Maintaining a diverse workforce can help boost sales and attract recruits, says a new survey conducted for Jobcentre Plus by ICM Research. More than 50 percent of customers would be more likely to use a business they knew to have a diverse workforce, while 79 percent think it’s important for businesses to have such a policy in place.
A survey of 2,000 employers revealed that employees and customers alike think companies could be doing more to attract people from different backgrounds, especially disabled, female, ethnic and older workers. The findings come amid indications that employers are increasingly willing to recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds or socially excluded groups. The survey found that more than half of employers say they employ people from groups who traditionally find it harder to get jobs such as lone parents, the long-term unemployed, or those from ethnic minorities.
“This research proves to employers that being committed to diversity is not a business choice, but a business imperative,” says Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.