Diversity: It's not just about avoiding discrimination

Tim Holden outlines a few ideas to ensure you benefit from a diverse workforce, thereby strengthening your brand and helping you to become an employer of choice.

"But we operate in a sector with skills shortages."

"Agencies try their best but they don’t have people on their books who want to work here."

"Adverts just don't work any more."

These are excuses we hear a lot, often from employers offering the national minimum wage. We often use the following retort: "So give us the numbers - what is your employee split for gender, age, ethnicity and disability?"

Most employers are aware that there are not enough young, able-bodied, white men to meet all available vacancies.