Alison Tickner
Director of Diversity
Academee

Do you think that diversity legislation has been a help or a hindrance?

The answer as to whether legislation is a help or hindrance can very much depend upon who you are and what you have experienced.

The introduction of a piece of legislation raises awareness of an issue and can force a change in behaviour, but on its own cannot change attitudes.  The change in behaviour, e.g. recruiting people whom they have previously rejected, can result in employers coming face to face with their own stereotypes and having preconceptions shattered.

Focusing on compliance with regard to legislation as a way forward often leaves organisations paying less attention to the business or moral case.
This often leaves employers feeling confused or uncertain, and reluctant to find out more.

If people feel they are in a position where they are unaffected by legislation, and judge themselves as people who would not dream of discriminating against others then it can be perceived as patronising and lecturing. However this can demonstrate their lack of true understanding and therefore they have the potential to discriminate/harass unwittingly.

Legislation can be perceived as not supporting inclusivity. Many white, heterosexual men feel left out and do not realise that legislation is there to support them as well.

Age legislation was lauded as the first piece that truly represented everyone as ‘everybody has an age’.  But the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 represented virtually everyone – the omission at the time was transgender. Discussions on training courses have revealed that many people still perceived Age Legislation as purely protection for ‘the older worker’.

Quotas hinder inclusivity and encourage a compliance approach. The quota element of some older pieces of legislation still persist in peoples’ perception. Some people within organisations still aim to fill a quota on their staff even though they are aware they no longer exist.

The focus on specific groups of people which is a feature of much of the discrimination legislation can lead to people strengthening their own labels and stereotypes rather than seeing fair treatment from a pluralistic and individualistic approach.

Legislation raises awareness and galvanises action and communication. Very often it is the nature of that action and communication that determines whether or not the legislation ultimately becomes a help or a hindrance to a particular organisation.

What do you believe are the barriers to diversity and inclusion within business life today?

There are a number of barriers to diversity and inclusion in modern day business life. 

A lack of clear communication is, arguably, the most crucial barrier to overcome in implementing effectively diversity and inclusion.  Without communicating (1) what diversity and inclusion is, and (2) why it’s important, the understanding, appreciation and buy-in of stakeholders will continue to elude many businesses.

In addition, a combination of traditional cultures that are resistant to change, entrenched attitudes about ‘the good old days’ and a fear of getting it wrong all present further barriers to embedding diversity into the way an organisation operates. 

Historically, the white, heterosexual, male demographic, in particular, has not taken ownership of the diversity agenda due to a lack of awareness and understanding about its relevance.  This, together with the ongoing confusion around terminology – for example the differences between positive action and positive discrimination, has led to many people feeling resentful and that diversity doesn’t apply to them.

Highlighting the more widespread relevance and benefits of diversity and inclusion would make significant inroads to breaking down some of the barriers that the agenda has, and continues, to face.

Do you believe that businesses are just ticking the boxes for compliance rather than realising the enormous business benefits of true inclusion?

Since 2002 the public sector has been driving the diversity agenda with duties that go beyond mere compliance with legislation.  Some organisations have been more successful than others. They have also been driving the private sector in terms of demanding evidence of diversity action before awarding tenders.

Yet many organisations still aim for compliance and no further. This shows a lack of understanding of the true business benefit of inclusion. The war for talent is raging ever harder. Succession planning is far more effective when an organisation looks both internally and externally with an inclusive eye.

To do the minimum is to run the risk of ignoring the changing demographics within the UK, the skills shortage, not to mention the moral case.  Ticking boxes also engenders a focus on specific groups of people, rather than perceiving each member of staff as an individual.  It can also lead to ignorance of existence of unfair treatment of people who do not fall into the ‘protected groups’.

Some organisations want a simple list of “do’s and don’ts” that will help them avoid litigation. The idea of generating a culture where people can have open and candid conversations is perceived as being too difficult to manage. It is often reflective of a fear culture. Yet closing down those conversations and relying on a list of etiquette takes no account of individual and cultural differences will quickly become out of date and preclude the resolution of issues through dialogue. Perversely, this approach is likely to lead to increased cases of litigation.

Ticking boxes prevents organisations from making their diversity framework live. Bringing a framework to life is not easy: behaviour and attitudes need to be opened up and explored, which is even harder within any organisation that has a fear or blame culture. But the risk of not doing so is even more frightening. And who will they blame when the ‘blame culture’ hasn’t protected them from litigation?

Biography

Alison Tickner is Academee’s director of diversity. She is one of the UK’s leading authorities on diversity and inclusion and has worked in partnership with a range of major organisations to create cultures of inclusion where diversity is valued and promoted. An expert on legal requirements in this area, Alison is adept at assessing business policy and procedure for good practice. She helps clients not only to achieve compliance with government legislation but also to realise the benefits of developing a genuinely diverse workforce.

Alison also has extensive experience of strategic and operational management and new business development. Her previous career as a high-achieving army officer career gave her immense experience of handling sensitive human issues: she was one of the first female officers employed in the minor investigations unit in Northern Ireland, and as an investigating officer with the special investigations branch (SIB) in Germany, she developed and implemented the first rape crisis suite package. She was also the first military investigator to interview child witnesses in child abuse cases using ‘anatomically correct’ dolls. Her innovative and enthusiastic approach to her work led to her being commissioned in 1990. She led two overseas expeditions and was promoted to the rank of major in 1996.

Alison left the Army in 2001 and set up her first Consultancy in Leadership, Management and Diversity. She merged her business with Academee in 2004 to become one of the leading diversity consultancies within the UK. She is highly experienced in working with all communities but in particular with the black and minority ethnic community (BME). She has worked in partnership with a leading University researching the Housing and Health needs of the BME Community and undertook the first County wide housing research project.

She operates equally effectively at both a strategic and organisational level. She has developed practical diversity training tools including a Board Game and a powerful Diagnostic Audit tool. She was runner up in 2006 for the World of Learning Outstanding Contribution to the Training Industry. Her pragmatism has enabled her to develop innovative solutions for organisations accessing non-traditional methods of funding such as European Social Fund, ensuring that the solution meets the goals and criteria of not only the client but also the funding body. Her expertise within Leadership and Management has enabled her to develop solutions that embed diversity into organisations’ existing performance and change management strategies. Her approach ensures that organisations generate employee buy-in and hence achieve long-lasting improvements.

Her excellence in marketing strategies has enabled her to work with organisations to produce exciting and eclectic engagement materials that capture peoples’ attention and send a positive message about diversity.

Areas of Expertise
• Diversity and Inclusion • Dignity at Work • Leadership • Management Development • Performance Management • Change Management • Communication • Motivation

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