Some people will have read the headline of this piece and inwardly shuddered because they see affirmative action as another example of political correctness creeping into the workplace. Others will have decided to read this because they want to know if there's a case for it, or whether it's just a system that gives some people an advantage over others.
Firstly, let’s start by outlining the difference between positive action and positive discrimination. Despite widespread belief to the contrary, positive discrimination is illegal in the United Kingdom. The Equality Act of 2010 reinforced the fact that it's an illegal practice, and it wasn't legal prior to that either. A company or individual cannot merely award a job to someone based on their gender, ability or disability, age, or ethnic background any more than they could refuse to give someone a job based on any of those factors either. That's not what positive action is. Positive action is about ensuring that everybody from every background gets a fair hearing based on their ability to perform a job, and nothing else.
Other than within companies where nepotism as at large, there's no such thing as a guaranteed job for anybody. The employment market is like one enormous online slots, where everyone's put money into the machine, but only a lucky few will collect a jackpot at the end of the spin. Without affirmative action, we run the risk of some players getting better odds on those online slots machines than others. It's like those from a minority background are forced to play on online slots websites where their chances are less favorable than those of a white heterosexual male. Clearly, any online slots company that ran such a site would quite rightly be shut down, and any business that operates in such a manner should face the same fate.
Affirmative action isn't about giving people jobs purely because they come from a specific background, or have a protected characteristic. As per its definition, it's merely about helping companies to develop a diverse workforce, and ensuring that the playing field is level at all times for all candidates. Rather than seeing it as red tape, it should be seen as a benefit - and that's because of the benefits it brings.
A Wider Talent Pool
By specifically approaching or encouraging application for a vacancy from candidates with a protected background, companies widen their talent pools. They cast their nets wider than they would typically cast them, and become aware of candidates they would never normally encounter. Even if the candidates that come forward aren't perfect for the role you're advertising for, they might be ideal for another vacancy within your company. You'd never have found them if you hadn't gone looking for them, and so you'll be glad of them when you do.
A More Dynamic Workforce
People from different backgrounds have different practices and different customs. If your workforce is overwhelmingly Christian, for example, you’re probably used to office arguments about who gets to take time off at Christmas, and how much time that person is allowed to take. The labor market, however, is full of people who don’t celebrate Christmas at all because it isn’t an important date within their religious or spiritual calendar. They will be happy to work through Christmas with no questions asked, and you’ve therefore got a more dynamic and adaptable team.
A Better International Understanding
The world of business is getting larger, not smaller. Global companies are now 'switched on' twenty-four hours a day, taking calls from all over the world. Customers in different markets have different ways of doing business, and different expectations of the people they do business with. If you do business in India, for example, you might just find it helps to have Indian staff. Imagine how much more business you might be able to do in Asia if you had staff who could speak the necessary languages. Even in Western countries, there are potential customers who might struggle to communicate with you because their English isn't good, and you can't speak their language any better than they can speak English. Having multilingual staff would give you an enormous advantage.
A Better Understanding Of Your Own Customers
Ultimately, if the only people we're exposed to both at home and at work are people from a similar background to us, we only have a limited understanding of the traits, hopes, needs, and behaviors of people from other backgrounds. Having people in your workforce from different backgrounds will give you a broader understanding of their wants, needs, likes, dislikes, challenges, and issues, and therefore better prepare you for serving customers who come from a similar background to them. That makes your business stronger.
A Better Chance Of Landing Big Business
When tendering for a business from a larger organization or firm, a number of factors will be considered, and your past business successes and financial status will only be some of those factors. Your ethics, philosophies, and values will also be assessed - especially when you're touting for business from public sector organizations. If you're able to demonstrate that you're an equal opportunities employer, you'll be viewed as a progressive company. When government contracts are there to be won, that alone could be the difference between success and failure.
Ultimately, even if your company is not subject to a quota that determines the makeup of your business, it's likely that it will be in the future. The law favors ensuring that applicants with protected characteristics are included in modern-day workforces, and that's unlikely to change. If you adopt the principles of positive action into your workplace and your recruitment strategy, you'll be building a better business for the future, and also opening yourself up to opportunities that you didn't know were there. Don't view it as an encumberment; see it as a winning strategy instead.