05.03.2020

Over a quarter of businesses believe increased diversity is key to improving workplace productivity in 2020

Enhancing diversity and inclusion is a top priority for over a quarter (28%) of business leaders, as companies seek to improve workplace culture in a competitive hiring market.

According to the latest research¹ from recruitment specialist Robert Half UK, the overwhelming majority (98%) of businesses are pursuing workplace culture improvements during the first half of the year.

Given the competitive hiring market at present, it is no surprise that businesses are actively seeking to improve workplace culture in addition to taking other steps to ensure they remain attractive to prospective employees, such as assessing current remuneration packages and exploring wider incentives.

Top 5 priority areas to improve workplace culture in 2020*
Offering mentorship, training and development programmes	50%
Encouraging team communication and collaboration	43%
Offering flexible and/or remote working options	39%
Setting clear goals and rewards for employees	33%
Deploying new technologies	32%

*Multiple responses permitted. Source: Robert Half UK 2020

Outside of the reputational benefits, many business leaders believe increased diversity will help maintain a happy and productive workforce and encourage more innovative thinking.

Positively, nearly two-thirds (64%) of all respondents reported that diversity, with regards to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and ability, had already increased over the last three years.

Matt Weston, Managing Director of Robert Half UK, commented: “It is clear that more and more businesses are subscribing to the mentality that a happy workplace is a productive one, with the majority of leaders actively seeking to improve culture. Focusing on enhancing diversity and inclusion is one way to achieve this, as well as providing increased potential for innovation and reputational benefits to boot.

“As businesses look to attract the best and brightest in a competitive market, it is no longer enough just to offer a competitive salary. Prospective employees are looking for a well-rounded package with wider incentives, such as flexible working and healthcare benefits, as well as an attractive workplace culture – and it’ll be the businesses that understand and prioritise this that that come out on top.”

1. The study was developed by Robert Half and conducted in October 2019 by an independent research firm among 600 C-suite and business leaders in the UK. This survey is part of an international study on hiring trends and career ambitions in the modern workplace.

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