<p><em>Becoming an inclusive workplace is top priority for organisations across the consumer product sector &ndash; not least because it&rsquo;s a great way to engage, attract, and retain top talent!</em></p>
<p>It&rsquo;s no secret that more UK workers than ever before are prioritising opportunities that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2023/04/19/company-values-essential-for-attracting-and-retaining-talent-says-linkedin/?sh=45cdc967231e">align with their values</a>. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important to consider diversity and employer branding in tandem&hellip;</p>
<ul>
<li>Why is employer branding important?</li>
<li>How does workplace diversity influence employer brand?</li>
<li>How does diversity add value to an organisation?</li>
<li>How do you create an inclusive employer brand?</li>
<li>Committing to diversity and employer brand.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Why is employer branding important?</h2>
<p>Employer brand shapes how your organisation is perceived by both current and potential employees. So, while a strong employer brand fosters employee engagement, attracts top talent, and reduces turnover, a weak or negative employee brand can do the exact opposite.</p>
<p>Ultimately, employee brand acts as a magnet for the type of talent you want to attract. And, by drawing in and retaining individuals who align with the company&rsquo;s values and culture, employer brand can contribute to a more productive and successful workforce.</p>
<p>In a world where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/tag/diversity/">diversity, equity and inclusion</a>&nbsp;are more important than ever, it&rsquo;s little wonder that diversity has become central to many successful employer brands.</p>
<h2>How does workplace diversity influence employer branding?</h2>
<p>By bringing together varied perspectives, experiences and talents, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/02/16/fmcg-diversity-and-inclusion/">diverse workplace</a>&nbsp;enhances employee morale and engagement. Genuinely happy employees and strong company performance automatically make your organisation more attractive to the market&rsquo;s top professionals.</p>
<p>But there&rsquo;s more to it than that! People really do want to know that their workplace is authentically committed to fairness and equal opportunity.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s why a strong commitment to diversity is so effective at shaping employer brand. Not only does it lead to positive business outcomes, but it also signals a forward-thinking and open-minded company. And that can go a long way in helping you stand out in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2022/05/13/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-secure-talent-in-the-fmcg-industry-at-the-moment/">today&rsquo;s competitive landscape</a>.</p>
<h2>How does diversity add value to an organisation?</h2>
<p>If you still need some convincing, one look at the research should do it.</p>
<p>According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/">McKinsey &amp; Company</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>70% of modern professionals will actively seek out opportunities with companies committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.</li>
<li>32% of people on the job market would not apply to an organisation that lacked diversity.</li>
<li>The more diverse a company is, the more productive it is likely to be &ndash; meaning they&rsquo;re more likely to attract the high-achievers.</li>
</ul>
<h2>How do you create an inclusive employer branding?</h2>
<p>Of course, bringing together diversity and employer branding will require strategy and support.</p>
<p>The strategy side of things will largely be about enhancing your organisation&rsquo;s commitment to inclusivity and fairness. When it comes to getting the support you need to effectively communicate this as part of your employer brand, our specialist experience can come in very handy&hellip;</p>
<p><strong><em>We have a proven track record of not only sourcing top talent, but improving employer brand, candidate journey, and talent acquisition strategies.</em></strong></p>
<p>Here are six of the recommendations we regularly make to our client partners.</p>
<h3>6 tips for creating an inclusive employer brand</h3>
<p>Creating an inclusive employer brand is an ongoing process that requires dedication and continuous effort.</p>
<p>By integrating these six points, you&rsquo;ll be well on your way to establishing an employer brand that resonates with diverse audiences:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Define Your Values:</strong>&nbsp;Start by identifying the core values that underpin your organisation, and highlighting these values in your communications. This is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to creating an inclusive workplace.</li>
<li><strong>Inclusive Policies:</strong>&nbsp;Write or enhance your policies to emphasise equal treatment, fair opportunities, and a commitment to anti-discrimination, and be sure to communicate them effectively.</li>
<li><strong>Training and Education:</strong>&nbsp;Provide ongoing training on topics like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/07/28/what-is-unbiased-recruitment/">unconscious bias</a>, cultural competence, and inclusive language.</li>
<li><strong>Open Dialogue:</strong>&nbsp;Encourage open conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion, by creating spaces internally where employees can safely share their experiences, ideas, and concerns.</li>
<li><strong>External Communications:</strong>&nbsp;Add value to conversations around diversity in your industry through your external comms, including social media, marketing materials, and careers page.</li>
<li><strong>Diverse Recruitment:</strong>&nbsp;Implement unbiased recruitment practices that allow you to assess candidates based solely on experience, skillsets and potential, rather than background or identity.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Committing to diversity and employer branding</h2>
<p>Are you a consumer product organisation aiming to improve diversity and boost employer brand? We can help.</p>
<p>Book in a demo of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/services/advocate-360/">Advocate 360</a>, our innovative digital shortlisting platform, which guarantees inclusivity in the hiring process and an improved candidate experience. Or,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/contact-us/">get in touch</a>&nbsp;with our directors to find out more about how our truly inclusive hiring practices can add value to your organisation&rsquo;s next recruitment project:</p>
<p><strong>Chris Dickenson:&nbsp;</strong><a href="mailto:chris.dickenson@advocate-group.co.uk">chris.dickenson@advocate-group.co.uk</a></p>
<p><strong>Lee McNally:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lee.mcnally@advocate-group.co.uk">lee.mcnally@advocate-group.co.uk</a></p>

Your how-to guide to diversity and employer branding

<p><em>With unbiased recruitment becoming more of a talking point in the modern job market, we break down what it is, why it matters, and how to make your hiring practices more inclusive.</em></p>
<ul>
<li>What is unbiased recruitment?</li>
<li>What are unconscious biases?</li>
<li>Why does unbiased recruitment matter?</li>
<li>The benefits of unbiased recruitment.</li>
<li>Making your hiring process more inclusive.</li>
</ul>
<h2>What is unbiased recruitment?</h2>
<p>In unbiased recruitment, you or your recruiter will assess, compare, and select candidates based solely on their suitability for the role. It&rsquo;s a more objective approach to shortlisting and hiring, which removes the potential for discrimination based on protected characteristics.</p>
<p>This isn&rsquo;t to suggest that recruiters and hiring managers are actively being discriminatory. But, unfortunately, no one is completely free of bias.</p>
<p>So, whether it&rsquo;s intentional or not, factors including a candidate&rsquo;s identity, age, race, or disability can affect their chances. This typically happens because of unconscious bias.</p>
<h3>What is unconscious bias?</h3>
<p>Unconscious bias refers to the automatic judgements people make about others based on, for example, their appearance, identity, or personal experiences. This involuntary pattern of thinking can affect decision-making and perceptions, leading to unintentional discrimination and unequal treatment.</p>
<p>There are five main types of unconscious bias we all need to be aware of:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Affinity Bias:</strong>&nbsp;Favouring people we&rsquo;re similar to.</li>
<li><strong>Halo Effect:</strong>&nbsp;Letting one great attribute positively influence what you think about a person as a whole.</li>
<li><strong>Horns Effect:</strong>&nbsp;Letting a negative attribute influence your perception of a person.</li>
<li><strong>Attribution Bias:</strong>&nbsp;Believing someone&rsquo;s achievements to be because of luck, and their failings because of their personality.</li>
<li><strong>Confirmation Bias:</strong>&nbsp;Letting your judgements of a person be influenced by preconceived opinions.</li>
</ul>
<p>More often than not, these ways of thinking affect people from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7760482/">marginalised social groups</a>. Still, it&rsquo;s important to recognise that anyone can be the object of unconscious bias. It all depends on the pre-existing stereotypes and personal perceptions a decision-maker might hold.</p>
<h2>Why does unbiased recruitment matter?</h2>
<p>By focusing on candidates&rsquo; qualifications and potential rather than their personal characteristics, unbiased recruitment ensures the best possible outcomes for organisations and professionals alike. So, not only is it an essential component of inclusivity, it&rsquo;s also a beneficial business move!</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s why, according to the Deloitte 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2023/future-of-workforce-management.html">Global Human Capital Trends survey</a>, 80% of organisations globally report&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/tag/diversity/">diversity, equity and inclusion</a>&nbsp;as top focus areas.</p>
<h2>The benefits of unbiased recruitment</h2>
<p>Within your organisation, unbiased recruitment can offer several significant benefits.</p>
<p>According to research by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/">McKinsey &amp; Company</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>70% of people on the job market right now want to work for a company that&rsquo;s committed to DE&amp;I.</li>
<li>32% of jobseekers would not apply for a position at a company that lacked workforce diversity.</li>
<li>Diverse companies are 48% more productive than their competitors.</li>
<li>Better gender diversity can boost a business&rsquo;s profitability by 25%.</li>
</ul>
<p>So, not only does unbiased recruitment contribute to the overall inclusivity of your organisation, but also to its productivity, profitability, and ability to attract the market&rsquo;s top talent.</p>
<h2>Making your hiring process more inclusive</h2>
<p>Of course, it&rsquo;s one thing understanding the benefits of unbiased recruitment, and another thing entirely to implement it.</p>
<p>Inevitably, implementing unbiased recruitment will be a process for any organisation. But, one sure way to get there quicker is to work with an organisation that specialises in unbiased recruitment. That&rsquo;s where we come in.</p>
<p>Our hiring process has been designed with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/02/16/fmcg-diversity-and-inclusion/">diversity, equity, and inclusion</a>&nbsp;at its core.</p>
<p>Driven by our exclusive digital shortlisting platform,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/services/advocate-360/">Advocate 360</a>, we can offer our client partners more information on the candidate than they&rsquo;ve ever seen before, all while giving candidates the power to present themselves how they wish to be represented:</p>
<ul>
<li>Fully anonymous shortlists, so you can compare top candidates based solely on experience, potential and ability.</li>
<li>Answers to pre-agreed competency questions.</li>
<li>Cultural compatibility analysis.</li>
<li>Interesting key facts, provided by the candidates.</li>
</ul>
<p>How could your business benefit from access to a tool like this?</p>
<p>Get in touch today to&nbsp;<a href="https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1ppcV">book a demo</a>! Let&rsquo;s discuss how Advocate 360 can cut bias from your recruitment process and make your organisation more inclusive.</p>
<p>Call us:<strong>&nbsp;0333 772 7200</strong></p>
<p>Email:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk"><strong>workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk</strong></a></p>

What is unbiased recruitment and why does it matter?

<p><em>Everything you need to know to make your recruitment more inclusive, from the big benefits to our inclusive recruitment checklist&hellip;</em></p>
<p>Despite DE&amp;I being a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/08/15/6-tips-diversity-employer-branding/">major draw for professionals</a>&nbsp;across the consumer product sector and beyond, it&rsquo;s still something that organisations are struggling to implement effectively within their hiring process.</p>
<p>This inclusive recruitment guide will tell you everything you need to know, from key definitions and obstacles to the solutions that can help you solve your inclusive hiring problems:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>What is inclusive recruitment?&nbsp;</strong></li>
<li><strong>What are the benefits of inclusive recruitment?&nbsp;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Your 5 step inclusive recruitment checklist.&nbsp;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Solutions to 4 inclusive recruitment challenges.&nbsp;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Making your recruitment more inclusive.&nbsp;</strong></li>
</ul>
<h2>What is inclusive recruitment?</h2>
<p>Inclusive recruitment is the processes you put in place to remove bias and ensure fairness in a recruitment process. A strong approach to inclusive recruitment will impact the way you source, engage, assess, and hire candidates, and enhance diversity at all levels of your organisation.</p>
<p>Improving your approach to inclusive recruitment will help you attract people from more diverse backgrounds, regardless of factors including gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or socioeconomic background.</p>
<p>Inclusive recruitment is a key part of boosting DE&amp;I in the workplace:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Diversity</strong>&nbsp;means valuing and promoting a workplace culture that respects and appreciates individual uniqueness.</li>
<li><strong>Inclusion</strong>&nbsp;is about creating an environment where all individuals feel welcomed, respected, and valued.</li>
<li><strong>Equity</strong>&nbsp;is the process of addressing systemic barriers that disproportionately affect certain groups, to create a level playing field.</li>
</ul>
<p>But, while 61% of UK employers have a formal DE&amp;I policy,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/resourcing-and-talent-planning-report-2022-1_tcm18-111500.pdf">according to research by CIPD</a>, just 32% of organisations are &lsquo;very or extremely active in their efforts to recruit more diverse candidates across the board&rsquo;. And, at the other end of the scale, &lsquo;a similar proportion (30%) are not active at all&rsquo;.</p>
<h2>What are the benefits of inclusive recruitment?</h2>
<p>Diverse working environments give employees a sense of community, boost engagement, and create a positive culture in which individuals can thrive.</p>
<p>As a result:</p>
<ul>
<li>Inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders.</li>
<li>Inclusive teams make better business decisions twice as fast.</li>
<li>Diverse companies are 1.8 times more likely to capture new markets.</li>
</ul>
<p>So, what can you do to achieve these benefits for your business?</p>
<p>As well as our inclusive recruitment checklist, you&rsquo;ll also find some solutions to four key inclusive recruitment challenges below.</p>
<h2>Your inclusive recruitment checklist</h2>
<p>Follow this comprehensive inclusive recruitment checklist to avoid missing anything essential:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Assess your job descriptions:</strong>&nbsp;Screen your job descriptions and job adverts, make sure they are clearly written and free of unnecessary jargon, remove gendered language, and assess the requirements to ensure they aren&rsquo;t unnecessarily prohibitive.</li>
<li><strong>Diversify candidate sourcing:</strong>&nbsp;Actively seek out candidates from diverse backgrounds or from a wider variety of sources. You could, for example, seek to source candidates through education institutions, careers fairs, and on LinkedIn.</li>
<li><strong>Assess candidates inclusively:</strong>&nbsp;Ensure multiple people are involved in the decision-making process to remove bias, offer reasonable adjustments for interviews and tasks, and offer flexibility wherever possible.</li>
<li><strong>Remove bias from candidate selection:</strong>&nbsp;Introduce&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/07/28/what-is-unbiased-recruitment/">unbiased recruitment</a>&nbsp;techniques to your selection processes, including anonymous shortlisting and competency questioning. These approaches will allow you to compare candidates in a like-for-like way without bias.</li>
<li><strong>Elevate your employer</strong>&nbsp;<strong>brand:</strong>&nbsp;An inclusive employer brand (AKA employer reputation) will bring more diverse candidates to your business. Check out our six tips for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/08/15/6-tips-diversity-employer-branding/">creating an inclusive employer brand</a>, which include defining your values, providing internal training, and improving external comms.</li>
<li><strong>Monitor your diversity initiatives:</strong>&nbsp;Ensure you&rsquo;re getting the results you want by defining which inclusive recruitment metrics you want to monitor and carrying out regular reviews.</li>
<li><strong>Seek support:</strong>&nbsp;If you need a hand, consider reaching out for third-party DE&amp;I support. We are inclusive recruitment experts within the consumer product space, so&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/contact-us/">drop us a message</a>&nbsp;if you think we can help!</li>
</ol>
<p>These steps will help you ensure that inclusivity is prioritised at every stage of the recruitment process.</p>
<h2>Solutions to 4 inclusive recruitment challenges</h2>
<p>There are some common roadblocks organisations might hit when it comes to implementing or improving DE&amp;I in recruitment.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s what they are, and the practical steps we can help you take to overcome them&hellip;</p>
<h3>1. Overcoming unconscious bias</h3>
<p>We all have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/07/28/what-is-unbiased-recruitment/">unconscious biases</a>. But, by implementing robust systems, you can ensure those biases (for example, affinity bias, halo effect, and confirmation bias) don&rsquo;t influence your organisation&rsquo;s hiring decisions.</p>
<p>CIPD have found that only around a quarter of employers take the necessary steps to remove bias from their recruitment processes. These steps can include inclusive language job ads and job ad testing, as well as more objective methods of candidate assessment.</p>
<p>By far the most effective approach to alleviating bias includes fully anonymous and interactive shortlisting. The methods that we at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/">The Advocate Group</a>&nbsp;employ have been honed over more than a decade, and offer employers key capabilities, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Anonymous and interactive digital shortlists and LiveList functionality, so you can compare top candidates based solely on experience, potential and ability.</li>
<li>Assess competencies prior to meeting.</li>
<li>Assess cultural alignment through behavioural/psychometric analysis.</li>
<li>Enhanced and inclusive external comms.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more information on how we can help consumer product organisations like yours combat unconscious bias in recruitment,&nbsp;<a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/company/the-advocate-group---search-&amp;-selection">drop us a direct message</a>. Our free expert resources are often the best place to start!</p>
<h3>2. Improving talent pool awareness</h3>
<p>Awareness of talent pools is essential to making informed hiring decisions. It&rsquo;s far harder to implement effective DE&amp;I measures without an in-depth understanding of the talent available to you.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;ve invested heavily in big data solutions that allow us to effectively map markets based on specific criteria, like demographics, experience and location.</p>
<p>The benefits of this approach can be game-changing for employers:</p>
<ul>
<li>Understand diversity within your available talent pools &ndash; remember, you can&rsquo;t hire what isn&rsquo;t there!</li>
<li>Understand the volume and relevance of talent available to you, based on tailored criteria.</li>
<li>Find, engage, and attract passive and inactive talent.</li>
<li>Uncover niche, in-demand and/or underrepresented professionals.</li>
</ul>
<p>Access to this sort of in-depth, insider knowledge won&rsquo;t just help you improve diversity in your organisation; it will also give you an edge over your competitors.</p>
<h3>3. Boosting employer brand</h3>
<p>As we mentioned above, employer brand shapes how your organisation is perceived by both current and potential employees. If, for example, your organisation isn&rsquo;t as diverse as you would like it to be, your employer brand can highlight your commitment to getting there.</p>
<p>But elevating and effectively communicating your employer brand can be a big ask.</p>
<p>It is possible to do this in-house. However, if you want to ensure maximum impact, then we offer services through our internal Marketing team that can make that happen:</p>
<ul>
<li>Dual-branded recruitment campaigns.</li>
<li>Innovative video content created exclusively for your brand.</li>
<li>Newsletter feature to 20K+ engaged consumer product professionals.</li>
<li>Targeted candidate attraction campaigns.</li>
</ul>
<p>With tailor-made, targeted content, it&rsquo;s possible to improve the perception of inclusivity in your organisation while you take other practical steps to diversify your workforce.</p>
<h3>4. Transparency</h3>
<p>One of the greatest barriers organisations face to inclusive hiring is a lack of transparency among key stakeholders.</p>
<p>We see a lot of cases where employers have inclusive hiring policies that aren&rsquo;t always communicated or acted on effectively. This is backed up by additional research from CIPD. They found that, while 67% of organisations say they follow objective assessment criteria when hiring, just 28% actually train their internal interviewers on legal inclusivity obligations.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s why a detailed stakeholder meeting at the very start of the process is essential for any hiring project. This ensures everyone is aligned on key requirements and nothing crucial is missed.</p>
<p>And, when external talent partners are involved, it also means more effective representation, stronger results and added value.</p>
<h2>Making your recruitment more inclusive</h2>
<p>As well as being consumer product recruitment experts, we&rsquo;re also specialists in inclusive hiring&hellip;</p>
<p>So, if you want access to anonymous, diversity-balanced shortlists, in-depth demographic insights, employer brand promotion, and a direct line to underrepresented or in-demand talent, we can help!</p>
<p>Drop us a message, give us a call, or&nbsp;<a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/company/the-advocate-group---search-&amp;-selection">follow us on LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;for more expert insights on inclusive recruitment and much, much more:</p>
<p><strong>Call us:</strong>&nbsp;0333 772 7200</p>
<p><strong>Email:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="mailto:workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk">workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk</a></p>

Your inclusive recruitment checklist for 2024

<h1 class="page-title kl-blog-post-title entry-title" itemprop="headline">FMCG diversity and inclusion: do DE&amp;I policies make a difference?</h1>
<div class="itemBody kl-blog-post-body kl-blog-cols-1" itemprop="text">
<p><em>Research shows that DEI policies are lacking in FMCG organisations.</em></p>
<p><em>Diversity and inclusion has come on significantly since the 1990s, but global and UK consumer goods companies still have a long way to go.</em></p>
<p>For FMCG organisations that want to encourage a diverse and inclusive environment in the workplace (and reap the associated benefits), there are tangible steps management can take:</p>
<ol>
<li>Conduct regular internal reviews.</li>
<li>Develop diversity training.</li>
<li>Introduce anonymous recruitment screening.</li>
<li>Upskill your existing workforce.</li>
</ol>
<p>If you want to find out what these policies mean in practice and how effective they can be when implemented correctly, you&rsquo;ve come to the right place.</p>
<p>Just remember: progress is a process, and it doesn&rsquo;t happen overnight. Taking these steps and sticking to them will keep you on track as you push for a more diverse and inclusive workforce.</p>
<h2>How diverse are FMCG companies today?</h2>
<p>In an industry that caters to all, more FMCG companies are beginning to recognise the importance of diversity. However, not all leaders have the tools or knowledge to implement diversity and inclusion policies that make a meaningful impact.</p>
<p>The reality is&hellip;</p>
<ul>
<li>In Stonewall&rsquo;s latest ranking of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/top-100-employers/full-list">UK&rsquo;s most LGBTQ+ employers</a>, only three consumer product companies ranked among the top 100.</li>
<li>Just 11.4% of FMCG board members are from ethnic minority groups.</li>
<li>Female representation at board level in the food and drink industry is just 30%.</li>
<li>People with disabilities are entirely unrepresented at Board Committee level in the FMCG industry.</li>
</ul>
<p>But there&rsquo;s a lot for UK consumer goods companies to gain from addressing this lack of diversity.</p>
<p>For one thing, truly inclusive teams are more innovative, make better decisions twice as fast, and are almost twice as likely to capture new markets. For more information, just ask us for our free Diversity &amp; Inclusion eBook.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/miozb1dan2f9qmbsak9fh8a1temg" alt="Implementing effective diversity, inclusion, and equality policies" width="350" height="233"></p>
<h6>Inclusive teams are more innovative.</h6>
<p>And, in a world where representation has the power to sway consumer behaviour and attract the most qualified talent, it&rsquo;s becoming increasingly important for brand relevance.</p>
<h2>Implementing effective diversity, inclusion, and equality policies</h2>
<p>If your current DEI policies aren&rsquo;t having the desired impact, the following three should help you make progress.</p>
<h3>1. Conduct regular internal reviews</h3>
<p>To start with, find out how your current diversity and inclusion policies are working. This can be as easy to action as putting together a survey and distributing it to employees regularly.</p>
<p>But you need to make sure you&rsquo;re clear on what you want to get out of your review&hellip;</p>
<p>You might want to know how people feel about your current DEI initiatives and ask for recommendations to improve. Perhaps you want feedback on particular policies, for example your social mobility policy. Or, maybe it&rsquo;s important for you to find out whether the individuals in your teams do feel safe and included.</p>
<p>Make sure you carry out your reviews on a regular basis so you can map your results over time. This will help you figure out what action to take in the short term, measure what&rsquo;s working, and keep consistent.</p>
<h3>2. Develop diversity training</h3>
<p>Education is essential to effective diversity and inclusion. So, make internal training a priority in your workplace. Even if you already have a policy in place and would consider your environment diverse, you can never learn too much. It really is the best way to put a stop to any issues and prevent prejudice from becoming a problem.</p>
<p>Your regular review should help you determine what training will be of most benefit in your workplace.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/5jiuyjz7yl96swdx809sy8xm7j4v" alt="Develop diversity training" width="350" height="234"></p>
<h6>Education is essential to effective diversity and inclusion.</h6>
<p>However, there&rsquo;s one topic that we would recommend for any company: unconscious bias.</p>
<h4>Unconscious bias in FMCG businesses</h4>
<p>If you want to challenge and eliminate bias in the workplace, addressing the problem of unconscious bias is a must.</p>
<p>Unconscious bias can influence hiring decisions, employee attitudes to new team members, and consumer comms. And, as the name suggests, it&rsquo;s something that many people are unaware of.</p>
<p>There are five types of unconscious bias all employees should know about:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Affinity Bias:</strong>&nbsp;Favouring someone who is similar to you, or who you connect with.</li>
<li><strong>Halo Effect:</strong>&nbsp;Focusing on one single attribute of a person that you personally appreciate, rather than the whole picture.</li>
<li><strong>Horns Effect:</strong>&nbsp;Being influenced by a negative trait and allowing that to influence your perception of someone.</li>
<li><strong>Attribution Bias:</strong>&nbsp;Assessing others&rsquo; achievements as a result of luck, and their failures as a result of their skillset, experience, or personality.</li>
<li><strong>Confirmation Bias:</strong>&nbsp;When you look for confirmation of preconceived opinions.</li>
</ul>
<p>By tackling the topic of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2022/06/14/pride-month-how-to-implement-diversity-inclusion-in-the-workplace/">unconscious bias in the workplace</a>, you can effectively extinguish discriminatory attitudes of all types.</p>
<h3>3. Introduce inclusive recruitment screening</h3>
<p>As in other industries, in FMCG, diversity and inclusion initiatives are best introduced early. So, to create a truly diverse and inclusive organisation, you need to start with the initial recruitment process.</p>
<p>With an inclusive screening process, you get access to larger talent pools, and both conscious and unconscious bias is removed. That way, you get the right people for the job, no matter their background or identity. In other words, candidates are judged solely on their experience and suitability for the role.</p>
<p>And, there are several ways to achieve this.</p>
<p>As the talent partner of choice for leading UK consumer goods companies, we can offer our client partners fully anonymous shortlists. By removing the names, genders, ethnicities, and social and economic backgrounds of shortlisted candidates &ndash; we make it possible for hiring managers to compare and contrast based solely on experience and competency.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/r1n9eu2mqdsbfmtfn5yk4z2r6wy2" alt="Inclusive recruitment screening" width="350" height="233"></p>
<h6>Get the right people for the job, no matter their background or identity.</h6>
<p>Our diversity trained consultants are also experienced at uncovering talent that is less represented or visible on the market.</p>
<p>Plus, our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/services/market-mapping/">market maps</a>&nbsp;ensure that our talent searches aren&rsquo;t led using the natural algorithms of traditional search tools, which will always highlight the majority demographic way before highlighting the minority.</p>
<p>In short, we have several tools that allow us to effectively eliminate bias and prejudice. The result? A hiring process that promises fairness, from the very start and for all colleagues.</p>
<h3>4. Upskill your existing workforce</h3>
<p>Occasionally, when we&rsquo;ve mapped the market for a client partner, we&rsquo;ve discovered that diversity currently doesn&rsquo;t exist for a particular skill in that area.</p>
<p>In that case, it&rsquo;s not possible to make the recruitment process truly inclusive. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean you&rsquo;re out of options.</p>
<p>Take a look at your existing teams and see if there&rsquo;s anyone from an underrepresented group who you could upskill internally. As well as offering them the opportunity to advance their career, you&rsquo;ll also add long-term value to your own business.</p>
<p>Plus, you&rsquo;ll be taking an active role in redressing the balance for that niche. Diversity and inclusion is as much about opportunity as it is about action.</p>
<h2>Progress in FMCG: diversity and inclusion in practice</h2>
<p>There are plenty of ways for UK consumer goods companies to make their workplaces more inclusive. All easily actionable and highly effective, we have seen these policies make a significant impact on companies of all sizes.</p>
<p>Want to know more?</p>
<p>Find out how an external recruitment provider can add value to your company&rsquo;s DEI initiatives. Reach out to our directors for more information:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Chris Dickenson:&nbsp;</strong>chris.dickenson@advocate-group.co.uk</li>
<li><strong>Lee McNally:</strong>&nbsp;lee.mcnally@advocate-group.co.uk</li>
</ul>
<p>Or get in touch today to partner with us for your next recruitment project:</p>
<p>Call us:<strong>&nbsp;0333 772 7200</strong></p>
<p>Email:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk"><strong>workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk</strong></a></p>
</div>

FMCG diversity and inclusion: do DE&I policies make a difference?

<p><em>Do you want to improve neurodiversity inclusion in your recruitment process?</em></p>
<p>Inclusion seems to be the talk of the FMCG industry at the moment, and for good reason!</p>
<p>But, although plenty of organisations have the best of intentions, especially when it comes to things like neurodiversity, we&rsquo;ve noticed that a lot of employers are unsure where to start. Our advice: start with the recruitment process.</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;re trying to figure out how to improve neurodiversity inclusion in your hiring process, then this guide by the inclusive hiring experts (that&rsquo;s us!) is the perfect place to start:</p>
<ul>
<li>The benefits of neurodiversity in business</li>
<li>The neurodiversity employment gap</li>
<li>6 ways to improve neurodiversity inclusion in your hiring process</li>
<li>Inclusivity in FMCG</li>
</ul>
<h2>The benefits of neurodiversity inclusion</h2>
<p>As well as helping to make your organisation more open and accepting, neurodiversity inclusion both in the workplace and the hiring process can bring big benefits.</p>
<p>Inclusive hiring practices promote equal opportunities and access to talent. The result is a more diverse and dynamic workforce that taps into the unique strengths and perspectives of each individual. This might include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Enhanced problem-solving:</strong>&nbsp;Neurodiverse individuals can bring unique perspectives to workplaces, which can help with problem-solving, productivity, and innovation.</li>
<li><strong>Diverse skillsets:</strong>&nbsp;Neurodivergent individuals often have specialised skillsets that will add value to your organisation. These may include data analysis, pattern recognition, or close attention to detail.</li>
<li><strong>Improved company culture:</strong>&nbsp;Creating an inclusive company culture that values neurodiversity boosts overall employee morale and satisfaction, which can, in turn, lead to higher retention rates, increased loyalty, and a more positive working environment.</li>
</ul>
<p>In other words, by embracing diversity from the very beginning, you give your organisation the opportunity to benefit from diverse skillsets, different problem-solving approaches, and out-of-the-box thinking.</p>
<p>Ultimately, this has the potential to drive productivity, enhance employee morale, and boost overall organisational success.</p>
<h2>The neurodiversity employment gap</h2>
<p>Despite these many advantages, the reality is that companies across the consumer product sector and beyond do not adequately support neurodiversity. And, in many cases, neurodiverse people face obstacles to employment that non-neurodiverse (or &lsquo;neurotypical&rsquo;) people would not.</p>
<p>Studies have shown that&nbsp;<a href="https://mydisabilityjobs.com/statistics/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/">unemployment amongst neurodiverse adults</a>&nbsp;is at least as high as 30-40%. This is eight times the rate for neurotypical people.</p>
<p>So, what can we do about it?</p>
<h2>6 ways to improve neurodiversity inclusion in your hiring process</h2>
<p>Neurodiversity inclusion in recruitment is all about creating a process that is more inclusive, accessible, and supportive of neurodivergent candidates. Here&rsquo;s how:</p>
<h3>1. Educate yourself and your hiring team</h3>
<p>The fact of the matter is that you can&rsquo;t be truly inclusive without education. So, it&rsquo;s important to invest time into gaining knowledge and understanding of neurodiversity.</p>
<p>This might include learning about the specific neurodivergent conditions you may encounter in the hiring process, for example:</p>
<ul>
<li>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD).</li>
<li>Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).</li>
<li>Dyslexia.</li>
<li>Dyspraxia.</li>
<li>Tourette syndrome.</li>
<li>Specific learning disabilities (SLD).</li>
<li>Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).</li>
</ul>
<p>Neurological differences like these can bring unique strengths, perspectives, and other advantages to your organisation.</p>
<p>But, for that to be the case, your hiring team will need to be educated on the strengths, challenges, and potential accommodations for neurodiverse individuals. This will help foster a more inclusive, informed approach to hiring.</p>
<h3>2. Review job descriptions</h3>
<p>Language is a powerful thing. And, unfortunately, it has the power to make talented individuals feel excluded from your roles.</p>
<p>So, when you write job descriptions, ask yourself how inclusive they are. Have you used truly inclusive language throughout? Or is there a chance the language you&rsquo;ve used could discourage someone from applying?</p>
<p>When it comes to neurodiversity inclusion, job descriptions should focus on things like essential skills and qualifications, rather than unnecessary criteria that might be exclusionary. But don&rsquo;t worry if this is something you&rsquo;re unsure about &ndash; we offer inclusive job ad writing as part of our service!</p>
<h3>3. Diversify your recruitment channels</h3>
<p>Often, organisations struggle to source diverse talent. But there are ways to expand your recruitment efforts to reach neurodiverse talent pools.</p>
<p>This could include engaging with organisations, job boards, or disability employment networks that specialise in supporting neurodiverse individuals. Or, it could involve engaging with 100% of the market from the get-go, which is what we do.</p>
<p>When we map relevant talent pools, we ensure no suitable candidate goes undiscovered. And, if the resulting shortlists are lacking in diversity, we work with you to widen the brief as much as possible.</p>
<h3>4. Remove unconscious bias</h3>
<p>It&rsquo;s rarely intentional but, unfortunately, bias in the recruitment process is pretty common. This has to do with the fact that we all have ingrained biases that we&rsquo;re probably not even aware of. These&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/2023/02/16/fmcg-diversity-and-inclusion/">unconscious biases</a>&nbsp;can lead to unintended outcomes if left unchecked.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s where anonymous shortlisting comes in! An effective method for eliminating unconscious bias from the recruitment process, a fully anonymous shortlist highlights only key qualifications and skills.</p>
<p>This gives you the opportunity to assess candidates based solely on their competencies, passions and potential. Plus, it gives candidates more control over how they&rsquo;re represented, helping to make the overall recruitment process more inclusive.</p>
<p>For more information or advice on anonymous shortlisting,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advocate-group.co.uk/contact-us/">get in touch</a>. It&rsquo;s something we do regularly for some of the biggest consumer product businesses in the game, including brands like Hasbro and McCain.</p>
<h3>5. Offer clear feedback</h3>
<p>Communication throughout the recruitment process is key. So, make sure that all communication with candidates is clear, concise, and accessible.</p>
<p>Then, after interviews or tasks, aim to offer constructive feedback to all candidates, focusing on their strengths and areas for improvement. This will help them understand how they can enhance their skills for future opportunities.</p>
<h3>6. Create an inclusive workplace culture</h3>
<p>Clearly, neurodiversity inclusion in the hiring process is critical. However, it won&rsquo;t mean much for neurodiverse talent if the workplace culture they enter into&nbsp;<em>isn&rsquo;t&nbsp;</em>inclusive. That&rsquo;s why diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are so important.</p>
<p>But what does a commitment to DE&amp;I mean?</p>
<p>Well, it can mean different things to different organisations, but things like education and communication are central to all successful initiatives.</p>
<p>When you commit yourself to neurodiversity inclusion (and inclusion more generally), it&rsquo;s something you can highlight in your employer branding, policies, and practices. This will help you attract neurodiverse talent and create an environment where they feel valued and supported.</p>
<h2>Neurodiversity in FMCG</h2>
<p>If you want to make your organisation a more welcoming place for neurodiverse talent, we can help.</p>
<p>Not only do we understand the importance and benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion for organisations like yours &ndash; we also know what it takes to implement truly inclusive hiring processes.</p>
<p><strong>Make your organisation more inclusive from the very first touchpoint &ndash; work with the inclusive hiring specialists.</strong></p>
<p>Find out how we can add value to your company&rsquo;s DE&amp;I initiatives. Reach out to our directors:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Chris Dickenson:&nbsp;</strong>chris.dickenson@advocate-group.co.uk</li>
<li><strong>Lee McNally:</strong>&nbsp;lee.mcnally@advocate-group.co.uk</li>
</ul>
<p>Or get in touch today to partner with us for your next recruitment project:</p>
<p>Call us:<strong>&nbsp;0333 772 7200</strong></p>
<p>Email:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk"><strong>workwithus@advocate-group.co.uk</strong></a></p>

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