The latest British Retail Consortium report highlights significant strides in gender and ethnic diversity within UK retail leadership. However, inclusion and representation remain areas needing improvement. Many boards still lack ethnic diversity, and social mobility requires more attention. Sexual orientation and disability representation also fall short, emphasising ongoing challenges. The report stresses the necessity of cultivating an inclusive working environment.
The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) recent report showcases a commendable advancement in gender diversity, with women occupying more than 43% of board-level positions in UK retail businesses. This marks a rise from merely one third in 2021. This increase signifies progress in dismantling long-standing barriers to female representation at the highest organisational levels.
Similarly, ethnic minority representation at the board level has seen a significant surge. From a mere 4.5% in 2021, the percentage has nearly tripled to 12%. Despite these advances, the findings underscore a stark contrast, as 35% of retailers still operate with an all-white board, and over half display no ethnic diversity in their executive committees.
Moreover, the report reveals an unsettling narrative regarding inclusion, particularly highlighting that many employees experience low sentiments of recognition and overall happiness in the workplace. It indicates that while diversity has been addressed to some extent, the crucial element of inclusion feels neglected, forming a ‘nut to crack’ for many organisations.
Particularly alarming is the representation among employees who describe their sexual orientation as ‘other’ or ‘prefer not to say,’ and those from Black/African/Caribbean backgrounds, who report the lowest levels of workplace inclusion.
Furthermore, the report brings to light the issue of social mobility and disability within the sector. These areas, the report suggests, require significant focus. Specifically, the dearth of disabled role models is apparent, with only 11% of surveyed businesses able to identify one such leader within their ranks.
In addressing the need for a comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy, the report finds that 98% of retailers have implemented coordinated initiatives. Yet, it prompts that inclusion is not just a box to tick but requires ongoing, genuine commitment from leadership to transform workplace culture. The call is for initiatives that make employees feel both happy and included.
The initiation of a D&I Charter, signed by over 90 retailers, represents a positive step, yet the report insists that meaningful progress is only achieved when diversity is coupled with a pervasive sense of inclusion. BRC Chief Executive, Helen Dickinson, echoes this sentiment by emphasising the importance of initiatives seeking to revolutionise workplace culture towards complete inclusion.
The BRC report highlights encouraging diversity progress, yet stresses the imperative of fostering an inclusive workplace culture to cement these gains.
