Employers have again been warned to tighten their diversity practices after it emerged that Microsoft UK stopped using a supplier due to its poor policy on the issue.....
Firms warned to develop diversity policies after Microsoft ditches supplier
20 March 2007 08:00This article first appeared in Personnel Today magazine.
Employers have again been warned to tighten their diversity practices after it emerged that Microsoft UK stopped using a supplier due to its poor policy on the issue. Dave Gartenberg, HR director at Microsoft UK, told Personnel Today that the global IT firm was increasingly looking at its suppliers' diversity policies. "In one case, we changed provider because they were cavalier towards the topic," he said. "They were supplying a perfectly good service, but we stopped using them." Microsoft's UK arm is learning from its experiences in the US, where many private companies insist on good diversity policies from their suppliers. "We just think it is the responsible thing to do," Gartenberg said. The decision follows moves by Barclays last year to request diversity statistics from its legal advisers as part of its corporate social responsibility policy. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) confirmed that private firms were now increasingly insisting on good diversity practices from their suppliers. CIPS director of marketing Brian Ford told Personnel Today: "It is a growing trend for suppliers to be asked for their diversity policies. We have seen this grow over the past few months and we can't see that changing. It would be sensible for employers to put policies in place so they can't be caught out." The Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) agreed that private firms were increasingly looking at the make-up of the companies they do business with. Simon Webley, research director at the IBE, said: "More than 200 of the FTSE 350 companies now have codes of ethics. These include core values of the company, and diversity is beginning to appear on these plans." The Equalities Review last month recommended that a company's diversity policies should be a key factor when awarding public service contracts. But business groups have long insisted that contracts should be awarded on value for money, rather than diversity policies.
Greg Pitcher
www.PersonnelToday.com
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
Diversity Warning
Recruitment companies warned over failure to meet standards
Recruitment companies across the UK have been warned they face being frozen out if they fail to meet new industry standards.
The warning comes from Birmingham Professional DiverCity, an organisation which helps professional and financial services sector manage and value diversity.
In 2007 the Recruitment Employment Confederation (REC) launched a new HealthCheck and Accreditation process to help agencies achieve new equality standards for professional organisations across the UK.
Aaron Reid, executive director at Birmingham Professional DiverCity, said the warning should not come as a surprise.
With the burden of proof in discrimination cases now falling on employers and total costs of discrimination cases topping £320million in 2006 alone - and the top payout of £984,465 for a race discrimination case - employers are keener than ever to ensure that they do not end up in the law courts.
“For companies who are committed to diversity and equality the accreditation provides an effective way to identify which recruitment agency is likely to provide a diverse candidate shortlist which is drawn from a pool containing the best of all available applicants and compliant with all current legislation,” he said.
“The reason why this programme is so significant is that not only will it fundamentally change the way the industry recruits for itself, but also how agencies recruit staff for their client companies. Currently around 76 per cent of vacancies in the professional serviced sector and 80 per cent in all sectors are handled by recruitment agencies,” he added. With thanks to Recruitment Consultant Magazine
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