43 per cent of employers admit that they don’t have a diversity policy in place for hiring new staff, according to findings in the recently released 2015 Hays Salary Guide.
Of the 57 per cent that do have a diversity policy in place, 13 per cent said it is not adhered to. The remaining 87 per cent say it is ‘generally’ adhered to.
“There are many barriers preventing real diversity in Australian workplaces, but the failure to put a diversity policy in place is right up there at the top,” says Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand. “Even if organisations have a policy in place, if hiring managers ignore it then it is mere lip service.
“It still surprises me that more organisations don’t recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce. Various studies have proven the business benefits, which include an increased candidate pool, an alleviation of skill shortages, and the creation of a workforce that reflects your customer base.
“However diversity goes beyond attracting, recruiting and retaining certain target groups. Real and genuine diversity also involves recognising and valuing the varied skills, knowledge, backgrounds and perspectives that people bring to their work. Such a people-oriented culture promotes inclusiveness and respect and is an essential ingredient in not only helping to attract and retain the top talent but in creating a workforce that can innovate, create and work together to come up with solutions.
“None of this can be achieved however if an organisation does not put a policy in place or embed the principles within its culture.
“Establishing and implementing a diversity policy takes time and the commitment of senior executives, but doing so ensures jobseekers can secure work and realise their full potential, while helping organisations achieve their goals, which has benefits for us all,” says Nick.
The Hays Salary Guide includes salary and recruiting trends for over 1,000 roles in 14 locations in Australia and New Zealand. 2,610 organisations were surveyed, representing almost 2.9 million (2,891,747) employees.
Get your copy of the 2015 Hays Salary Guide by visiting hays.com.au/salary-guide, contacting your local Hays office or downloading The Hays Salary Guide 2015 iPhone app from iTunes.
Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.
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For further information please contact Lucy Sharp, Regional Head of Marketing at Hays, on +61 2 8226 9885 or [email protected]