UK companies pursue diversity despite a push in the country for more restrictive immigration reforms.
In 2005, the British Broadcasting Company Corporation (BBC) did a study that charted the path of immigration to Great Britain. The BBC Born Abroad project revealed some surprising information that was obtained from the Census data and the maps and data prepared by the New Immigrant Communities study. One of the most surprising results was the fact that immigration had greatly expanded and people were coming from places other than Asia and the African-Caribbean, as was popularly believed by British citizens. Dubbed ‘super-diversity’, the current immigration policies and patterns had set the U.K. on a path that would lead to a rich mosaic of citizens with different ethnicities, languages and religions.
However, the report made clear that immigrants must be identified by much more than just simple demographics like place of birth because how they came to the country often impacted whether they were able to work, the kinds of jobs they were eligible for, the type of housing they could find, and the public services they could obtain. When the European Union was formed, a new wave of immigrants arrived, too. EU nationals do not need visas or work permits to work in the United Kingdom and so just melt into the workforce. In addition to the EU migrants, England has given work permits to immigrants from 30 countries who represent workers with global businesses or who have special skills needed in the country.
Seven years later, the news is that the U.K. government has introduced immigration reforms that are intended to reduce the numbers of immigrants to the country, so work visas were reduced by 8 percent and student visas by 21 percent over the last 12 months. The business people and industrialists are asking the government to not reduce the work visas because it will impact the ability to find skilled labor and will discourage foreign investment. The U.K. court has ordered the reforms to be debated further in Parliament but they are currently in effect.
Employment Balancing Act
In this kind of environment, diversity takes on new meaning in the workplace. The recession created a situation in which U.K. citizens are having trouble landing jobs and find themselves competing with immigrants and migrants. A history of welcoming open arms towards immigrants is now turning into resentment over the diversity in the country. An atmosphere of exclusion presents new challenges to companies hoping to bring more diversity, and not less, to the workplace because it has been shown again and again that diversity brings improved business outcomes. Yet businesses are in the uncomfortable position of promoting diversity without alienating its stakeholders.
One of the main differences between the European concept of diversity in comparison to diversity in the U.S. is that the U.S. focuses on a workforce balance based mostly on race and ethnicity. Countries like the U.K. have concentrated on nationality (place of birth) and immigration status. U.S. companies hoping to do business in the U.K. or to expand workforce diversity must first recognize this different perspective. A common factor is that the U.K. and the U.S. both consider gender, so balancing the male and female ratio is part of the overall strategy.
Aggressively Pursuing Diversity
The approach to diversity taken by local and multinational companies has varied.
PepsiCo U.K. is a leader in diversity and inclusion. The company’s executive management firmly believes that its competitive strength is found in a diverse talented workforce. In 2007, the company implemented Appreciating Difference workshops that all U.K. managers are required to attend. The workshops raise awareness of the different aspects of inclusion and also provide definitive structure for the managers so diversity is not left to chance or unconscious bias. PepsiCo U.K. also established a U.K. Diversity and Inclusion Council to ensure that diversity and inclusion strategies are delivered U.K.-wide and are always relevant to the changing business environment. In addition, PepsiCo U.K. established a formal mentoring program for Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs).
PepsiCo U.K. has earned a number of awards for its efforts and success. The company was named the 2010 Corporation of the Year by the Minority Supplier Development U.K. (MSDUK) council. The company has also been awarded The Next Step Diversity Mark for its commitment to diversity at all staff levels from senior management to the general workforce.
Another diversity leader is Capgemini U.K. plc, with over 120,000 people working in 40 countries. The company is involved in consulting, outsourcing, technology and local professional services. The management is firmly committed to diversity and hiring and developing people based on talent only. Capgemini has taken many positive steps to increase its diversity. They include working with the National Works Council to regularly review the official Diversity Policy; monitoring performance reviews and promotions for signs of bias based on ethnicity or gender; regularly reviewing barriers to employment that are real or are perceived as barriers by job applicants or employees; and providing employee and manager training.
Networking plays a big role in the Capgemini diversity program. The company officially recognizes two internal networking groups – Women’s Business Network and OUTfront, which represents gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. Company representatives also participate in a variety of outside organizations dedicated to promoting diverse hiring based on gender, race, disability and age.
J Sainsbury plc is a supermarket and convenience store chain established in 1869 and diversity and inclusion has been embedded in the culture since its inception. However, it has taken an even more active role in promoting inclusiveness in the last few years, including expanding the traditional U.K. definition of diversity. The company launched a Diversity Champion program last year with 140 mangers participating. This sterling program has a broad agenda that includes gathering feedback on aspects of diversity, providing input to program development, driving improvements in all diversity areas, increasing community presence, and supporting workers who combine careers and community activities. The You Can program launched in 2008 works closely with special needs employees that include the disabled, long-term unemployed, offenders and military veterans. The program recruits the employees and then mentors and develops them to ensure they have every opportunity to succeed. J Sainsbury has also initiated efforts to employ those with a learning disability by working through Mencap and Remploy, agencies that work with the disabled.
No Turning Back
The British Chambers of Commerce issued a report in December 2011 that 60 percent of employers must hire migrant workers due to a lack of skilled U.K. workers. This is despite an unemployment figure that has reached a 17 year high. Approximately half of the workers are coming from outside the European Union. PepsiCo U.K., Capgemini and J Sainsbury are included among the companies hiring migrants and immigrants.
Bringing diversity into the U.K. workplace is a priority for many companies. Yet, like most countries, diversity and inclusion are complex topics that involve so much more than just hiring or training. However, it is clear that U.K. migrants and immigrants play a critical role in U.K. business and economic success. It is also clear that businesses are pushing ahead with aggressive diversity initiatives. In the U.K., there is no turning back, even if the government limits immigration.