Corporate report

GAD's equality objectives for 2021 to 2025

Published 1 April 2021

Theme 1: Inclusive Culture

• Objective 1: GAD has a diverse workforce at all levels and is recognised as an inclusive employer

• Objective 2: GAD has an inclusive culture that welcomes diversity, with everyone confident to be themselves in the workplace

Theme 2: Fair Recruitment & Selection

• Objective 3: GAD’s recruitment attracts a diverse range of candidates and appointments

Theme 3: Talent & Progression

• Objective 4: GAD has highly skilled leaders and managers who embrace inclusion and realise the potential of their teams

• Objective 5: All Staff are able to progress and reach their potential, with a focus on providing support to diversity networks and groups

Theme 1: Inclusive Culture

Objective 1: GAD has a diverse workforce at all levels and is recognised as an inclusive employer

Actions:

• Develop robust workforce equality monitoring data across the 9 protected characteristics and other diversity groups
• Ensure that an annual public sector equality duty report is developed showing progress that has been made
• Conduct a diversity and inclusion review of the recruitment, retention, promotion and progression HR functions and develop initiatives to tackle any barriers
• Conduct equality impact assessments of key strategies and policies
• Develop an internal communications campaign to increase the diversity reporting from staff
• Develop partnerships with counterparts across the government, professional networks and other external stakeholders to promote diversity and inclusion

Objective 2: GAD has an inclusive culture that welcomes diversity, with everyone confident to be themselves in the workplace

Actions:

• Ensure all employees receive diversity and inclusion training to include the Equality Act 2010, protected characteristic groups, other diversity groups, reasonable adjustments and anti-bullying and harassment
• Develop a broad view of diversity that is inclusive of all diversity groups
• Review and analyse GAD’s annual Staff Survey results to understand issues facing staff and to identify underlying trends
• Create an annual calendar of events that promotes D & I across all protected characteristic groups and other diversity groups
• Ensure that D & I initiatives are evidence-based and evaluated to achieve better incomes

Theme 2: Fair Recruitment & Selection

Objective 3: GAD’s recruitment attracts a diverse range of candidates and appointments

Actions

• Conduct a diversity and inclusion review of the recruitment policy and process to ensure any barriers to recruitment, development, promotion and retention of diverse talent are removed
• Ensure that, where possible, all recruitment panels are diverse
• Ensure lead recruitment panel members have received recruitment training
• Target selected recruitment campaigns more widely to secure diverse talent
• Ensure our induction programme reflects our diversity and inclusion ambitions and our organisational values
• Monitor progress of diverse groups with respect to applications received, shortlisted, interviewed and appointed

Theme 3: Talent & Progression

Objective 4: GAD has highly skilled leaders and managers who embrace inclusion and realise the potential of their teams

Actions:

• Ensure all managers receive mandatory diversity and inclusion training
• Ensure managers are equipped with the skills required to recruit, train and retain talented staff
• Develop the diversity and inclusion competency levels of all managers through regular coaching and training sessions
• Ensure managers have diversity and inclusion objectives which are assessed through appraisals
• Ensure managers are trained to have discussions with staff with respect to career progression at GAD and in the wider Civil Service

Objective 5: All GAD staff are able to progress and reach their potential, with a focus on providing support to diversity groups

Actions:

• Identify, promote and celebrate diversity role models across GAD
• Encourage GAD employees to apply for the Civil Service diversity talent schemes
• Promote opportunities for staff development through advertising acting-up positions and secondment opportunities at GAD and in the wider Civil Service