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.

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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.

Organisations in general seem reluctant to be pro-active about equality for various reasons. However, when inequality strikes, and an employee makes a complaint or grievance, then everything changes. Due to the strict employment laws in the UK, such matters have to be dealt with carefully otherwise they can escalate. A lot of management time and effort is involved in dealing with such grievances, with consequent financial loss, not to mention the stress of it all. Organisations often get tempted to victimise the complainant or bully them, but they really need to be very careful about this behaviour, because it again is illegal. In a recent case in Yorkshire involving the NHS, an award of £3mn was made to a victimised former Doctor, and the whole case had been handled very badly by the employer.

When it comes to pro-active diversity work, budgets also tend to be very limited, but in the case of a grievance, budgets appear to be unlimited. Not only are there the direct costs, but there are also indirect costs like loss of reputation, which often happens where cases attract publicity. Someone suggested to me that this money comes out of a different pot, related to legal costs, or it comes out of an insurance claim made by the employer. Whatever the source, the costs are very significant and should not be treated lightly.

When a court examines such a case, it looks for mitigating evidence - has the employer been fair to other similar minority employees, is there evidence of management training about the law on equality, what are the company policies and practices. This makes a case for more pro-active work around equality and diversity, rather than brushing it under the carpet until problems emerge.

As we have argued consistently in this blog, a much more sustainable way of approaching equality is to understand its potential and benefits, and then follow its spirit, rather then do a cosmetic exercise. Here the entire corporate philosophy would change to embed equality as a core asset of the organisation, and see its strengths and benefits to creativity, efficiency and productivity. In my experience, very few organisations operate at this level, to their considerable loss and disadvantage. And there are huge bottom line benefits of this - in terms of increasing revenues and reducing costs.