What to consider when using positive action to increase workforce diversity

What is it about?

In 2019, The King's Fund Library Service introduced a graduate traineeship aimed at people from an ethnic minority background. The library profession in the UK is 97% White and this traineeship aimed to correct this lack of ethnic diversity in the profession. The article shares the experience of introducing and implementing a positive action post and highlights the issues that need to be considered when using positive action in recruitment.

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Photo by Amy Elting on Unsplash

Photo by Amy Elting on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Positive action is one tool among many that organisations and professions can use to increase the diversity of their workforce and talent pools. However, structural racism is complex and requires more than one approach in order to work towards greater equality for people from an ethnic minority background. Understanding the limits of where positive action can be useful and the potential pitfalls of introducing positive action posts is important for any hiring manager and organisation to understand in order to ensure that the experience is positive for both the individuals in positive action posts as well as the wider organisation or profession.