www.bitc.org.uk

IGNITE MANIFESTO LAUNCH

Sandra Kerr, OBE

National Director Race for Opportunity

Business in the Community

www.bitc.org.uk

RfO helps employers unlock potential by aligning their workforce, thinking and ways

of working with customers and society at large.

The UK is already diverse and will continue to

become increasingly so

The UK workforce is diverse:

• 1 in 8 of the current workforce is from a BAME background

The emerging workforce is even more diverse:

• 1 in 6 UK-domiciled students at university is from a BAME background

• 1 in 5 pupils in secondary school is from a BAME background and

• 1 in 4 children in primary schools is from a BAME background

Employers have found it difficult to establish a diverse workforce that reflects

local territories or indeed society at large:

• 5.7% of FTSE 100 directors are from ethnic minorities (UK norm 12%)

• 59.4% of ethnic minority people are employed (UK average 70.6%)

• 44.4% is the unemployment rate for black youths (UK average 21.2%)

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Why diversity makes compelling sense

for business?

An inclusive and diverse workforce:

• Improves decision making and creativity by avoiding group think

• Builds better value propositions, having access to more market knowledge

• Increases access to a growing market by understanding entry points

• Creates a positive and inclusive brand image for customers, employees

and prospective employees

• Contributes to social cohesion and stability, building more effective ties and

loyalty with markets and communities

A study commissioned by Weber Shandwick estimated the spending power

of the UK’s ethnic communities at £300 billion*.

Source: Multi-Cultural insight study 2007 commissioned by Weber Shandwick’s specialist

multicultural marketing division Multi-Cultural Communications. £300m estimated for 2010.

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And not forgetting that businesses with global language skills

benefit from market globalisation

In 2005, the Guardian reported

that more than 300 languages

were spoken by the people of

London, and the city.

0 200 400 600 800 1000

Mandarin Chinese

Spanish

English

Arabic

Hindi

Portuguese

Bengali

Russian

Japanese

German

Series1

0 200 400 600 800 1000

Mandarin Chinese

Spanish

English

Arabic

Hindi

Portuguese

Bengali

Russian

Japanese

German

Series1

The ten most popular languages worldwide

with the number of language speakers:

In state-funded primary schools

16.8% of pupils’ first language

(compulsory school age and

above) was known or believed to

be other than English in 2011.

Why diversity makes compelling sense

for business?

www.bitc.org.uk

FTSE 100 Board Representation shows little movement

• 7 BAME Board Positions held in 2012 (7 men and no woman)

The UK Workforce is diverse in part, but management remain underrepresented

• 1 in 15 of the BAME workforce is in management (vs. a norm of 1 in 8)

University representation from BAME groups is low in high profile campuses

• 1 in 6 UK domiciled students from BAME background are in University

• 1 in 8 study at a Russell Group University

• 1 in 10 at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Employment prospects have deteriorated markedly in some BAME groups

• 44.4% is the unemployment rate for black youths (UK average 21.2%)

Progress has been made, but the challenge and

opportunity for business remains ahead

Organisations that maximise their full talent capability are better placed to deliver

increased competitive advantage with marginal incremental cost.

www.bitc.org.uk

1 in 16 (on boards)

1 in 8 (in the workforce)

1 in 4 (in primary school)

Increase inclusive and

diverse senior leaders

Accelerate progression

and balance

representation

Reduce BAME youth

unemployment

RfO Vision: Squaring the pyramid

www.bitc.org.uk

RfO Priorities 2012 - 2014

1. Progression & Inclusive Leadership: Accelerate balanced

representation at all levels (including leadership pipeline and Boards).

2. Track segmented data: Track progress across all BAME segments and

drive focus on areas most in need of support with action plans.

3. BAME Youth Unemployment: Ensuring effective monitoring of

programmes and balanced inclusion of BAME young people.

4. Increase profile: Drive profile on squaring the pyramid and the case for

diversity and inclusion via a concerted communications campaign.

5. Get closer to government: Play a greater part in shaping policy to

develop ‘Lord Davies Review’ with focus on ethnicity and diversity.

Primary focus is on a small number of critical priorities:

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RfO Insight into media and PR industry

• Only 30% believed that it would be easy to find a job in any of the eight

selected professions. The media industry was seen as the hardest to break

into with one in three (31%) saying it would be difficult to find a job.

• More than 1 in 3 respondents saw the media profession as "cut throat"

(34%) and more than a fifth used the word "aggressive" to describe the

media profession.

• One fifth of respondents cited the lack of information from the Media industry

for potential applicants wanting to join this profession.

Source: Aspiration and Frustration, page 9&7

RfO Aspiration and Frustration 2010 highlights:

www.bitc.org.uk

RfO Media PR industry recommendations:

Employers within the media profession need to look at why they currently risk

putting off potential BAME candidates from seeking a career with them. They

should:

• Work together to agree a common approach to promoting access to the

industry including encouraging company directors, among others, to become

involved in mentoring activities and programmes;

• Make it clear in their recruitment materials that they welcome candidates

from BAME backgrounds and ensure that there are no issues that present

“invisible” barriers to minorities.

• Ask recruitment agencies/head-hunters to send through diverse shortlists of

candidates for vacancies.

• Diversify personal networks. NEW!

RfO Aspiration and Frustration Recommendations:

www.bitc.org.uk

RfO Practical support materials

1. RfO Aspiration and Frustration report June 2010: Clear response from

BAME people in the UK about their perception of the PR and Media

industry

2. RfO Diversity in the Media factsheet:. This will help to make the

business case for action and change. Help as a starting benchmark from

which to chart progress.

3. Free online unconscious bias taster tool: Free taster toolkit developed

in partnership with DWP, Jobcentre Plus, Ethnic Minority Advisory Group

and People Development Group and Sponge UK.

Practical tools on www.bitcdiversity.org.uk website:

www.bitc.org.uk

Key facts!

• Of the top 100 journalists in 2006,

54% were independently educated

an increase from 49% in 1986.

• Private schools make up only 7 per

cent of the country’s secondary

school population. Yet they produce

well over half of the country’s top

news journalists.

Source: The Sutton Trust -The Educational Backgrounds of Leading

Journalists, June 2006

RfO Ethnic Minorities in the Media

www.bitc.org.uk

RfO Practical support materials

1. Know why it matters

2. Know your organisation

3. Know yourself

4. Know your colleagues

5. Know what to do

RfO 5-points for progress 5 step simple action plan:

www.bitc.org.uk

RfO 5 point for progress #3

• 5-points for

Progress

• Know yourself

• Unconscious

Bias tool

www.bitc.org.uk

Thank you

www.bitcdiversity.org.uk