LIFESTYLE

“Diversity is a gift,” says the director of a unique careers fair at At-Bristol this month. Anna Britten and Darryl W Bullock find out why an inclusive workplace is good for everyone.

It’s easy to typecast people. We all make assumptions about who is the “right type of person” to be our friend, neighbour, sweetheart, Twitter pal. Employers are no different. As a result, many groups are under-represented in or excluded from the British workplace.

The need for greater diversity in all areas of British working life – and Bath and even racially variegated Bristol are no exception. As Oona King wrote in a newspaper last year: “We’re further adrift than most people realise. For example, in the ‘real world’, just over half of British people are women. But in ‘TV world’, only a third of television people (fictional characters, newsreaders, chat show hosts etc) are women, and I would hazard a guess that they are disproportionately pretty and under 30 at that. Disabled people and gay people fare even worse.”

All of which is the sort of thing to make the old school Alan Sugars of this world harrumph, of course. Yet savvy businesses are realising that a diverse workforce can make good business sense, too. For example, by 2025, nearly half the population will be aged over 50. Organisations that practise ageism will lose out at they miss out on a huge talent pool. Diversity drives up profits, too – the estimated disposable income of the UK’s ethnic minority market is £32 billion, the LGBT market’s disposable income £70 billion,and the closer a workforce reflects the customer base it serves, the more likely it is to tap into some of that wealth.

In short, good businesses will not use the economic situation as an excuse to push diversity on to the back burner. They will take account of race, disability and gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief and gender reassignment.

Diversity Careers, taking place in Bristol this month, is a multi-spectrum careers event looking at all strands of diversity from BME (black and minority ethnic) to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and aims to bring together jobseekers and graduates from all walks of life with employers who will value them. The day will also feature traders, representatives from local universities and there’s even an after-party, from 6pm at the Shore Café Bar in the nearby Bristol Hotel: another opportunity for informal networking.

Director Daryn Carter (pictured above, centre) will be known to many for his role in bringing Bristol Pride to fruition for the last two years. He also worked as a diversity champion at the BBC. His new venture sees him pushing a diversity message alongside partners Stonewall and organisations such as Pride as well as local and national firms, including GE Energy, Hewlett Packard, St Pauls Carnival, Cabot Circus, Google, Jobcentre +, BBC, Ernst & Young, Bristol City Council, Bevan Brittan, Burges Salmon, Enterprise Cars, Beachcroft, JP Morgan, the RAF and British Library amongst others. Companies who want to get involved can still do so by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

“Thanks to my background, I’ve been engaging with lots of different communities in and around the Bristol area, from LGBT to women’s charities, and many of the people I spoke to were saying that they felt there weren’t enough opportunities for them in the workplace, or anywhere they could go for specific information. Listening to them inspired me to set up Diversity Careers.”

Carter feels that, for even the biggest organisations, the need for diversity is still something it’s too easy to sweep under the carpet – especially in a recession. The solution lies, he believes, with concerned individuals.

“People need to stand up and say to their employers, ‘Well, what do you do about diversity?’ It’s so easy for people in a company to become complacent and not want to rock the boat, especially in a recession, but it’s important to look and see what your company does, not only for existing staff members but also in reaching out. If someone hears about this event, or Pride, they should take it to their boss and say, ‘How can we get involved?’”

While only the crustiest oddities now bat an eyelid about the right of ethnic minorities and women to feel at home in the nation’s businesses, there remain several other groups still struggling for the same level of acceptance.

“Having worked in the LGBT field for six years I have found that people often feel unable to come out at work. Even though homophobia is on the agenda in terms of the outside world, of feeling safe on the streets, a lot of people have been saying ‘Yes, but I would never come out at work.’ There’s a lot of concern about how coming out will affect them in terms of promotion, and how their colleagues will treat them. That needs addressing. We’re seeing a lot more LGBT staff networks, for example at Tesco.

“The main reason for doing this event is that there’s a feeling of a lack of support coming through LGBT community groups about where to go for job information or where to get advice on careers. I worked with the BBC for 10 years and still heard stories about homophobia, or from people who felt unable to come out at work.”

Along with companies keen to attract new talent, the day will also feature guest speakers, workshops on interview skills and help with writing the perfect CV. “I’ve been speaking to a range of different companies and have been overwhelmed with their response,” says Daryn. “And it’s not just for people who have suffered discrimination; you might simply want to work for an employer that shares your own values. Some HR teams, for example, have said that they have wanted to do this because they are aware of problems in their own workplace; they want to show the employees they already have that they value them.

“Mental health is another area that is going to be coming up on a lot of people’s agendas – it’s classed as a disability but a lot of people are scared to admit they’ve got a mental health problem because they’re worried about how they’ll be treated. It comes down to a lack of understanding.”

Carter insists it is in companies’ interests to embrace diversity. “Diversity is a gift. Any type of difference in the working world should always be welcomed. Companies have a legal requirement to support diversity but actually it is really good for the workplace, from teamwork to creativity. Furthermore, the public is loyal if it sees an organisation that is aligned with their own values.”

Naturally, Diversity Careers itself offers a very broad admission policy. “We’re hoping to attract everyone – all jobseekers, especially people from one of the many diverse communities in the Bristol area. People who want advice on CVs or interview skills, and people who are working within a company and thinking it’s time for a change. We welcome absolutely everyone, even those who do not feel they fall into an under-represented group, to come along and talk to over 50 companies, with more being added every day. Local interest has been really good. Big firms have been telling me that it’s a great idea and that they’re really keen to support it.”

DIVERSITY CAREERS TOOK PLACE ON FRI 14 OCT AT AT-BRISTOL, ANCHOR RD,
BRISTOL
BS1 5DB. FFI: WWW.DIVERSITYCAREERS.ORG

Working out

It may be the 21st century, and the LGBT community may have come a long way along the road towards full equality, but sadly some people still have to face discrimination and homophobia in the workplace. All employees are protected by the Equality Act 2010, yet it seems that message of acceptance and tolerance isn’t filtering through to everyone, a shame since research from Stonewall suggests that “concealing sexual orientation at work reduces productivity by up to 30%, and people who are out in supportive workplaces are more creative, loyal and productive”. According to the 2010 Out Now State of the UK Workplace Report, many LGBT workers felt uncomfortable with the undercurrents of homophobia flowing through the workplace, commenting on the negative impact of homophobic jokes bandied about in workplaces for example.

FFI: VISIT WWW.STONEWALL.ORG.UK

Copyright Anna Britten and Darryl W Bullock 2011