Every day I speak to many different HR and People professionals about their D&I successes and challenges and the recurring theme is that 2020 has been a year for reflection but now is the time to turn strategies into action.
Whilst I would struggle to disagree that everyone within an organisation is responsible for building a more equitable and inclusive workplace, the most successful businesses also empower individuals to challenge and influence from top to bottom. When done well, the outcome can be transformative.
This transformation typically begins by engaging an interim D&I leader to conduct an audit, the second challenge is who is then responsible for delivering their incredible and innovative strategies? For many organisations the answer is a Diversity & Inclusion Manager.
But this brings with it a challenge as the demand for Diversity & Inclusion Managers is far greater than the number of people that have experience of this role. According to LinkedIn data not only has there been a 71% increase in diversity roles since 2015 but there are less than 1,800 Diversity and Inclusion Managers in the UK.
So what does a Diversity & Inclusion Manager do?
Salary range: £50-70k in London, this varies across industries and locations.
Other job titles: Culture Manager, Employment Equity Manager, Equality Manager, Diversity Manager, People, Inclusion & Belonging Manger.
Reports into: Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Chief People Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Director of People (again it depends on the structure of the business).
Previous roles: Talent Development Specialist, Learning and Development Specialist, HR Business Partner/ HR Generalist with a Passion for D&I, Occupational Psychologist.
Responsibilities:
Typically they will be responsible for identifying, creating, and implementing plans to promote diversity and Inclusion. Working closely with the Chief People Officer or a dedicated D&I lead team they play a key role in supporting all D&I initiatives.
This can include:
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Conducting research and advising on D&I issues
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Creating initiatives, training and policies
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Advising senior management on strategic D&I plans
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Partnering with departments across the business to improve hiring process from a Diversity perspective.
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Driving change and staff engagement through diversity task force groups.
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Collating data and reporting to track and monitor key D&I statistics.
Key characteristics:
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A genuine passion to get hands on with project involvement.
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Comfortable influencing at all levels
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High levels of emotional intelligence
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Inquisitive and a constant learner.
So if you are looking to hire a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion Manager or looking to transition into a dedicated D&I role where you can make real cultural change I’d love to speak to you.
LATEST OPPORTUNITY - D&I Manager- Marketing
Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash