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Best Practice

Alison Platt, Group Development Director, BUPA Hospitals and Chair of Opportunity Now-

"Industry can not be complacent about diversity and its importance in the workplace. Opportunity Now combats complacency and challenges organisations to be even better."

Benchmarking

Opportunity Now Benchmarking Survey

Opportunity Now produces the UK’s most extensive workplace survey on gender equality and diversity

The Opportunity Now benchmarking survey is the UK's most extensive survey on gender equality and diversity in the workplace. It is an annual survey which is available to all Opportunty Now members. The survey is completed by a significant number of the UK's major employers.

About the Survey

The benchmarking survey is designed to help organisations working towards gender equality and diversity, irrespective of whether they are just beginning or have been active for some time.

Results - Measuring Progress - Meeting Challenges Benchmarking results 2008/2009

Despite the difficult economic climate employers are seeing the creation of inclusive and diverse workplaces as a business imperative which will help them weather the recession.

The 2008-2009 National Trends Analysis shows that organisations can see the tangible benefits that diversity brings. 74% of organisations can make a link between their internal diversity initiatives and employee engagement, whilst 40% of employers can demonstrate improved customer satisfaction as a result of their diversity activities. 22% of organisations believe that their diversity initiatives have helped them to increase market share.
Diversity is still seen as a big issue in the boardroom; in 55% of organisations board level leaders are held directly accountable for delivering gender objectives and are measured on this via their performance review. A massive 96% of employers have a senior level leader who champions the importance of equality and diversity within their organisation. In 19% of organisations it is the Chief Executive which holds this role. Opportunity Now employers are backing up their belief in the power of diversity with resources: 86% of employers say that they are still putting the financial resources in place to help create more diverse workplaces.
The report, from Opportunity Now, the not for profit organisation which promotes the business benefits of creating workplaces where women can succeed, is the culmination of in-depth analysis of workplace practices in 77 of the UK's biggest organisations. The report gives a comprehensive picture of the initiatives and polices which they are using to equality-proof their workplaces.
Equal pay has been big news since the announcement of the Single Equality Bill. Reassuringly, the report indicates that employers already have this on their business agenda. 69% already conduct an equal pay audit and importantly 44% provide training on equal pay issues to managers who are involved in pay decisions. 22% of employers are already publishing their pay gap data in the public domain.
Opportunity Now has always positioned workplace diversity and inclusion initiatives as a way of better responding to clients, customers and external stakeholders. It is clear that employers are also seeing this important link. 58% of employers actively consider gender issues as part of their customer management, whilst 48% of employers consult with their customers in the development of their gender strategy.

Opportunity Now Comments

Director of Opportunity Now, believes that the business case for creating inclusive and diverse workforces has never been more important. "In essence creating diverse and inclusive workplaces is about engaging with employees and ensuring that they know they matter as individuals. It is about ensuring that as an organisation you can tap into the highest calibre of talent, gain fresh perspectives and innovate. And in times of hardship engaging and motivating your employees is key if you want to drive business and ultimately succeed. Our research proves that there is still a very clear business imperative for equality and diversity and that employers are continuing to show commitment and dedication to creating workplaces where everyone can succeed.”

Benefits of Benchmarking.

Available only to Opportunity Now members benchmarking on a regular basis enables an organisation to:

Find out where your organisation is making progress on gender and equality.
Identify gaps or areas where further action is needed.
Compare your progress with other organisations in the same sector and more generally.
Build a case for adequate resources in the coming year.
Prepare an action based plan and prioritise your activities for the coming year more effectively.
Share best practice and learn from other employers.

Members tell us that they find the benchmarking exercise particularly useful in prompting thought around what actions are currently taking place, what works well and what changes could be implemented.