Now more than ever, “diversity workers” (Ahmed, 2012) are needed in Higher Education. They are doing important work carried by a momentum of broader societal change, the disparities of which have been sharpened since the pandemic. Creative approaches and courageous conversations are all around us, and this conference will bring these to light. But how can we future-proof our skills for the growing demands and complex challenges of diversity and inclusion work? Which skills are most valuable, and how do we best cultivate them? You tell us.
This is what the big conversation seeks to explore – we want to know how diversity workers and advocates would shape this agenda. With their fingers firmly on the pulse of change, diversity workers and advocates are the most expert resource to understand how to reinforce our skills and efforts to serve our whole communities. The big conversation stand will give us the opportunity to consider these key questions.
What do diversity workers regard as their most valuable skills and what are their biggest challenges? How do we best invest resources for optimal benefit and how can we better leverage existing resources available to us? You tell us. Themes and questions will change throughout the conference, and learnings will be shared.
What does a diversity worker look like?
My research on the knowledge and skills profile of a diversity worker quickly made me realise that there is no such thing. I guess this isn’t surprising. Career paths for diversity workers are varied: I interviewed a diversity worker who previously worked in oil and gas and is now at the NHS, and another that was previously a financial analyst; whose EDI work is primarily advising universities. Some of them are student advocates, some are academic researchers and some are trainers and teachers. The drivers behind their career choices are also diverse: some are driven by a personal passion whilst some ‘fell into’ the role and grew with the times.
The needs of their organisations are also unique: some need specialist support services, whilst others may need widening participation experts, practitioner researchers, stakeholder engagement specialists, policy and procedure advisers or EDI case workers.
This ability to grow with demand, develop skills in response to need and self-assessed requirements is familiar territory for conscientious diversity workers. So – isn’t this way of working a kind of skill or competency in itself? Can it be measured? Can it be described succinctly? Should it be a point of reference against which fledgling diversity workers can set their aspirations? You tell us.
I have learned that those considered ‘traditional’ diversity workers have organically developed ‘best practice’ through networks and experience, delicately balancing their skills development both in response to the needs of their organisations, and courageously charting new territories for themselves. But there is a broad spectrum of those involved in social change, representation and research of EDI. As legislative pushes and societal conceptualisations of equity evolve and adapt, do we incorporate or let go of more ‘traditional’ EDI approaches? You tell us.
What do institutions need from diversity workers?
Research shows that organisations who fail to invest in diversity and inclusion in meaningful ways do not reap the proven benefits: employee engagement (BIS, 2013), improved job and life satisfaction, reduced stress and absenteeism (Monks, 2007) problem solving (Reichenberg, 2001) and innovation (CIPD, 2004) – never mind the ’moral case’ to include a diverse community. Unfortunately, research also shows that simply appearing to have made an effort will garner some reputational benefit (Hollinshead and Nicholls, 1999). A number of diversity workers I interviewed described how their leadership are motivated more by the mitigation of the potential reputational fall-out of being seen ‘not to do anything about diversity’, than about the proven value it brings. This was echoed in other research on UK HE diversity workers (Ahmed, 2012, Rollock, 2018).
But to ‘simply add diversity, and stir’ is a tick boxing approach that doesn’t deliver benefits to our organisations and those we serve. Research shows that certain ‘well meaning’ efforts, such as unconscious bias training, can be really problematic and are rightly under increased scrutiny (Kulik et al, 2000, Kalev et al, 2006, Atewologun et al, 2018).
As an EDI researcher, I have learned that diversity workers often have to advocate for and illustrate the values, stress the cultural change required, and understand the perceived and real barriers to change. It seems that they play the key function of providing clarity on the starting point, the destination and the journey in between, all whilst building trusting relationships. Are these skills or competencies required for diversity workers in higher education institutions? Or are they desirable but not essential? You tell us.
The movement for change is growing, and as both established practitioners and new champions move into leadership roles they are developing their organisational maturity in equality, diversity and inclusion. But they are also developing a whole new layer of expertise and skills required to meet the needs of their organisations. They are engineering a portfolio of services provision for the future. What do and should those look like? You tell us.
What helps you grow?
Advance HE recognises the EDI community as a phenomenal resource to the Higher Education sector. An exercise in co-production, Advance HE wants to open a conversation on what helps diversity workers grow to meet future demands and changing landscapes. The more diverse the participant contribution the better the final outcome, so this EDI Conference, come to the Big Conversation stand and tell us: which skills and knowledge do you think will help us to tackle the challenges that await us?
Ivana Vasic Chalmers is the Women’s Higher Education Network’s Head of Research, a Diversein.com contributor and a pro-bono advisor to a start-up (Sandburg.com) tackling the motherhood penalty. Her day job is in management of governance, strategy and risk at the Royal Veterinary College.
Join 'the big conversation' – the whole-conference conversation exploring the skills and knowledge ‘diversity workers’ need beyond 2021: an exercise in co-production of knowledge at our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference 2021 – Courageous conversations and adventurous approaches: Creative thinking in tackling inequality, 16-18 March 2021.
References:
- Ahmed, S. (2012). On being included: Racism and diversity in institutional life. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822395324
- Atewologun, D., Cornish, T., & Tresh, F. (2018). Unconscious bias training: An assessment of the evidence for effectiveness (Research Report 113). Equality and Human Rights Commission. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/unconscious-bias-training-assessment-evidence-effectiveness
- BIS. (2013). The business case for equality and diversity: a survey of the academic literature. London: Department for Business Innovation & Skills. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills
- CIPD (2004). Managing Diversity. Linking Theory and Practice to Business Performance. London: CIPD. Available from: http://www.equalitylink.co.uk/downloads/Managing%20Diversity.pdf
- Kalev, A., Dobbin, F. and Kelly, E. (2006). Best practices or best guesses? Assessing the efficacy of corporate affirmative action and diversity policies. American Sociological Review, 71, 589-617.
- Kulik, C. T., Perry, E. L., & Bourhis, A. C. (2000). Ironic evaluation processes: Effects of thought suppression on evaluations of older job applicants. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21, 689–711.
- Monks, K. (2007). The Business Impact of Equality and Diversity. The International Evidence. The Equality Authority. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10147/45980
- Reichenberg, N. E. (2001). Best practices in diversity management. Managing Diversity in the Civil Service: United Nations Expert Group Meeting, New York, United States, 3–4 May 2001. Available from: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/UN/UNPAN000715.pdf
- Rollock, N. (2018). The Heart of Whiteness: Racial Gesture Politics, Equity and Higher Education. In J. Arday & H. S. Mirza (Eds.), Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, Whiteness and Decolonising the Academy (pp. 313–330). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60261-5_18