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Kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve benchmarking van het interne gelijke kansen- en diversiteitsbeleid van de Vlaamse overheid
Also concerning approach, we could say that a diversity policy is especially a ‘target group- policy’. It
is undeniable that, in our society and in the labor market, mechanisms are still in place that
disadvantage certain groups more than other groups. People with disabilities and people from ethnic
minorities are often confronted with prejudices that make it harder for them to have access to or even
to practice some jobs. Furthermore they often experience certain obstacles in applying for jobs in
government: they are for example less familiar with the government as an employer or with the
selection procedures, they do not have the required qualifications, they don’t have the same ‘language
sensitivity’ or are hindered by a physical disability. We clearly see the existence of group-specific
needs and the need for group-specific solutions. A group policy is thus certainly relevant. Yet it is also
important not to focus actions too exclusively to one group. One should keep a broad perspective by
addressing different target groups (people from ethnic minorities, disabled people, gay, lesbian and
bisexual people, men and women, older workers, lower-skilled workers). In this way, everyone can
feel involved to some extent and no resistance is created within the organization against what is
perceived as "favoritism".
Furthermore, it is important to pay attention to the motivation for conducting a diversity policy: 'why
does the organization want to invest in diversity?’ In this context, it is certainly a good idea to design
a ‘business case’. In this business case, the organization can explain the value of diversity with regard
to the organizational goals. Especially in today's economic environment, with resources being scarce,
the business case could be a permanent motivator to invest in diversity policies. But to take the
organization's objectives as the only starting point also has limitations. The moral case - especially for
a public organization - is important as well. According to this moral case it is good for the society
when everyone can participate in the labor market, and organizations have a responsibility to realize
this full participation.
Moreover, the organization needs an accurate monitoring system to measure its own progress in
increasing the diversity on the work floor. Few organizations seem to dispose of reliable information
on the presence of the target groups on their work floor. Also, definitions and monitoring systems
seem to differ from organization to organization, what makes benchmarking very difficult. We can
conclude that there is a need for more coherence in definitions of target groups and in monitoring
systems.
Finally, it is important to look for ways to involve the top, middle- and lower management of the
organisation. In the UK for example, we see that the top management takes up a personal
commitment to a particular target group and that this is an important incentive for the diversity policy
within the organization. But the middle- and lower management also plays an important part in
'managing' diversity in the workplace. It is important that they get the necessary opportunities to
develop their skills and knowledge in this area (f.ex. via specific trainings).
What actions can an organization take in its diversity policy? Although the organizational context
obviously plays a part in this choice, we can formulate some general recommendations. First, one sees
that some groups are difficult to reach through traditional recruitment channels. To solve this
shortcoming, the vacancies can be spread through target-specific channels, for ex. associations aimed
at this target group, but this is not always sufficient. If you want to reach these groups better, it
seems appropriate to address them personally, for example by organizing events in which one
specifically (but not exclusively) targets one group.
Secondly, it is also important to build an open organizational culture through awareness raising events
for the entire workforce. These events help to make diversity a topic for discussion within the
organization and can make people aware of their own prejudices. Moreover, in this way the
organization makes as a statement that discrimination will not be tolerated. According to the
KU Leuven - Instituut voor de Overheid 11