SUSTAINABILITY

quity , Diversity and Inclusion ( ED & I ) is now a critical aspect of business and the procurement world ; ‘ critical ’ both in the sense of being ‘ paramount ’, and as ‘ open to analysis ’ as to its meaning and denotation . After all , it ’ s a project of immense proportions , and fittingly its definition is still evolving .

We take a look at ED & I from three different perspectives – and three different professions – some aspects of which are in agreement , some in variance ; but what is not open to question is the unmistakable growth in importance of ED & I in the business world and beyond .

“ Attracting and retaining diverse talent and ensuring you are building an organisation that ’ s reflective of the

SCOTT DANCE , DIRECTOR OF HAYS PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN FOR THE UK AND IRELAND communities you work amongst is vital and no longer something organisations large or small can ignore ,” says Scott Dance , Director of Hays Procurement & Supply Chain for the UK and Ireland .

Hays , for anyone who needs an introduction , is a multinational company providing recruitment and human resources services across 33 countries globally . In other words , they know about people ; and they know about businesses .

“ Often ,” says Dance , “ businesses tend to start that conversation with gender and race , but diversity goes far beyond that . True ED & I requires you to value , recognise and respect differences .”

Dance believes that embracing these differences will add value to any workplace , “ however just having representation of diverse groups doesn ’ t go far enough ,” he says . “ Encouraging diversity can be seen as being invited to a party , but fostering inclusion is being asked to dance when you get there , and this is just as important .

“ Diversity and inclusion are the end goal , and fostering fairness and equity is how we get there . As a company , we can do this by honestly reflecting on our progress and calling out discrimination where we see it .”

76 May 2023