bonuses to employees if they recommend good candidates – so use this opportunity to get in and earn a commission for your sponsor.

I would also say that at the interview, do explain your positive work ethic and self-discipline and initiative and how these skills will help improve your employers performance and productivity. There are lots of people out there with similar qualifications, but where you are unique is your attitude and dedication to the task in hand – spell this out. Your culture is your asset and should not be a liability.

Dr. Atul K. Shah is a consultant, writer and broadcaster, and he blogs regularly at www.diverseethics.com Email: atul@diverseethics.com

This is a very good guide to finding jobs in this tough market - it has been compiled by Race For Opportunity and you can find it here.

It covers all aspects from CV writing to networking, interview preparation and follow-up. It makes a bold case for a positive outlook and attitude to each job application. It adapts a methodical approach, with a feedback loop so that if you do not succeed, you have an opportunity to learn what went wrong and how to do a better pitch the next time.

Practical tips are very important to help young people improve their job chances. Use this toolkit to improve your job chances. RFO's work in this area is highly commendable.

The news in the press today, following David Cameron’s speech about more women in the Boardroom, is depressing. Yes we need more women, but what we also need is a Board which has a global mindset and the cultural intelligence and nous to match. Focusing on women will not solve this very important problem. I define Cultural Intelligence as the knowledge and sensitivity about what makes different people tick, an understanding and respect for their habits and behaviours, and then using this knowledge to build a successful team, market or enterprise.

The reasons Cultural Intelligence is important in the workplace are:

• Culture is the inner fibre of a person – it is what he/she believes in and holds dear.
• In terms of talent management, Cultural Intelligence is a way of untapping the inner passion and potential.
• Respect comes from understanding and tolerance. If we do not engage with people’s culture, we will not really respect them. This will affect the team spirit and performance.
• People are different, and we should not try to impose sameness on them. Innovation and creativity come from difference not similarity.
• Different cultures bring different strengths to the table – e.g. the Sikhs are known for their persistence, the French for their art, the English for their diplomacy. So if you are careful, you can weave a team with different ‘natural’ skill sets which can be hugely effective in achieving the project goals.
• When we trade globally, we are forced to encounter different cultures and patterns of operation and behaviour. Cultural intelligence helps us to adapt to these differences and work to bridge them. Without it, we can end up creating sour motivation, relationships and even possibly a failed foreign investment!

These are just a few of the many reasons why Cultural Intelligence should be valued, and investment made in its training. HR professionals should have particular skill in this area, as they deal with diverse people at recruitment and development levels.

The discussion on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning was about quotas in the Boardroom for women - at present there are only 12.5% women on the Corporate Boardroom in Britain, and this is seen to be unfair and should rise to a much higher percentage to be representative. There are many Boards which are even all male.

One advantage of quotas is that they force change where there is intransigence and where the barriers are sharp. A disadvantage is that they can lead to tokenism. Also our research shows that culturally, there is a resistance to quotas in the Boardroom in Britain - they are seen as an infringement of executive choice and freedom.

So how then do we achieve change?

The root problem we have found from our research is not necessarily about gender, but about the whole culture of power and governance in the British boardroom. Generally, executives do not like challenge nor do they welcome it - they prefer sameness to difference. Yet we know that for robust organisations, power has to be open to scrutiny and questioning. For public quoted companies, management need to be reminded that they are agents rather than owners.

So here are the possible solutions to this dilemma:

• An education and training programme for executives on Boardroom culture and diversity, and the commercial benefits of difference
• A legal requirement for diversity and equality in the Boardroom, which also includes cultural diversity and other minorities such as disabled people - the top is not exempt from equality
• A secondment scheme for possible new non-executives on Boards to open the talent pool
• A cultural mapping of the organisation, its products and services and its staffing to see how representative is the talent pool

We look forward to your comments.