ITN has pledged to interview at least one BAME (black, Asian or ethnic minority) person for every vacancy after revealing a “disappointing” BAME pay gap.
The new firm announced that it has a mean BAME pay gap of 16.1% (median: 20.8%) and mean BAME bonus pay gap of 66% (median: 50%). Nina Nannar, the Arts Editor at ITV News, said she was “disappointed” to see these stats.
So disappointed to see ITN's BAME pay gap is 16.1% and bonus pay gap 66%. @itvnews
— Nina Nannar (@NinaNannarITV) July 18, 2018
“To close this pay gap, we must work harder to increase the proportion of BAME people at every level of ITN, particularly in the senior decision-making management roles,” ITN CEO John Hardie said. “We have set challenging targets, including halving the BAME pay gap by 2022, alongside an action plan to improve representation and remove barriers to progression.”
ITN will be following the BBC in banning all-white shortlists for vacancies.
If you are tasked with finding diverse talent, you should be advising clients that it’s more than just attraction. A true diversity policy should be about retaining BAME candidates and helping them to grow, Founder of f1 Recruitment, Amanda Fone explained
She continued: “People often talk of the ‘squeezed middle’ – the fact that we lose BAME talent before they ever reach a leadership role. That’s why they are passionate about advising companies on the inclusive cultures they have to create. Only then will we see more BAME talent reaching leadership levels."
Other diversity initiatives at ITN include provision of unconscious bias training for all managers, reverse mentoring, a company-wide staff diversity and inclusion forum and an apprenticeship scheme focused on ethnically and socially diverse candidates.
The movement towards a more diverse recruitment process is something that Raph Mokades, Managing Director and Founder of Rare Recruitment, has noticed from many big firms.
Speaking exclusively to Recruitment Grapevine, he said: "Most big organisations these days are making serious efforts to open their doors to people from diverse backgrounds and I’m sure ITN is no exception."
"The Company’s transparency here is a welcome first step but it’s no surprise that ITN suffers from a lack of diversity at every level."
However, he continued that BAME candidates often face invisible hurdles to the positions they want.
"BAME employees face all kinds of invisible hurdles at work, namely a lack of mentors or visible role models, particularly among the more senior ranks," Mokades explained.
"In our experience, BAME candidates can also lack confidence when navigating their way through interviews or review meetings at blue-chip firms, a process naturally more suited to those who have grown up in relatively privileged circumstances.
"Sadly, having the same background as your interviewer – and maybe the same accent and look – is still the easiest way to progress in corporate Britain. The good news is that many large employers recognise this and are making significant efforts to combat it. The bad news is that good intentions are not enough on their own."
