27 October 2021
As Black History Month draws to a close, global total workforce solutions provider, AMS (formerly Alexander Mann Solutions), has urged employers to continue diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives outside of these celebration days and months.
Throughout October, businesses, the media and members of the public celebrated the ethnic diversity of the modern world, in amongst reminders of the struggles for inclusion that under-represented groups have historically faced and are still battling against.
According to AMS, while these celebration events help bring inequality to the fore, employers need to keep DEI messages at the top of a company’s agenda continuously if the needle on diversity is to be significantly shifted.
Paul Modley, Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at AMS, explained:
“Celebration periods such as Black History Month and movements including Black Lives Matter are crucial ways to keep the need for equality in the minds of us all and remind everyone that yes, DEI has improved in the UK, but there is still much more we can do. But for employers, equality, diversity and inclusion shouldn’t be a topic that is only discussed in a meaningful way during publicly recognisable days or months.”
“How our workplaces become and remain inclusive should be a part of everyday discussions in boardrooms, amongst teams and between mangers and staff. It needs to be a natural part of the workplace and lived and breathed by the entire workforce and external talent pools. DEI requires constant learning – and as our talent profiles shift, so too must cultures, mindsets and inclusion activities. And with a skills shortage impacting almost every sector in the UK, ensuring organisations are tapping into a diverse range of talent pools is critical to guarantee firms have the resources to not only retain business as usual activities, but also grow in a post-pandemic world.”
“My challenge to employers across the country is to plan to celebrate the movement they’ve made in diversity, equity and inclusion during Black History Month next year to show that the support they’ve highlighted this year has made an impact on their workforce.”