Get started…

1. Get the foundations right

HR Systems can be quite antiquated. And if your organisation is still using one of the older clunky systems, we’ve heard that it’s really hard to change categorisation or add new sections.

Ensure you have the right system to future proof your data collection and ensure that it’s easy to access and fill out for your employees.

2. Categorisation

We recommend using the UK census catogories (which have been updated with a new category for 2021), this way it’s easy to compare your data to local working population. This will also give you a breakdown of the main ethnic demographics within your organisation for internal use. Please note, when voluntarily disclosing pay gap, these figures are usually recorded as white and non-white or in broad ethnic minority groups.

3. Disclosure rates

In the UK, unlike with gender, it is not compulsory to declare your ethnicity. Therefore there should be a ‘prefer not to say’ catogory, or similar.

Getting reasonable disclosure rates have been the biggest challenge to getting usable data. To ensure the quickest way of getting your employees to disclose ethnicity, and other protected characteristics, it’s important to convey exactly what the data is being used for (see Channel 4’s guide).

4. Consistent Comms Plan

Get in touch with comms and use every internal platform at your disposal. It’s so important to ensure that you aren’t just launching your data comms, but that you continue to send out reminders. Organisations have held events, had senior speakers explaining the necessity for data and used internal communication platforms. Remember at every opportunity to explain why you are collecting the data.

Reporting

1. Transparency

Ensuring the right people have sight of the data is crucial. Organisations have reported back that while data is being captured, it isn’t being shared and therefore can’t be used to improve inclusion.

2. Getting the right metrics

Useful insights include comparing ethnicity against:
– Levels within the organisation
– Business lines or departments
– Hiring, promotion and attrition rates
– Sickness rates
– Other well-being areas
Also looking into areas of intersectionality, i.e. ethnicity and class, ethnicity and women, etc.

3. Voluntarily disclosing your pay gap

Companies are continuing to join the list of those disclosing their ethnicity pay gap alongside the Government’s mandatory legislation to report on gender. Companies have been commended on their transparency, and although many admit to not having the figures they would like, many have produced a summary action plan to run alongside.