The Changing Landscape of DE&I: Incorporating Belongingness into London Recruitment
We recently hosted our first HR roundtable for senior HR professionals, focusing on the evolving role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within recruitment, particularly in the context of London’s fast-paced recruitment environment. The discussion centred on repositioning DEI strategies to include a critical, yet often overlooked, element: belongingness. As we move through 2023, it's crucial for HR functions, especially in London recruitment for roles like EA and PA, to integrate belongingness into their DEI strategies.
Defining Belonging in the Recruitment and Administration Sectors
Belonging, at its core, means fostering a workplace culture where employees feel safe to be their authentic selves. Unlike inclusion, which is about welcoming individuals into an existing group or culture, belonging is about creating an environment where employees feel valued and secure enough to share ideas, take risks, and explore creative solutions without fear of judgment or rejection. This sense of belonging is particularly vital in recruitment and administration, where employees' ability to thrive directly impacts business performance, innovation, and productivity.
One of the key insights shared during the roundtable was the importance of understanding the distinction between diversity, inclusion, and belonging. While diversity and inclusion are essential, belongingness brings a unique dimension that can significantly influence retention rates, especially for top-performing EAs and PAs who might otherwise be at risk of leaving if they don’t feel a sense of belonging within the organisation.
Incorporating Belongingness into DEI Strategies
To successfully integrate belongingness into DEI strategies, it’s essential to start from the very beginning of the recruitment process. This includes ensuring that the tone of interviews and onboarding processes accurately reflects the company’s culture and values, thereby setting clear expectations for potential hires. In London recruitment, where competition for top EA and PA talent is fierce, establishing this connection early on can be the difference between retaining a new hire or losing them to another opportunity.
However, belongingness and diversity are not always synonymous. Hiring managers need to be aware of the unconscious biases that may arise when they hire individuals they naturally relate to, which could inadvertently limit diversity. Training for hiring managers should therefore focus on recognising and mitigating these biases to ensure that belongingness does not come at the expense of diversity.
Measuring Belongingness in the Workplace
The multifaceted nature of belongingness makes it challenging to measure, especially in large organisations. However, several methods were discussed during the roundtable:
Short Surveys: Asking open-ended questions such as "What does belongingness mean to you?" can yield insightful responses that help identify key factors contributing to a sense of belonging. This approach is particularly useful in recruitment and administration roles, where understanding individual needs can lead to better talent management.
Simple Scales: A straightforward method such as a 1 to 5 scale can be used to measure how much employees feel they belong within the company. This can be done regularly to track trends and patterns over time, especially within London-based recruitment firms where employee satisfaction directly impacts business success.
Forums and Group Discussions: Creating specific groups or forums to discuss belongingness and including it in broader DEI, People, or Leadership meetings can help dissect the issue across different levels of seniority or teams within the business.
Conclusion
The roundtable discussions provided valuable insights into how companies, particularly in London’s recruitment sector, can foster a culture of belongingness to enhance collaboration, productivity, and retention. It’s clear that while belongingness is a crucial component of DEI strategies, it cannot be considered in isolation. For recruitment agencies specialising in PA and EA roles, ensuring a balanced approach that incorporates diversity, equity, inclusion, and belongingness is key to creating a cohesive and successful workforce.
Incorporating these strategies into your DEI approach will not only improve your organisation’s recruitment processes but also ensure that you’re creating an environment where employees feel truly valued and engaged.
To reach out to us for:
EA/PA, HR and Business Support recruitment –philippa@candcsearch.co.uk
Or for our keynotes, training, workshops, and group coaching –lucy@candcsearch.co.uk
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