Investors in Diversity
Background
The creation, development and understanding of the practical implementation of the IiD Standards at all three Levels has been developing and evolving through 2004-9 with the input of hundreds of organisations and thousands of people from all three employment sectors.
These include EHRC, LSC, British Chambers of Commerce, CBI, Schools, Colleges, Universities, large Businesses, SME’s, Micro-businesses, Sole-traders, the NCVO, Voluntary/Charity sector organisations, Housing Associations, Local Authorities, Prisons, psychologists, academics etc.
IiD was launched in April 2006 in the House of Commons by the Chief Executive of IBM, the current Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn and by the President of the British Chambers of Commerce.
How IiD helps Organisations
Equality, diversity and inclusion are not easy concepts to come to terms with. They are very often misunderstood. The cost of not effectively managing equality and diversity in an organisation can be huge both in financial and human resource terms. Current and impending equalities legislation is really difficult to make sense of for many.
The Investors in Diversity advisors simplify things and make it easier for organisations
1. They help organisations take stock of where they are.
2. They then help organisations to understand what they need to do next.
3. They help them to improve and progress.
4. They assess how much the organisation has progressed.
5. If an organisation does well enough, they get accreditation.
Benefits and outcomes of Investors in Diversity for organisations
Working towards Investors in Diversity can help organisations in the following ways:-
- IiD saves organisations time and resources because it is based upon established good practice thus avoiding companies re-inventing the wheel.
- IiD reduces the bureaucratic burden on staff in an organisation.
- IiD helps organisations make sense of equality related legislation so that they become compliant with the law.
- IiD provides organisations with an online ‘360 degree equality impact assessment’ – in other words a health check on their work in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
- IiD will assist organisations in communicating strong messages both internally and externally of their commitment to EDI.
- IiD helps organisations to identify strengths, areas for improvement and potential new opportunities.
- IiD alerts organisations to any issues that need to be addressed.
- IiD assists organisations to promote continuous improvement around EDI.
- IiD helps organisations identify and thereafter helps to start alleviate possible employee tensions.
- IiD helps organisations measure and improve current practices in EDI.
Benefits expressed by organisations who have completed the Standard:
- An improvement in attracting, recruiting and retaining people from a wide “talent” base.
- A reduction in the costs of labour turnover and absenteeism.
- Has contributed to greater employee flexibility and responsiveness.
- Has engendered greater employee commitment, morale and “discretionary effort”.
- Has aided organisations to better manage, the impact of globalisation and technological change.
- Has enhanced creativity and innovation.
- Has improved knowledge of how to operate in different cultures.
- Has improved the understanding of the needs of current customers or clients.
- Has improving knowledge about the needs of new customers and clients.
- Has assisted in the development of new products, services and marketing strategies.
- Has enhancing the organisation’s reputation and image with external stakeholders.
- Has created opportunities for disadvantaged groups and building social cohesion.
Investors in Diversity Level 1
Level 1 Investors in Diversity can be done in between 4-12 weeks.
1. Level 1 is an on line diagnostic tool which helps organisations to better understand and identify their prevailing organisational culture in respect of EDI.
2. Level 1 is an entry level standard which measures an organisations equality, diversity and inclusion performance. There is also more of an equality legal compliance and policy focus.
3. At Level 1 Investors in Diversity are able to establish industry and organisational benchmarks so organisations are able to see where they are, in relation to other organisations from their sector or industry.
4. Level 1 Investors in Diversity is an entry route to the full Investors in Diversity and is much cheaper than Investors in Diversity at Level 2.
Investors in Diversity Level 2
Key steps at Investors in Diversity at Level 2
1. A 360 degree ED&I impact assessment is carried out for each organisation.
2. They support organisations in identifying and aligning their organisational/business case for ED&I into business/ organisational goals.
3. They help organisations plan, deliver, develop and improve.
4. They measure that improvement in a final assessment.
5. An award of the standard is achieved by an organisation if they are successful.
Investors in Diversity Level 3
Level 3 is also known as "Leaders in Diversity". It involves an online assessment as well as support from a Leaders in Diversity Assessor. Organisations must have achieved Level 2 and maintained this for two years, to proceed to Level 3.
The organisation then has the opportunity to further progress their EDI credentials by becoming ‘Leaders in Diversity’ and thus overtly demonstrating their commitment to being an employer of integrity.
- Web links for on-line assessment sent to client
- Organisation promotes survey and ensures completion by stakeholders
- Completion of survey by stakeholders
- NCFD assign IiD Practitioner (Assessor) to contact the client to arrange assessment in a telephone conversation
- Assessment takes place, final report produced
- External verification
- Feedback, report and award if successful
Partnerships
Some of the Investors in Diversity clients
A1 Housing
Accent Group
Acis Group
AON Limited
Aspire Housing
ATL
Beam
Bliss
Broadacres
Calderdale College
Carlton Bolling College
Chester and District Housing Trust
CHH Recruitment
City of Westminster College
Clapgate Primary School
Coca Cola
Community Action Dacorum
Community Gateway
Craegmoor Colleges and Regent college
DISC
Ebor Gardens Primary School
Exemplas
Exeter CVS
Fabrick Housing
Family Welfare Association
First Dorset & Hampshire Ltd.
Foundation Housing
Genesis Housing Group
Greater Manchester Police - Bury Division
Grimsby Institute
Groundwork
Hamara Healthy Living Centre
Harehills Primary School
Hillcrest Primary School
HM Thorn Cross - Young Offenders Institute
HMP Wormwood Scrubs Education Dept.
HMPS Buckley Hall
Home-Start Leeds
Horton Housing
Housing Diversity Network
Hunslet Carr Primary School
igen
Inward House Projects
Ipswich CVS
ITV
Jackson Lloyd
Joseph Priestley College
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Key Ring
Leeds College of Building
Leeds Jewish Welfare Board
Leeds Trinity & All Saints
Leeds University Union
Leeds City College
Leicester Centre for Integrated Living
Life Opportunities Trust (LOT)
Life skills Solutions
Mid Kent College
Milton Keynes College
Mouchel
NCVO
North Lincolnshire Council
Northampton College
Oldham College
Park Lane College Leeds
Park Lane College Keighley
Parson Cross
People in Action
Philips Collection Services Ltd
PM Training
Rathbone
Riverside College
Scope
South Thames College
St Bartholomews C of E Primary School
Suffolk New College
Tameside College
Telford College of Arts & Design
The Children's Trust
The Defence Vetting Agency (DVA)
The Pacific Institute
Three Valleys Housing
Together for Peace
TPP Law
United Response
University of Derby
Veredus
West Nottinghamshire College
Windmill PS & Low Road PS
Yorkshire Forward
And many more..
Testimonials and quotes from clients, partners and supporters
Catherine Webb, European Diversity Manager, Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd
"Working with Investors In Diversity is a great opportunity to work towards achieving Coca-Cola Enterprises vision of creating a culture where people with their similarities and differences feel respected and valued, and can contribute to their fullest potential. Our long term goal is for our work force to reflect the diversity of our customers, consumers and communities. Working with IiD reflects our third strategic priority in to recruit, develop and retain the best and diverse talent in order to be the best beverage sales and customer service company”.
Dina Martin, Head Teacher, Firs Hill Community Primary School
“Investors in Diversity offers educational settings a framework for the promotion of equal opportunities and the resolute tackling of any forms of discrimination, this will have considerable impact on overcoming barriers to learning for pupils and parents and strengthened school and community partnerships”.
Dave Kaye, Managing Director, First Bus London and Berkshire
“As an international transport operator, First Group employs a highly diverse workforce and our company has always been committed to respecting and valuing that diversity. Given this, The Investors in Diversity Standard is of great interest to us and I am pleased to confirm our commitment to achieving the standard across the Group in the UK. I am personally supportive of this initiative which I hope will both recognise existing good practice and help us to develop new approaches to diversity. This will help to ensure that we continue to be an employer where staff feel truly valued and to derive maximum value from the diverse talents of our staff”.
John Collier, Chief Executive, Exemplas
“We are delighted to be working with the National Centre for Diversity to gain the IiD Award,” said John Collier, Chief Executive of Exemplas and a patron of NCFD. “At Exemplas, we believe that diversity can be an organisation’s greatest asset by bringing a wider range of experience, ideas and creativity, and we want to celebrate and recognise this within our own organisation. To further support this initiative and the National Centre for Diversity, some of our consultants have recently become fully-accredited IiD advisers to help develop other organisations’ cultures to meet the standard’s requirements, and provide pragmatic, cost-effective assistance to achieve the Award”.
Liesel Dickinson, Diversity Standards Officer, North Lincolnshire Council
“At North Lincolnshire Council we saw the decision to subscribe to IID as a best practice one - we were the first council to do so. We have mainstreamed action working towards IID within our wider diversity action planning. We recognise the standard as one vehicle to the continuing development, evidencing and embedding of equality and diversity in the organisation”.
Jill Bullock, Performance Manager, Acis Group
“Working towards IiD demonstrates our commitment to providing a service where Equality & Diversity are “business as usual”. This is the first step in a journey which shapes the path of the future”.
Hazel Langley, HR Manager, Groundwork
“As a result of working with the National Centre for Diversity, Groundwork UK has implemented new systems. For example, our financial regulations have been overhauled so that when we issue tenders for contracts, organisations and companies that make bids for them have to demonstrate their commitment to diversity to be considered”.
John Ryan, HR Manager, Leeds City College, Park Lane and Keighley Campus
“Investors in Diversity has provided an opportunity for reflection on what we were doing well in relation to equality and to identify where and how we can do more in the future. The heartbeat of the college is its people and by including them all in looking at diversity we have realised how important ongoing inclusion of everyone in all aspects of college life is to the future health of the organisation”.
Dave King, Head of HR, Scope
“The work on achieving the IiD Standard has enabled us to plan, deliver and communicate our work on diversity. The Standard has ensured that all work on diversity is linked and established plans are not as a result of assumptions but from direct feedback from stakeholders”.