Diversity and inclusion | ANALYSIS
targets in place to track progress. The ‘Diversity and Inclusion in UK Retail’ report analyses the retail landscape in 2023, looking at gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, social mobility, and age. It aims to drive change in the retail industry by tracking progress made so far, and identifying what more needs to be done.
Boardroom bias
The report found that almost 30% of boardrooms
remain all-white, and
gender diversity on leadership teams is still below the FTSE 350 benchmark of 40% (37.8%). The retail industry also lacks disabled role models, with only 17% of retailers able to identify one disabled leader.
“Now is the time for retailers to shift
from introducing activities to assessing their impact and focusing on those that drive tangible outcomes. While a clear strategy is vital, it is just the first step in shifting the dial on D&I. Retailers must constantly adapt the strategies they put in place to ensure maximum impact on this crucial issue,” said the authors of the Diversity and Inclusion in UK Retail report.
In response to a lack of diversity in the installation indus- try, the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Instal- lation (BiKBBI) recently hired Dr Stuart Lawrence in the newly created role of diver- sity ambassador, to educate kids from diverse and potentially deprived back- grounds on the ben e fits of a career in the trades and help fill that skills gap.
The new role was
created following the launch of the BiKBBI’s Education Steering Committee, which aims to assemble stakeholders, advisors and sector specialists to determine the direction of education and develop ment within the KBB installation sector. We also spoke to BiKBBI chief executive Damian Walters and Dr Lawrence to gain a deeper under- standing of the issues as they see them, and how they can be tackled. Walters describes the issue as twofold – firstly educational institutions are not investing in vocational training, putting most of the funding towards STEM and IT instead, and so few young people see it as an option. He also believes we are “still struggling with a lack of equality in businesses today”, and that, although there are more options open, “we are trying to undo generations of old-fashioned thinking, and if anything is going to change, we have to work at it and we have to invest in it”.
In terms of the solution, to both help
solve the skills crisis and create a more diverse workforce, Walters and
November 2023 •
Lawrence asserted that the key is creating a buzz around the trades so that all young people know that such a career can be exciting and lucrative. Dr Lawrence adds: “It is crucial for all industries to recognise the importance of diversity, not only as a matter of social inclusivity, but also as a driver for innovation and success. It would be good to hear from those at the top of the food chain about what they are going to do. We are working from the bottom, up, but we need top-down action too. If we can both work together, we’ll be able to achieve something amazing. “It’s early days yet, but I’m really optimistic about the direction we’re going in. We will help galvanise the people at grass-roots level and speak to the communities that we need to speak to, but we also need for people to start coming to the table about the different opportunities and possibilities that we can begin moving into.” He continues: “We all need to rethink things, and make sure we’re not stereotyping and assuming roles for people. We need to make sure we give everyone their chance to shine and contribute to life and I think this industry could do that for people.” From our investigation, it seems
Diversity attracts diversity – so if we start being more diverse, in turn we will attract more diverse applicants for roles
Justine Bullock, the co-founder of bathroom retailer The Tap End
there are a number of people and organisations behind BiKBBI’s move to create a role dedicated to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), with many agreeing that the issue needs positive action.
KBSA retail and cor - porate membership director Malcolm Scott says: “Installers could look to Women and Manual Trades (WaMT),
a not-for-profit company that aims to make women the norm rather than the exception within the construction industry. With forums, networks and case studies, it supports women in the
SPOTLIGHT ON BRANDS SUPPORTING EDI INITIATIVES
Lakes Showering Spaces is a key sponsor of the Sports 4 Life (S4L) initiative, which supports young people aged 11-29 into education, training and employment and ultimately towards better futures by transforming their life skills, improving their well-being, gaining qualifications and increasing their employability.
It does this by delivering key activities – structured sport and physical
activity, accredited qualifications (including functional skills), one-to- one mentoring and workshops (including engagement with employers, work placements and work experience). While sport is the vehicle the organisation uses it to deliver these programmes, it supports young people into a plethora of sectors. Lakes CEO Mike Gahir says: “It’s very important. While S4L provides support to NEET (not in employment, education or training) young people aged 18-29, it also works with 11-18-year-olds who are at risk of becoming NEET when they leave education. We know this is needed because disadvantaged pupils are, on average, 18 months behind the rest of the class in academic achievement by the age of 16, and 60% of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds don’t have a Level 2 qualification by age 19, compared to 30% of their better off peers.”
industry, helps employ ers and promotes opportunities and training.” BMA CEO Tom Reynolds, comments: “If the industry is unattractive to people with a given background,
then we are closing
ourselves off to untold talent. Stuart will use his passion and experience to break down barriers to entry into KBB installation and manufacturers look forward to working with him.” But, how much of a problem there is in the KBB industry as far as inclusivity and diversity is concerned differs, depending on who you speak to. We asked a selection of retailers for their thoughts on diversity and responses were varied. Some believe that there is “a disgraceful lack of diversity”, that we should be doing more to improve diversity and champion the benefits of a more varied and diverse workforce, while others insist that the only criteria that should be taken into consideration
SPOTLIGHT ON BRANDS SUPPORTING
when employing people is whether they are good enough to do the job. Rubina Hughes, owner of Zara Kitchen Design, says: “We can learn from the interior design industry who are ahead of our sector in addressing this issue. They have initiatives such as United in Design and Design for Diversity that businesses can sign up to. I think making diversity a topic for discussion is long overdue.
EDI INITIATIVES Through its Give Programme, Grohe is a key sponsor of the Female HIP (heating, installation and plumbing) Skills Awards, which was set up to encourage women and girls to join these professions. Chris Dodds, leader, GIVE Program at Lixil EMENA explains: “The
current gender imbalance not only represents inequity, but also poses a threat to the growth and success of the industry, particularly given the ongoing shortages of skilled labourers and installers in the UK. It is crucial we prioritise making the industry more inclusive for all women, tapping into their full potential, and fostering a more diverse workforce. The most practical way to level up diverse participation in the trade industry is by further providing more targeted opportunities, such as introductory events, training programmes, work experience and apprenticeships. We need to showcase what the industry can offer.”
Encouragement “We need to educate ourselves in order to identify ways in which we can encourage a more diverse range of people to enter our industry. For example, through apprenticeships and by going to schools and speaking to children about our industry.” Others suggest that the situation is not as bad as some make out, saying that there are many female retailers and designers in the industry. Indeed, there are areas where diversity may not be as much of an issue, but does this mean we shouldn’t strive to be better in other areas of the industry? The topic of diversity and inclusion was raised at the BMA’s annual conference last month. Authors and business coaches Kanthi Ford and Patrick Ricketts led a discussion on how to build resilience in the sector through workplace diversity. “We need to be aware of all of our biases, conscious and unconscious,” Reynolds says. “We also need to share good stories, as they build familiarity and trust around the positive change that comes with EDI.” The question of whether there is a problem in this area will continue to be debated, so maybe the better question is, why is a more diverse workforce a good idea? and what are the benefits to the industry? Firstly, as BiKBBI CEO Walters
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