Evidence Base

What works to increase numbers of minority staff?

The ultimate aim of the GEM is to see more Māori and Pasifika progress into senior, well-paid, resilient jobs. Numerous robust, large-scale research and systematic reviews of international corporate and public sector diversity outcomes have shown the impact of the many different types of workplace equality approaches used since the US Civil Rights era to support recruitment, progression and retention of minorities and women (Atewologun et al., 2018; Dobbin & Kalev, 2007, 2017; Parsons et al., 2022). The overall key to success is adequately resourcing this work properly and managers taking ownership of it, which empowers them to feel like agents of change (Dobbin & Kalev, 2007).

Recruitment and promotion

What is effective:

  • Targeted minority recruitment programmes to expand the candidate pool, including through cluster hires and programmes with tertiary institutes.

  • Change recruitment processes to make applications and their assessment more holistic (for example, including life experience).

  • Review the promotion and pay rise process for institutional bias (i.e. using equity data).

  • Work with workforce intermediaries to access diverse talent.

What is ineffective, or even counterproductive:

  • Symbolic equal opportunity corporate statement in job ads – no effect.

Training and development

What is effective:

  • Targeted minority recruitment programmes to expand the candidate pool, including through cluster hires and programmes with tertiary institutes.

  • Change recruitment processes to make applications and their assessment more holistic (for example, including life experience).

  • Review the promotion and pay rise process for institutional bias (i.e. using equity data).

  • Work with workforce intermediaries to access diverse talent.

What is ineffective, or even counterproductive:

  • Networking without senior staff mentorship or buy-in.

  • Mandatory generic diversity training of managers – some evidence of backlash against minority staff.

Organisational Culture and Capability

What is effective:

  • Senior leadership teams sit on a diversity task force with responsibilities for developing and implementing an organisation-wide workforce diversity, equity and inclusion plan, including within their individual teams.

  • Full-time staff member dedicated to equity and diversity in recruitment and workforce progression.

  • Allocating 1% of the budget to diversity initiatives.

  • Track equity data across teams with transparent reporting on workforce diversity, equal pay and promotion targets, linked to internal or national awards systems.

  • ‘Snowball effect’ – increasing diversity in management and higher levels of organisations lead to more diverse recruitment and progression overall.

  • Build an organisational culture of inclusion and cultural competency – improves retention of minorities.

What is ineffective, or even counterproductive:

  • Diversity mission statement or policy with no meaningful budget or staff.

  • Generic ‘unconscious bias’ training for individuals, and compulsory generic diversity training that does not focus on organisational or behaviour change – no evidence of meaningful behavioural change, some evidence of backlash against minority staff.

References

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