Diversity at Yorkshire Bank
Diversity at Yorkshire Bank
We respect the communities we serve and recognise we will serve them better if they are represented in our employees, not just at the front line but at senior levels. We ask new recruits to complete equal opportunities questionnaires providing us with a means to track the make up of our employee population, thus ensuring we are not overlooking or rejecting minority groups. In addition, we carry out periodic diversity surveys to determine not only the make up of our employee base but also its aspirations around flexible working and retirement, and its requirements for services such as elder and child care. This helps make our business a more attractive place for people from all backgrounds.
We aim to provide a working environment where everyone can fulfil their potential and no one feels excluded.
Our diversity programme
Our diversity programme concentrates on actions which will benefit the majority of our employees and also remove factors which can indirectly result in disadvantage for under represented groups in the work place. Some examples are:
- Making flexible working work. All of our people can apply to work flexibly helping to achieve a better work/life balance for all, not just parents or carers.
- Mentors are available for all our people to help them increase their confidence in undertaking their current role and progress their career aspirations.
- Improving the recruitment and promotion process with a focus on creating a more diverse field of candidates from our recruitment agencies and ensuring our recruiting managers are aware of the business benefits of having diversity of thought and background in their teams.
- Internal communication – a broad range of initiatives including sharing success stories and fostering diverse thinking, encouraging innovative ideas in the business and discussions with leadership teams throughout the business, networking events, dinners for women and master classes.
- The introduction of staff network groups for our LGBT colleagues and those with a disability, run by staff for staff providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development.
- A commercial business case for diversity - signed off by our ExCo ensuring creating diversity remains a business priority.
Measuring progress
To gauge our progress we measure the extent to which our employees believe the organisation values diversity of thought background and style – this score has gone up by 12% points since 2005. We also measure pay and promotion rates across the genders and the percentage of women in management. The diversity survey carried out biannually, provides a rich source of data to measure the success of diversity initiatives and ensures the diversity agenda reflects the needs and aspirations of our people.
Providing opportunities
There is no point in attracting diverse talent unless we provide opportunities for its voice and ideas to be heard, considered and acted on. So we are interested in talent wherever it comes from and whatever it sounds like, and we strive to provide opportunities for everyone to be heard and valued. If we all think the same way we will reach the same conclusions and are likely to miss opportunities that more diverse perspectives would identify.
We don’t just have great policies – we continually act to make them real.
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