levelequals

Bullying in the Workplace: Recognising, Responding, and Resolving

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 14:41:49 GMT

Bullying is something no-one should have to deal with. While we often associate bullying with childhood, the reality is that bullies can follow people throughout the entire lives, impacting the performance, and culture of workplaces.

While conflicts in the workplace are natural, there’s a difference between misunderstandings and clashes among teams, and consistent abuse.

Although it’s important for employees to stand up for themselves, and seek assistance when dealing with bullies, HR managers and business leaders also play a role.

Direct line managers, supervisors, and executives also need to implement strategies to ensure they’re creating a supportive, respectful company culture.

Here’s everything you need to know about overcoming bullying in the sporting space.

Defining Workplace Bullying: Identifying the Signs

To overcome bullying in the sports, leisure and recreation workspace, business leaders and their employees first need to recognise the signs. Bullying can appear in a range of forms, from name calling, to the deliberate isolation of specific employees by other individuals or groups.

However, the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) gives the concept a clear definition. It says bullying is any repeated, harmful mistreatment of one or more people by one or more perpetrators.

Workplace bullying can happen both offline and online, particularly in today’s world of hybrid and remote work. It can also include:

· Name calling or abusive language

· Ignoring, isolating, or excluding members of staff

· Belittling or making fun of an employee

· Scapegoating or blaming other employees for issues

· Manipulation or coercion

· Spreading rumours about an employee

· Aggressive or violent behavior

Even business leaders can be perpetrators of bullying, when they set their employees up to fail, disregard them, or overwhelm them with menial tasks.

Workplace bullying is extremely common, with 30% of Americans saying they experience this issue in their profession. Unfortunately, the side effects can be disastrous for both businesses and individuals alike. Consistent bullying can cause stress, ill health, and burnout for employees.

It also harms team productivity, and increases a company’s chance of talent turnover, leading to significant skill gaps and problems with long-term performance.

Handling Workplace Bullying: Global Factors

Workplace bullying in the sport industry is an issue that arises all over the world. While the negative impact it has on businesses and employees is consistent wherever you are, the solutions companies and team members can use to deal with bullying vary depending on location.

For instance, the UK and Australian governments have both implemented anti-bullying legislation , such as the Equality Act in the UK, and the Fair Work Act in Australia. In these regions, organizations/organisations are encouraged to implement comprehensive anti-bullying policies, outlining unacceptable behaviours, reporting procedures, and consequences for perpetrators.

Employees are also encouraged to deliver training and awareness programs, to educate employees about the effects of workplace bullying and how to recognize it.

In the US, workplace bullying is addressed through various channels, including legal recourse. While there are no specific federal laws against bullying, many US companies still adopt anti-bullying policies to create a safe and inclusive workspace.

Additionally, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shares guidelines team leaders can use to address workplace harassment and bullying.

Effective Strategies for Handling Workplace Bullying

Though there are different regulations and legal solutions in place for workplace bullying depending on where you are in the world, business leaders can still experiment with a range of universally effective strategies for mitigation, no matter their location.

Some of the best ways to combat workplace bullying include:

1. Establish and Share Clear Policies

First, it’s important to develop and communicate clear anti-bullying policies for the entire workforce. These policies should outline examples of unacceptable behaviours, as well as the potential consequences for perpetrators.

Ensure team members understand which reporting mechanisms are in place to ensure they can seek out assistance if they feel harassed by another team member. All employees should have access to accessible, confidential reporting mechanisms, to help them seek out help without fear.

2. Promote a Respectful, Inclusive Culture

Today’s most innovative companies are already investing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, designed to create equality and respect between team members. This is important at a time when 76% of job seekers and employees believe DEI initiatives are crucial.

Promoting a culture of respect and inclusion in the workplace helps to minimise the risk of bullying. Team members should be encouraged to embrace the diverse characteristics of their work mates, and reminded that harassing behavior will not be tolerated. Leaders should set examples, by consistently treating team members with dignity.

3. Invest in Training and Education

Investing in educational programs in the workspace isn’t just crucial to give employees access to new technical skills or improve workplace engagement. It can also be a valuable way to promote bonds between team members, and hone soft skills.

Consider investing in educational resources that focus on teaching valuable communication, collaboration, and cooperation skills. Provide team members with educational resources to help them understand the effects of bullying, and what they can do to recognise, address, and even prevent the issue.

4. Respond to Reports Correctly

Simply ensuring employees in the workplace can report instances of bullying isn’t enough. Companies also need to be willing to act rapidly when an employee is facing harassment. All reports issued by team members should be investigated thoroughly, promptly, and impartially.

The consequences for perpetrators should be significant, but also consistent and fair, based on the nature of the situation. Additionally, business leaders in the sport industry should ensure support is available to victims following the event. This could include offering counselling, mediation, or coaching sessions.

5. Stay Vigilant

Unfortunately, even as business leaders continue to invest in initiatives to make their companies more welcoming and supportive to employees, bullying is still an issue. In today’s world of hybrid and remote work, it can be even harder to spot problems, particularly when harassment happens online, or through video meetings.

To stay on top of the problem, managers and business leaders need to be vigilant about monitoring the workplace environment. Pay attention to the behaviours of employees, investigate instances of severe stress and burnout, and constantly promote team bonding.

Workplace bullying is unfortunately a global, persistent issue, that requires attention from both employees, and business leaders. Addressing instances of bullying effectively isn’t just the key to creating a more attractive company culture.

It’s also important to ensuring employees can feel engaged and productive at work, and helps to reduce the risk of talent turnover. The right initiatives can even help to make your business more appealing to industry talent.

level= At The Football Business Awards 2023

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:32:27 GMT

Level= takes great pride in our recognition for outstanding work in the sports industry at the esteemed Football Business Awards held in London in May. We were honoured to receive the Silver Award in the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion category.

This award is a testament to our commitment to putting diversity at the core of our mission and engagement. We were in excellent company, with notable nominees including Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Aston Villa FC, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, and Watford FC.

Our purpose is clear: to empower every sports organisation with inclusive recruitment practices designed to eliminate bias and ensure fairness in hiring decisions. We've collaborated on numerous projects with Brentford FC and The Premier League, aligning with their dedication to equality, diversity, and inclusion through our consciously inclusive approach to hiring. By proactively reaching out to diverse communities and employing a debiased process, Level= has increased the representation of underrepresented groups within these organisations.

Jon Varney, CEO of Brentford FC, underscores the benefits of our anonymisation process: "We piloted an anonymous recruitment process for several executive roles within the Club. This approach has allowed numerous candidates from underrepresented groups to advance to the final stages and secure full-time contracts with us."

Amy Field, The Premier League Policy Department Operations Manager, recognises the limitations of traditional recruitment methods like CV and cover letters: "It's evident that, among the multitude of applications we typically receive, we might have overlooked some candidates based solely on their work history."

At Level=, we persistently challenge the conventional approach to bring about positive change in sports recruitment. Our commitment to creating a level playing field for all candidates has resulted in attracting a more diverse pool of talent, all while significantly reducing the recruitment time for dedicated hiring teams.

Click here to see the organisations we have worked with

How to Overcome Overwhelm as a High-Performing Employee

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:40:33 GMT

We all feel a little overwhelmed at times. Life, work, relationships, and countless other factors can make even the most organised person feel as though they’re drowning in their to-do list.

Unfortunately, overwhelm is particularly common in the workplace, and in recent years, factors like the pandemic, changing work styles, and higher employer expectations are exacerbating the issue.

According to a recent Workplace Health Report , 76% of employees report feeling moderate or high levels of stress, and 33% say this stress has an impact on their productivity.

As a high-performer in the recreation and leisure space, feelings of stress and overwhelm can make it difficult to maintain peak performance on a consistent basis. Fortunately, there are things you can do to bring balance and tranquility back to your life.

Understanding Overwhelm in the Workplace

Feeling “overwhelmed” at work doesn’t just mean you’re stressed about an upcoming meeting or project. Employees suffering from overwhelm in the recreation and leisure space can experience consistent stress and anxiety, which can eventually lead to burnout.

You may feel you’re unable to keep up with the demands of your workload, particularly in an environment where high-performers are often assigned more tasks. In some cases, you might feel you don’t have the skills or support you need to do a good job. Workplace overwhelm is extremely common, with around 80% of global knowledge workers saying they may be on the brink of burnout. Unfortunately, being overwhelmed can have a number of negative repercussions for employees, and businesses alike, including:

· Diminished performance: Overwhelmed employees are more likely to struggle with reduced cognitive functioning, creativity, and decision-making skills. You may even find yourself frequently multi-tasking to keep up, which could lead to more errors in your work.

· Health implications: Constant exposure to stress and anxiety leads to both physical and mental health issues for high performers. This can also prompt prolonged absenteeism, as well as more illnesses and ailments.

· Interpersonal challenges: It’s hard to maintain positive working relationships and deal with chronic stress at the same time. You may find you struggle to connect with your colleagues or become more combative, and less collaborative in the workplace.

Identifying the Sources of Workplace Overwhelm

The first step to overcoming workplace overwhelm as a high-performing employee, is understanding what’s causing the issue. When you feel excessively stressed and anxious at work, there’s usually an underlying reason.

You may think you don’t have the right skills to succeed in your role, or you may be struggling to adhere to unrealistic expectations from your boss. Some of the most common causes of workplace overwhelm include:

· An unrealistic workload

· Too many deadlines converging at once

· Being unable to say “no” to requests

· Feeling increased pressure to perform exceptionally

· Not having the tools or skills you need to thrive in your role

· Lack of support from your manager or coworkers

· Inability to prioritise essential tasks

· Unclear processes and roles

· Problems with time management and scheduling

Strategies that Employees Use to Overturn Overwhelm

The good news is that while overwhelm is common in the workplace, it’s not something you have to live with. There are various ways you can regain control over your professional life and schedule. Some of the best strategies include:

1. Mastering Time Management

One of the biggest causes of workplace overwhelm is having too many tasks to complete, and not enough time to do them in. Knowing how to manage your time effectively, prioritise the most valuable jobs, and minimise “unproductive” time is crucial. Using time management techniques, such as the Pomodoro method or Eisenhower Matrix can help you to identify the most crucial tasks on your to-do list, and arrange your schedule accordingly. However, it’s also helpful to take a little time to simply plan your day in advance. Before you dive into your tasks for the day, write down a list of everything you need to do, and determine which order you’re going to complete your tasks in. This will help to minimise the time you spend between tasks, figuring out what to do next.

2. Take Regular Breaks

Although taking breaks may seem counterproductive when you’re overwhelmed by a high workload, it’s actually beneficial to your overall productivity. Studies show that we can only concentrate for specific periods of time before our attention begins to waver. The more pressure you put on yourself to tackle one complex task after another, without a breath, the more overwhelmed you’re likely to feel. When you’re starting to feel overly stressed, or your brain is swimming with too much information, take a break. Look away from your screen, go for a walk around your office, or just grab a drink of water. You could even consider adding mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing exercises and meditation into your workplace routine.

3. Set Boundaries

Even as a high-performer in the industry, you still need a degree of work-life balance. No one can thrive if they commit all their time and cognitive function to nothing but work. Setting boundaries will help to reduce your risk of taking on more than you can handle. As tempting as it might be to say “yes” to every request from your boss and coworker, be mindful of your own limitations. Know when to say “no” to additional tasks. Turn off your phone and chat notifications when you’re away from work so you can “unplug”, and commit to plenty of rest. Make sure you share your boundaries clearly with your coworkers and your managers. Be polite, but firm, explaining exactly how much time and effort you can dedicate to your role each day, based on your job description.

4. Seek Support

Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, particularly in today’s fast-paced and chaotic world. Sometimes, the best thing you can do when struggling with being overwhelmed is ask for assistance. Speak to your manager about the problems you’re facing, and collaborate with them on strategies to mitigate burnout. You might be able to ask for longer deadlines or reduced workloads. Alongside talking to your boss, you can also speak to mentors and other leaders in your business, to ask for their guidance and support. They might be able to provide extra tips on how you can reduce stress and preserve your performance standards.

If you’re feeling truly overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to seek help from specialists, such as therapists or doctors, who might be able to offer more coping mechanisms.

5. Invest in Optimising your Performance

Finally, one particularly good way to reduce overwhelm at work is to focus on overcoming the challenges and weaknesses you face every day. For instance, if you think you struggle with a specific task, seeking out extra training can help to give you new skills to master the process. If you spend a lot of time on specific parts of your work day, such as responding to emails, or managing your calendar, accessing project management tools, AI solutions, and automation tools can help you take some of the extra work on your plate. You could even ask your employer for additional tools and software that might make your job easier or help your team become more efficient.

Don’t Live With Constant Overwhelm

Just because overwhelm is common among high-performing team members, doesn’t mean it’s sustainable. Ultimately, you can only handle overwhelm for so long before your physical and mental health suffers. If you implement all the strategies above and you still find it hard to cope in your workplace, this could be a sign that you need to consider a new role in a different company.

An inclusive talent acquisition business like us can help you with this and can help you to track down a position that’s more manageable, based on your skills and needs.

Click here to see our success stories

Anxiety in the Workplace: Navigating Challenges

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 10:24:43 GMT

How to Support Anxious Employees

Stress and anxiety in the workplace are more common than you might think. Every workplace has challenges that can impact our mental health, from tight deadlines to internal conflicts. These issues can be extremely difficult to handle for employees already suffering from anxiety. 1 in 6.8 people now experience mental health problems in the workplace, and anxiety levels have increased in recent years following the disruption of the pandemic. Business leaders and managers need to know how to support employees suffering from anxiety to ensure they can achieve their full potential, both in and outside the office. Here's everything you need to know about creating a workplace that supports, empowers, and motivates anxious staff.

Understanding Anxiety in the Workplace

According to Anxiety Disorders of America, more than 18% of the adult population currently suffers from some form of anxiety disorder. What's more, most of these professionals say their anxiety issues lead to a host of difficulties in the workplace. An anxiety disorder can be extremely debilitating for staff, making it difficult for team members to focus on tasks, retain productivity, and interact with others. Anxiety can also affect health, leading to higher absence and turnover rates. The first step in overcoming anxiety in a sports workplace is knowing how to spot the signs. Many employees still aren't comfortable speaking about mental health issues. However, managers and supervisors can see symptoms of growing anxiety in:

· A drop in overall performance and productivity

· Difficulty making decisions in the workplace

· Changes in eating habits

· Excessive smoking and drinking

· Fatigue or exhaustion

· Increased sick leave or absences

· Problems maintaining work relationships

If you see these signs in your employees, it could be a sign that issues with anxiety and stress are gradually contributing to burnout in your team. The faster you act, the easier it will be to preserve productivity and avoid losing critical team members.

Creating a Supportive Work Environment

Managing and supporting employees with anxiety requires a multi-faceted strategy. It begins with creating an environment where all employees can thrive, connect with others, and feel respected by their peers. Some of the best ways to create a supportive work environment include:

Promoting open communication

Consistent communication is essential to building trust and community in workplace. Developing an open-door policy that allows any staff member to ask questions, request help, or share their concerns at any moment helps create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Open-door policies are particularly beneficial for people with anxiety, as it helps them to recognise that support is there whenever they need it. If your managers can't handle an open-door policy, assign team members buddies they can turn to for help.

Encourage work-life balance

It's easy to get caught up in the constant quest for productivity. However, a good work-life balance is crucial to retaining and improving employees' wellbeing. 3 in 10 workers say they're less productive because of poor work-life balance. With this in mind, encourage your employees to take breaks, move to different parts of the office when they need space, or even take mental health days when necessary. Ensure every staff member has a realistic, achievable workload, and avoid overwhelming employees with too many tasks.

Set clear expectations

When managing an employee with anxiety, setting clear expectations and realistic goals can be helpful. The idea isn't to force challenging expectations on your team members but let them know what you need from them, even when they're experiencing periods of anxiety.

At the same time, allow your staff members to share their expectations and needs with you. Ask them what they need to accomplish specific tasks when struggling. This will create an open dialogue and pave the way for business-wide growth.

Be Flexible

When your employee's mental or physical health affects their day-to-day work, it's your responsibility as a leader to make accommodations. Even the smallest adjustments can greatly affect an employee's wellbeing. For instance, you could consider changing their hours temporarily or letting them work from home for a while. You might also allow them to adjust their schedule occasionally when they need to seek external support, like therapy or counselling.

Implement Stress-Reducing Initiatives

Initiatives that guide employees through managing their anxiety can be extremely useful for maintaining engagement and productivity. You could consider implementing a wellness program that encourages physical activity and exercise to reduce feelings of stress.

Some sports organisations offer training resources, such as workshops and seminars on stress reduction, time management, and organisation. You could even encourage mindfulness and relaxation exercises, giving your team members a quiet space, they can retreat to when they need space or time to unwind.

Providing Resources for Anxiety Management

While anxiety is extremely common in the modern world, it's also widely misunderstood . Managers and supervisors who don't suffer from anxiety disorders don't always know how to provide the best support to their teams. Colleagues can struggle to understand the behaviour of a person with anxiety, leading to more workplace conflicts. One of the best ways to address this issue is with education. Invest in strategies such as:

· Managerial training: Provide mental health training to managers and supervisors to help them recognise the signs of anxiety and understand how to address difficult situations.

· Employee assistance programs: Offer anxious employees access to tools and resources that can help minimise their stress and improve the working environment.

· Mental health resources: Consider partnering with mental health professionals such as counsellors and therapists to support your team.

· Wellness programs: Invest in wellness programs that promote physical and mental health, with guidance on meditation, relaxation, and stress management.

Fostering a Culture of Support and Empathy

Your company culture will play an important role in determining how supportive and empowering your workplace is for anxious employees. The key to success is ensuring everyone in your team feels respected and included, regardless of their mental health issues.

Start by educating your employees about mental health and anxiety disorders. Access resources and documents that help team members manage their anxiety and support other staff members.

Promote inclusion and diversity by setting expectations for how team members should treat each other. Teach team members how to overcome bias and drive the development of employee relationships with peer support and mentoring programs.

Consistent recognition can be helpful for people with anxiety, too. Ensure your staff members are rewarded for their accomplishments and achievements. Celebrate little wins, like coming to the office all week or hitting deadlines for a month.

Remember, anxiety can vary from person to person, so it's worth speaking directly with your team members to help identify specific triggers and stressors and create personalised support plans for each team member.

Overcoming Anxiety in the Workplace

Anxiety and stress can be common in any environment. When allowed to fester, these issues can impact your team's productivity and your ability to retain and engage crucial staff members.

Implementing a strategy to build an empathetic and supportive workplace ensures every team member can thrive. When you prioritise wellbeing in the workplace, focusing on mental and physical health, your team members are more likely to achieve their goals.

Start taking proactive steps to support your employee's wellbeing, and you'll benefit from a stronger employer brand, better retention rates, and more efficient employees.

Let's connect on Linkedin to discover more expert tips, advice and our amazing job opportunities!

A Guide to Amplifying Your Influence in the Sports Industry

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 14:17:37 GMT

Working in sports can be a competitive environment. After all, employees want to impress their employer, make a lasting impression on their colleagues, and consistently develop their professional brand. This often means every work environment is filled with people competing for a space in the spotlight.

The more time and effort you commit to making yourself stand out in your workplace, the more likely you'll be to earn fantastic recommendations, promotion opportunities, and more.

Plus, championing yourself in your role can help increase job security by showing business leaders how valuable you are to the team.

In recent years, standing out in the workplace has become more important and complex, thanks to the rise of hybrid and remote working. Around 96% of employees in one study said they believe it's now crucial to maintain "visibility" in the workplace.

Step 1: Take Initiative

While establishing yourself as a reliable employee is doing what's expected of you, completing daily projects on time, and following standard operating procedures, it's important to go above and beyond expectations.

Research shows proactive people in the workforce are often viewed as better performers, innovators, and contributors. Taking the initiative occasionally shows your employer you understand the business's goals and you're willing to act without being prompted.

The key to success is knowing when to take the initiative. If your employer asks you to do something a specific way, following instructions carefully will likely reflect better on you than taking a more creative approach. Some great ways to take the initiative (safely) include:

· Suggesting solutions to common problems in meetings or work conversations.

· Volunteering for new projects or asking to take on additional work.

· Seeking out new opportunities to improve your performance, such as investing in training outside the office or developing new skills.

Step 2: Develop your Skills

Investing in skills that might benefit your employer and make you more effective in your role is an excellent way to stand out in the sporting landscape. It demonstrates a commitment to your employer and excelling in your field.

Think about your current strengths and weaknesses and how they influence your work. Which skills could you develop to make yourself more valuable to your employer? For instance, working on your leadership skills could be valuable if you want to lead your team one day.

If your company is constantly investing in new tech and software, learning how to use common industry tools effectively will mean you can maintain your performance in the future.

There are plenty of ways you can work on developing your skills as a staff member. For instance, you might attend events and conferences to learn from other industry experts, sign up for training programs or workshops, or explore online courses.

If you're unsure which skills to develop, consider speaking to one of your supervisors or managers and asking for their insights on what you can improve.

Step 3: Build Your Network

Who you know in the sporting landscape can often be as important as what you know. Building a strong professional network improves your credibility with your existing employer by demonstrating your commitment to thriving in your industry. At the same time, it can also improve your chances of finding new opportunities for roles in the future.

Think about both internal and external networking. From an internal perspective, you can focus on building relationships with as many people as possible, from your colleagues to managers and supervisors. The more you connect with other team members, the more you'll be able to work collaboratively and establish yourself as a crucial part of the workforce.

Externally, look for ways to connect with people who can help you develop your skills and expand your industry knowledge. Participate in groups and forums online, reach out to relevant individuals on social media networks like LinkedIn, and attend conferences to meet new people.

Step 4: Showcase your Accomplishments

In an ideal workplace, managers and business leaders will naturally recognise your accomplishments and reward you for your hard work. However, in the rapidly evolving sports landscape, it can be difficult for any supervisor to keep track of every employee's achievements.

If you accomplish something fantastic in your role, don't be afraid to draw attention to it. If you can provide evidence to showcase the impact of your achievements, this can be extremely helpful too.

For instance, sharing graphs, statistics, or positive reviews with your manager will help them identify your contributions' value.

Saving information about your achievements into a personal file could also be a great way to start cultivating the evidence you need to convince an employer you deserve a promotion. You could also create presentations showcasing your achievements over the year that you share in a performance review. Just make sure you congratulate colleagues for their accomplishments too.

Step 5: Be a Team Player

While it's important to draw attention to yourself as a fantastic employee, it's important not to overshadow your colleagues. Around 37% of employees say teamwork is very important to them, and many of today's staff members want to be part of a collaborative workforce.

Committing to being a "team player" will help you to build better relationships with your colleagues, which means you'll have access to more support and assistance in your role.

Being a team player means committing wholeheartedly to group projects, sharing your knowledge freely, and looking for ways to support other staff members. Offer advice and guidance when you can, be willing to assist team members when they ask for help and know how to balance leadership with being "part of the group".

Champion Yourself in the Workplace

Championing yourself in the workplace and ensuring you effectively stand out to your employer, supervisors, and managers takes time and dedication.

However, suppose you can consistently take the initiative, develop your skills, showcase your accomplishments, and act effectively as part of a team. In that case, you'll be more likely to shine in the eyes of business leaders.

Let's connect on Linkedin to discover more expert tips, advice and our amazing job opportunities!

Tackling ageism: Why age diversity matters in your workplace?

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:29:53 GMT

Ageism is a form of discrimination that often goes unnoticed, yet it is one of the most experienced forms of discrimination in the UK.

As Today's workforce becomes increasingly complex and multi-generational, older workers with decades of experience and expertise are still finding themselves overlooked and undervalued by recruiters and hiring managers.

A recent study by 55/ Redefined found that 65% of employees believe the job market is closed to them when applying for roles aged over 55. Since the pandemic, many employers have been reversing their progress on hiring and training older workers , instead preferring to hire and train younger employees. This raises questions about how organisations can overhaul their attitudes to employing older staff and ensure they feel valued and respected in the workplace.

Today we look at how to ensure your workplace is age-discrimination free. This will involve examining both your recruitment process and your internal team.

There are several audiences involved in the recruitment process. To tackle ageism, let’s begin by talking about actionable ways to improve the supply and demand of older candidates in your recruitment process.

1. Include inclusive language and imagery in your Job specifications

Job specifications are an important part of finding qualified candidates, but for candidates, a job specification is an indication of the company’s values and culture, which will be the determining factor in whether to apply for a job.

Using terms like fast-paced, active, young, and age-related terminology in a job specification signals that you are looking for someone of a certain age. It implies to candidates that your company lacks an age-inclusive environment, which could deter potentially qualified candidates from applying. This could result in fewer qualified applicants being interviewed, which would ultimately impair your HR team’s ability to fill the position.

Therefore, it is important to ensure your job specifications are well written in sensitive, thoughtful, and inclusive language.

What language should you use?

Use more neutral terms like knowledgeable, dependable , driven, which would appeal to both older and younger candidates
Avoid criteria like “recent graduate” and “10 years of experience” as this inappropriately excludes certain age groups and undermines the fact that older candidates have transferable skills.

Candidates need to feel that your company is an inclusive workplace that considers all applicants regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, and disability, which will help avoid age discrimination or exclusion in the hiring process.

If you don't have a pool of experienced older workers, you may find yourself at a disadvantage. Older employees are a valuable asset to your business and can provide experience and wisdom that younger employees may not have.

By recruiting and nurturing talented older employees, you will ensure your business's viability in the future and represent a demographic shift that is rapidly occurring.

2. Assess candidates based on their soft skills, behaviour, motivation, and cultural fit, rather than previous experience and technical fit.

It is widely known that when recruiting candidates, the technical fit is a top priority for companies. However, it's important for your HR department to consider their soft skills (such as motivation and behaviour) and cultural fit (whether they'll feel comfortable in your company culture). This way, you're more likely to find the best candidate for the position, regardless of their age.

Additionally, adopting a hiring protocol like “hire for culture fit, train for skills” will also help older workers struggling to enter new industries.

According to Work/Redefined , 65% of employers will only hire people already experienced in the specific role and will not train a technical role or industry skills for the 55+ age group.

This means that HR leaders basing older workers on their soft skills instead of technical fit could help them overcome this barrier.

For the first two actionable tasks to work effectively and tackle ageism, there are some things you will want to put in place internally to create an inclusive and age-diverse workplace. Let’s move on to examining your team and the internal side of this conversation!

3. Rain awareness of unconscious bias and encourage your teams to become age-aware.

Research has revealed that hiring managers tend to hire people who remind them of themselves which reduces the potential to hire older candidates. This is because it is often difficult for us to recognise age bias in our behaviour and we are often deeply ingrained with old ways of thinking.

To ensure that our teams are as age-aware as possible, we need to be aware of our own unconscious biases. This means learning how to avoid age-related biases in the ways that we interact with others.

It must be managed effectively in your organisations, from whom you choose to employ, who you choose to promote, which members of the team you ‘prefer’ working with and how members of your team engage with each other.

A good way to do this is to implement training on the issue, so everyone is aware of it and ready to respond when they see it happening. By providing the necessary tools and foundations, team members will become aware of their own biases and how they may be affecting their decision-making. This will help them to make more conscious decisions and improve the organization's overall productivity.

In order to make change happen, everyone has to be involved. By working together to address ageism, you'll help ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all employees.

If you're looking for advice on your training needs, Level= has you covered. We offer diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) consultancy and training to help your workforces become as inclusive as possible.

Click here for more information.

4. Implement programs like Employee Resource Groups (ERG)

There is no doubt that ageism is a growing problem in workplaces and can be one of the biggest causes of high labour turnover amongst older workers. One way to combat this problem is through the implementation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) . ERGs are groups of employees who come together to share knowledge and resources, and they can be a great way to get older workers involved in the workplace.

The enforcement of ERG can help your DEI solutions recognise the intersectionality between generations, age, and other diversity aspects. It can also benefit your company in several ways:

It can help address age-inclusion issues across teams.
Create an inclusive environment where all members are treated fairly and with respect.
Help team members learn about different experiences, cultures and backgrounds, so that they can better understand and appreciate different perspectives.
It cultivates and preserves existing diverse talent.

5. Create an anti-discrimination policy

Creating an anti-discrimination policy is important not only to protect employees from discrimination but also to send a clear message that age is not a factor in determining worth or ability.

Employers who want to be effective in their anti-discrimination policies must have a reporting system in place to identify and address any instances of discrimination. The system should also have a conductive structure that monitors employee behaviour, investigates complaints, and takes appropriate action.

The policy should include setting clear expectations for behaviour and consequences for violating them, as well as monitoring training related to age-based discrimination. By taking steps to prevent and address ageism in the workplace, companies can create a more inclusive environment for all employees.

6. Hire a consciously inclusive talent acquisition solution

Here at level=, it's our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Our talent debiased approach and process has resulted in :

A 70% increase in applications from ethnically diverse backgrounds
A 90% positive average candidate experience
93% retention rate after on year

Find out more about how we support employers and help them implement effective ED&I policies that act on inclusion. Contact us here or email hello@levelequals.com .

Remember – creating a diverse workforce leads to higher engagement, greater productivity and is better professionally and personally for every member of your team.

Designing the Ultimate Diverse Workforce with Onboarding

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:18:08 GMT

Designing the perfect diverse workforce doesn’t start and end with choosing the right candidate for each role. Ensuring each employee can achieve their full potential means creating a long-term development plan which aligns your new staff with your company culture and goals and the results you want to achieve.

The correct development plan doesn’t just prepare your candidates for success when you first integrate them into your team. It also ensures they can continue to thrive for as long as they work at your organisation. With the right plan of action, employers and managers can use the process of “onboarding” to enhance their company culture, inspire teams, and support their needs.

So, what exactly should your development strategy entail? Here’s what you need to know about building the perfect development plan for your diverse staff members.

Employee Orientation vs. Employee Onboarding

First, it’s worth defining what onboarding actually is. Many people still use the terms “onboarding” and “employee orientation” interchangeably. However, orientation and onboarding are two very separate concepts.

Employee orientation is a one-time event, focused on embedding new hires into your company. During this process, human resources personnel and leadership professionals formerly introduce employees to the organisation. They may take them on a tour of a physical office, or deliver information virtually through videos and presentations.

The idea behind employee orientation is to get your staff members prepared for their new roles. Employee onboarding is a more long-term concept. Onboarding encompasses the entire employee journey, starting from the moment they meet their colleagues, all the way up to the point where they are fully performing.

Used correctly, this process not only strengthens your sports employer brand and employee engagement, but also paves the way for a more successful, productive, and efficient team. It helps to acclimatise staff to the company culture, set expectations, and keep team members aligned with the vision, mission, and goals of the business.

How to Design an Onboarding Plan

Studies show an effective onboarding strategy and employee development plan have a significant impact on the success of any company’s team. Organisations with the right onboarding and induction programs achieve 50% higher new hire retention.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for onboarding, there are some steps you can use to improve your chances of the right results for your diverse team.

1. Choose a Strategy for Onboarding

First, it’s worth considering how you’re going to deliver your onboarding experience to candidates. Traditionally, onboarding took place within the office environment, consisting of regular face-to-face meetings, training opportunities, and induction processes. Since the shift to hybrid and remote work, around 1 in 7 working adults in the UK according to the ONS are currently working from home. In the US this figure is higher at 1 in 4 and in Australia, this figure hit 40% according to the ABS.Gov website.

As a result, more sports companies are beginning to implement new virtual and hybrid onboarding efforts. While some meetings and interactions may continue to take place in-office, others may be delivered via video conferencing and online software. The key to success is figuring out which parts of your onboarding strategy require in-person interaction.

Consider asking your new hires which parts of the onboarding journey they may want to tackle in person, and which they’d prefer to do virtually, or in their own time.

2. Assign Each Staff Member an Onboarding Buddy

Because onboarding is a long-term development strategy for each employee, it requires staff members to have someone they can turn to whenever they want to discuss their goals, explore training options, or ask questions.

An onboarding buddy is someone your employee can turn to whenever they need assistance getting the most out of their role. This could be a supervisor or manager, or simply someone with authority and history in the business. You could even consider introducing group learns together and using a mentorship campaign for new hires which helps share experiences, struggles and relatability within a team. At the same time, it creates an inclusive environment and culture.

Encourage regular communication between your new hire and their onboarding buddy, so they can develop a more transparent, authentic relationship. Some companies even use informal coffee chats and video calls between staff members and their “mentors” to help further integrate new hires into the company culture and track their progress.

3. Prioritise Regular, Transparent Communication

For a sports company development plan to be successful, every member of the team needs to feel as though they have a voice. Scheduling regular meetings between individual employees and managers where they can discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities is key.

Team members should be able to contribute to their own development, by suggesting areas where they feel like they need to improve, and requesting training opportunities where necessary. They should also feel comfortable reaching out to business leaders when they’re struggling with their workload, experiencing burnout, or feeling disconnected from the business vision or any EDI policies.

Regular and transparent communication will also ensure business leaders can consistently set expectations for team members, based on the values and mission of the company. Make sure each employee knows how their performance will be evaluated, and what kind of qualities they need to demonstrate in their day-to-day work.

4. Set and Regularly Update Goals

Up to 33% of employees quit within their first 6 months with a new company, and 86% of respondents in one survey said they would still switch jobs if it meant damaging their CV/Resume. Following the effects of the Great Resignation, business leaders need to be extra sensitive to the engagement and satisfaction levels of their staff members.

This means providing every team member with a clear vision of the future they have in the business and helping them to set and achieve their career goals. During regular meetings with each employee, sports business leaders should encourage staff to discuss their strengths and weaknesses and share insights on how they can grow moving forward.

As an employee’s position within the business continues to evolve, the individual or team responsible for their onboarding process should work with them to expand and update their goals. This will ensure staff feels as though they’re consistently moving in the right direction.

Invest in Employee Development

While using a EDI talent acquisition company to find the ideal employee for your team is an excellent way to improve your chances of hiring success, it’s important to remember that developing and empowering your employees is a long-term process.

Creating a plan for consistent employee development through consistent and engaging onboarding will ensure you can retain your top diverse talent for longer, and achieve the best results from every member of your team.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level= , it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Whether you are building greater equity within your organisation or looking to take the next step in your career in sport, our team is committed to working with you to offer the skills, services and access to a globally diverse and level field of possibility.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com.

How to Identify an EDI Recruiting Partner to Build Your Team in 2023

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:06:43 GMT

We’re living in a world where the demand for talent significantly outweighs the number of available candidates in search of sports roles. More than half of U.K. businesses are experiencing skill shortages, and countless worldwide organisations struggle to fill critical positions.

Factors like the Great Resignation, the rise of remote working, and changing employee priorities have made it harder than ever for sports leaders to fill their employment pipeline. In this environment, businesses must access the right support.

A specialist EDI recruitment partner with expertise and experience in your industry makes it easier to find the people capable of transforming your team. Here’s how you can identify the right one to work within 2023

Why Sports Companies Need Recruiting Partners

Currently, around 80% of organisations say they have difficulty filling positions due to a lack of available skills. As unemployment levels continue to drop, the quest for talent will likely become even more challenging for modern brands.

An EDI sports recruitment partner can be the ultimate way to stay one step ahead of the competition and ensure your business can thrive in the years ahead. Companies like ours have spent years cultivating networks which offer extensive access to top talent.

We can tap into “passive” candidates who may not be actively searching for new roles. As recruitment experts, we are skilled at positioning businesses to the right candidates by offering help with social media marketing, job description writing, and interview setting.

An EDI sports recruitment partner gives your company the extra support to quickly track down the right talent and build a pipeline of available experts. They know where to look for talent and can help your business to appeal to every part of the workforce.

How to Choose the Right Recruiting Partner

A recruitment expert has the potential to save companies time, money, and headaches in the search for talent. However, the success of your new strategy will depend on your ability to choose the most suitable company for your business. Here’s how to get started.

1. Look at Their Brand Presence

Branding and online presence are growing increasingly important to the recruitment landscape. Countless candidates check a company’s “employer brand” before deciding whether to work for them. They’re also increasingly active on digital channels when searching for jobs. Around 90% of candidates now use social media in their job search.

To ensure you can adhere to the changing recruitment landscape, you’ll need an EDI sports recruitment partner with an excellent image and a strong online presence. After all, if the company fails to market itself effectively online, it may also struggle to promote your vacancies.

Search for active social media pages across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. It’s also worth looking at how frequently your recruitment team shares thought leadership content and blog posts to support their sector.

2. Prioritise Industry Experience

Every industry has its specific nuances to consider when it comes to recruitment. People in the technology landscape are looking for different things from their employers than those in the engineering space. These groups have different messaging, unique priorities, and different expectations. As such, finding a recruitment partner who knows your space is important.

A specialist EDI sports recruitment partner will understand your landscape and the kind of candidates you’re trying to reach perfectly. They’ll know how to position your job descriptions, what types of copy and content to use to attract employees, and even where to look for passive candidates.

A recruiter with a good knowledge of your sector will also be able to match a specific individual’s skills more easily to the goals and requirements of the role in question.

3. Explore Recruitment Service Options

Different sports recruitment partners can offer different kinds of services to their clients. Some work on specifically filling roles as they emerge in the company, while others fill talent pipelines with various candidates. This may even involve reaching out to the 70% of candidates who aren’t actively searching for a new job when you’re hiring.

Various recruitment partners can also offer different levels of assistance with the recruitment process. Some can help with writing job descriptions and social media posts, so you can improve your chances of reaching the correct audience with the right language. They may also be able to offer help with your interview and shortlisting process.

The level of assistance you need and the extent of the service you’re looking for will help you to determine which partner is right for you.

4. Check Case Studies and Testimonials

Reviews and testimonials are an excellent way to get a behind-the-scenes look at the kind of support you can expect from your sports recruitment partner. Your chosen company should have a website to showcase case studies and details about previous client interactions.

Look through the messages left by other companies, and find out as much as you can about how happy they were with the speed, accuracy, and guidance offered by the recruitment team. Aside from checking the company’s website, you can also look in other online environments for additional business comments.

A recruitment company’s social media pages can be a good place to look for quick messages from happy clients or posts showcasing recent reviews.

5. Speak to the Company First

Finally, once you have a shortlist of the sports recruitment partners you might want to work with, it’s worth reaching out and arranging a time to talk. A conversation with your recruitment partner can help you to answer a lot of questions you might have about their service, how much support they can give, and how they’re going to communicate with you in future.

Speaking to the recruitment experts also allows you to test their knowledge and expertise and build a rapport for future interactions. A good recruitment company should be ready and willing to arrange a meeting with the stakeholders in your time where you can discuss all of your concerns. Depending on their location, they may offer various forms of communication, such as video conferencing, calling, or face-to-face meetings.

3 Areas to Focus on When Training new Hires

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:00:53 GMT

Taking the right approach to training your hires is one of the most important things any employer can do. The right education and guidance set your employees up for success in any role and ensure they can thrive in your industry.

What's more, today's employees crave training more than ever before.

According to some studies, around 40% of staff members worry their skills will become outdated in today's quickly-evolving landscape. Moreover, 49% of employees want to enhance their skills but are unsure where to begin.

For business leaders, the focus areas for training an initial new hire should revolve around developing critical soft skills. Most of your new team members already have the technical talents required for their roles. However, you can always look into upskilling and expanding this knowledge later.

Your team members need help with the critical skills that will define their future with your business. Here are the three areas you need to focus on.

Skill 1: Goal Setting

Goals are critical in any role. According to research from Harvard Business School, people who successfully visualise and write down their professional goals are often 20% more successful. Goals act as a compass in any career, giving direction and guidance to your team members.

Start by providing your employees with a clear insight into your business values and expectations for their work. This will help them monitor and measure their performance to ensure they're delivering the right results. Next, arrange for a meeting during the onboarding process, where you can set different types of goals with your new team member, such as:

Short-term goals: Define what your new employee should be working towards during the first few months of their position in your company. Outline what you'd like to see from them as a manager, and ask what they would like to accomplish during this time.
Long-term goals: Ask about where your employee sees themselves in the future. Do they want to work towards a promotion or a higher-paying role? Together, you can outline a plan for how they can make their targets a reality.
Development goals: Where would your employees like to improve their skills or become more proficient during their time with your company? What training opportunities would they want access to, and where do they feel they need the most help?

It's also worth providing your employees with key tips on improving their chances of successfully reaching their goals. Discuss the difference between setting realistic and unrealistic targets, and look at how you can help your employee to become more focused.

One option could be to set your new team member up with a mentor, so they can constantly get feedback on their progress. It's also worth having regular meetings with each employee throughout the year to see whether they're accomplishing their goals and what you can do to assist them.

Skill 2: Relationship Building

Relationships form the foundation of strong company culture. Research shows positive relations between employees and their managers and colleagues lead to better job satisfaction, increased retention, and boosted productivity. However, many employees struggle with creating the right connections throughout the company.

During the initial onboarding process, when you're bringing your new team member into your company, introduce them to the people they will be working with. Some bonding activities can be extremely useful during this stage to help with breaking the ice.

Next, provide tips on strengthening your team members' relationships with colleagues and managers. For instance, you can encourage them to:

Be proactive in offering help: Employees who constantly look for ways to support and assist their other team members are more likely to be appreciated by the rest of the team. Encourage your staff to be proactive team players.
Take part in meetings: While not all of your business meetings may be mandatory, many provide networking and communication opportunities. Asking staff members to participate in regular video and in-person meetings will help to strengthen bonds.
Develop emotional intelligence: Training your employees on how to demonstrate good emotional intelligence is fantastic for enhancing their relationship-building abilities. They should be aware of how to recognise and understand the emotions of others.
Communicate constantly: Make sure your team has a strong culture of constant communication and collaboration. Everyone should feel included in business conversations, and every team member should feel as though they have a voice.
Network whenever possible: Allow team members to attend events and networking opportunities. This is a good way to help them expand their relationships and feel more confident communicating with others.

It's also helpful to have diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, which highlight how each team member should show respect for their fellow workers. If any of your employees seem to be isolating themselves from the group or show a negative attitude towards others, jump in and see what you can do to fix the problem.

Skill 3: Productivity

All employers want productive, efficient, and engaged team members. While the support you give your employees in the form of the right technical skill training and tools will help to enhance productivity, there are also steps employees will need to take themselves.

Ask your staff members how they currently pursue productivity in their workflows and where they're most likely to struggle. If your team members are working in a remote or hybrid environment, they may need more assistance with scheduling their work and ensuring they adhere to deadlines.

Introduce your employees to different methods of boosting productivity, such as:

Arranging their to-do list: Some employees will find it easier to tackle the toughest jobs first thing in the day. Others will prefer to start with easier tasks and work on complex challenges later. Encourage your staff members to discover what works for them.
Taking regular breaks: While pushing your employees to be productive at all hours of the day is tempting, we all need breaks. Help your employees to take time out when they need it, by allowing them to step away from their schedule from time to time.
Tackling one task at a time: Teach your employees that multi-tasking is rarely the best way to generate the right results when it comes to productivity. Breaking large tasks into smaller pieces and working on targets one at a time is more likely to generate results.
Managing energy (not just time): Give your employees the freedom to adjust their work schedule according to when they have the best sense of focus. In today's hybrid and remote work world, giving your employees more autonomy can boost productivity.
Leveraging useful tools: Certain tools and technology in the workplace can assist with productivity. For instance, some team members might use time-tracking applications to discover how long they spend on different tasks. Others might organise their day with a centralised project management system.

If any of your employees are struggling with productivity, it's important to reach out and find out what's happening. The problem could be with their schedule and how they organise their day. Alternatively, you could find your employees are experiencing the early stages of burnout. Either way, you can work together to develop a plan to promote the best workflow.

The 6-Step Framework to Handling Difficult Conversations with your Team

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:53:22 GMT

Communication is key in any sports workplace. It’s necessary to keep staff members on the same page as you, synchronize teams, and strengthen performance.

Unfortunately, effective communication isn’t always easy to achieve. 86% of employees and executives cite poor communication as one of the core causes of workplace failures. One of the primary challenges managers and leaders face is figuring out how to handle complex conversations with their staff members. In every workplace, issues can arise which require a difficult discussion.

You may need to address a dip in performance with an otherwise stellar employee or discuss emotional issues like burnout and lack of engagement.

While conversations such as these can be challenging for every party involved, they’re fundamental to ensuring your employees can continue to deliver and thrive in their roles.

So, how do you handle complex conversations correctly?

Step 1: Gather the Right Information

Preparation is essential to any valuable conversation. The more information you have to go into the meeting or discussion with, the more likely it is you’ll be able to achieve a mutual understanding.

For instance, if you need to speak to your employee about problems with their performance, telling them they seem “distracted” at work might not drive the right results. Most staff members will act defensively when presented with negative feedback and may attempt to argue that their perceptions are incorrect.

However, if you enter the meeting with evidence of your employee missing deadlines, receiving negative feedback from clients, or failing to achieve objectives they have been set related to their role, they will be much more likely to listen.

Having more specific information on hand will also facilitate a deeper discussion about what’s actually going wrong. For instance, your employee may be delivering the same quality of work, but missing deadlines, which could indicate an impending risk of burnout.

Step 2: Set the Stage for a Valuable Discussion

The right setting and plan can make a huge difference in the outcomes of a complex conversation. For instance, when discussing difficult topics, most employees will want a private setting, which allows them to keep the situation confidential. Nobody wants to be called out in front of their colleagues and peers.

Choosing a room or environment which feels comfortable and open can be helpful. An employee shouldn’t feel like they’re being interrogated, or this can lead to a very one-sided conversation, where your team member immediately begins acting defensively.

Schedule a meeting with your employee at a time suitable for both of you and allow time to have a detailed conversation. It may also be worth letting your staff member know exactly what you’re going to be talking about in advance, so they can come prepared.

For example, instead of saying “We need to discuss what happened in the last meeting”, you can say, “I feel like you weren’t as engaged as usual in the previous meeting, let’s set up a discussion so we can arrange how to address that going forward.”

Step 3: Put Facts Before Feelings

A complex conversation can easily become emotional. However, allowing emotions to run rampant can lead to arguments between staff, rather than valuable conversations.

With this in mind, it’s important for you to show your leadership skills, and take an objective, logical approach.

Using the facts you’ve gathered during the initial preparation stage, start thinking about how you can structure your conversation to put logic first. Introduce all of the key issues you want to address at the beginning of the conversation, with evidence and proof for validation.

Don’t tell your employee how disappointed you are, and avoid using “I feel” statements. Instead, remain as calm and objective as possible. Instead of saying “I feel you just didn’t do your best here”. Say, “Based on (facts), you can see this project doesn’t reflect your best work. What happened?”

Step 4: Stay Positive

Although it’s valuable to maintain an objective and logical viewpoint when approaching a complex discussion with one of your team it’s also helpful to maintain a positive outlook. The aim isn’t to berate or upset your employee, but to start working together on a solution for the problem you’ve discovered.

Your staff members will be far more inclined to work with you on resolving the issue if they feel as though you’re approaching it with a positive mindset. Rather than just accusing your employee of not working as hard as usual, or being lazy, ask them why they think the issue has happened.

Use this feedback to offer advice on how they can make positive changes. For instance, if an employee feels overwhelmed by too much work, you could suggest different scheduling strategies, or ask them whether they’ve considered delegating some of their tasks.

Step 5: Listen to Your Employee

A conversation is a two-way experience. Unfortunately, it’s easy for a manager to fall into the trap of simply speaking “at” their employee, rather than speaking with them. Even if you have a lot of proof to back up the complaint you’re making, it’s important to remember you may not have the whole story. The only way to effectively resolve a problem is to ask relevant questions and listen to the answer.

Rather than trying to “win” the conversation and prove your employee has done something wrong in a negative conversation, for instance, aim for mutual understanding. By the end of the discussion, your employee should understand they’re not adhering to your expectations, and you should have a better knowledge of why their performance is slipping.

After you’ve presented the facts, give your employee a chance to share their perspective.

This will pave the way for a better conversation, where you can start discussing potential solutions as a team. This strategy will not only improve your chances of resolving the issue but also lead to a better relationship between you and each individual on your team.

Step 6: Follow Up

Finally, just because a complex conversation comes to an end, doesn’t mean your work is completely done. The purpose of any difficult conversation with a team member should always be to inspire positive action, change behaviour, and results.

Whether you’re discussing burnout, emotional issues, or performance problems, you should always end the discussion with a plan of what to do next. Come up with a strategy using the input of your staff members, and then follow up to see whether the resolution is working.

Checking in, or arranging an additional meeting in the future will ensure you don’t lose track of the issue and allow it to snowball. It also means you can work together to come up with alternative solutions if your initial strategy doesn’t work out.

Difficult Conversations are Common

In any sports workplace, there’s a good chance managers and leaders will have to deal with difficult conversations at some point. Performance issues can arise anywhere, and burnout can cause significant problems for employees. Being able to discuss complex, emotional, and even negative topics effectively are crucial if you want to get the most out of your team.

Of course, it always helps to hire the right people to begin with, focusing on candidates who share your open communication style.

Your partner in action

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com.

6 Ways to Attract More Diverse Talent this Year

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:44:42 GMT

Finding the right talent for your sports company isn’t easy. Particularly in today’s market. In the last few years, the number of organisations searching for candidates has increased, and while available, skilled professionals have grown scarcer.

According to research presented by Korn Ferry, by 2030, around 85 million roles could go unfilled, simply because there aren’t enough skilled people out there to take them. At the same time, employees are becoming a lot more discerning about where they choose to work.

With endless positions now available for virtually every job role, candidates can afford to be more particular about things like company culture, benefits, and even employer branding. If you want to attract, engage, and retain the best people for your team, it could be time to update your strategy.

Here are several steps to get you started.

1. Refine Your Employer Brand

Your employer brand is what separates your company from all of the other best sports organisations competing for the same talent. It’s how you ensure you appeal to your candidates with excellent salary and benefit options, a sense of meaning, and shared values.

It is well recognised that employer branding is essential to success in today’s hiring landscape. Yet countless companies are still struggling to position themselves effectively in front of the right candidates. So, what do you need to do?

Start by defining what makes people actually want to work with you. Ask your team members what convinced them to stick with your business over the years.

Do you have a diversity and inclusion strategy that supports your team?
Various excellent opportunities for development and growth?
Maybe you show more empathy and support to your team than most brands, reducing the risk of burnout.

Once you know what makes you special, highlight this to your recruiting partner, put it on your website, in job descriptions, and in the content, you share across social media.

2. Work on Your Digital Presence

Having a great employer brand is fantastic when you want to attract top diverse talent, but it can’t deliver results unless you’re also positioning your branding in front of the right people. A strong digital presence is essential for any business in today’s landscape.

After all, around 79% of job seekers are using social media in their job search today, and countless candidates also use the web to search for reviews and insights into the company culture of an employer they are considering joining.

Make sure your website offers a behind-the-scenes view of everything you do as a company. Outline your values, mission statement and culture. At the same time, it’s worth making sure your careers page is optimized for diversity. Glassdoor found that 67% of job seekers see diversity as an important factor when considering companies and job offers. As a result, If your organisation is committed to EDI in the business, then be sure to shout about it.

3. Utilise Your Existing Employees

Your current staff members aren’t just crucial to the performance of your business when it comes to making sales and generating revenue. They can also help you to attract new diverse talent.

Give your employees a voice that provides potential candidates with insights into your company culture and the experiences you offer. Share stories about your staff member’s achievements on your website and social media pages. Ask team members to share links to your recent job postings when they’re active online, to help expand your reach.

4. Update Your Hiring Strategy with a Focus on Candidate Care

While the priorities of each professional in the current sports landscape can vary from one candidate to the next, virtually all job seekers are searching for one thing: empathy . They want to see evidence the employer they work with is going to keep their best interests in mind.

Show your candidates you’re going to deliver the right level of support, by implementing strategies for better candidate care into your hiring process. Think about how you can make interviews more accommodating by providing information about the interview in advance and creating structured interviews to eliminate bias. Ask yourself how you can engage with diverse candidates, by using specialist job boards within the hiring process. This could be useful if you have diversity quotas.

Remember to implement ways of staying consistently connected with your candidates throughout the hiring process too. Regular communication and personalised feedback are key to a good candidate experience.

5. Update Your Job Descriptions

Your job descriptions are one of the first things potential candidates will examine when deciding whether they want to work with you. With this in mind, it’s important to ensure you’re conveying the right information. Don’t make the mistake of putting off talented diverse employees by listing too many unnecessary or “preferred” skills.

Highlight only the characteristics and qualities you know you’re going to need most. At the same time, make sure you’re avoiding any language in your descriptions that may show unintentional bias towards a specific audience.

When writing your descriptions, don’t forget to showcase reasons why your candidates might want to work for you. Draw attention to your unique company culture, your salary package, and even the available training opportunities in place.

6. Work With A Specialist Recruitment Company

An EDI recruitment partner could be the most powerful tool you have in your arsenal when it comes to attracting new diverse talent. Not only will they help to position your business in front of the right candidates across a multitude of job boards, social media channels, and in-person events, but they can also help you to build a comprehensive talent pipeline.

That’s where Level= comes in. We focus on attracting skilled and diverse talent by creating inclusive job descriptions and engaging with diverse communities, social media groups, etc.

But it’s not just about attracting the right candidates – it’s also about creating a level playing field for them. Instead of screening CVs, we redact all key identifiable information in favour of using work samples that test candidates on the skills needed to succeed in a role.

We also use a tech platform that anonymizes and randomizes answers, ensuring that the selection process is fair and unbiased. If you are looking for a better way to recruit top talent, find out here how together we can build a better, more diverse and more productive workforce.

Improve your Chances of Attracting Talent

Most business leaders know that talent in the sports space is valuable but scarce. However, the unfortunate truth according to data from McKinsey is around 82% of people don’t feel they’re prepared to hire and recruit talented staff. Updating your hiring strategy with the steps above should improve your chances of attracting the right talent in today’s competitive landscape.

Remember, if you’re looking for an extra boost, the best strategy may be to start working with a talent acquisition company like Level= to expand your reach and unlock new opportunities.

How To Plan Your Career In Sports For 2023

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:43:15 GMT

Having a clear plan in place for achieving your sports career goals is one of the most important things you can do as a sports employee. Your career plan is the compass you'll use to guide you toward the best-suited roles for your skills and interests.

Working out how to design your sports career isn't just something you'll do when you're fresh out of college or finished with your education.

The best industry leaders frequently refresh and update their strategies based on their changing priorities, deeper evaluations of the marketplace, and a growing understanding of their sector.

So, how do you ensure you're designing an effective strategy for your future in the sporting space?

Today, we will explore how in 4 easy steps you can build the ultimate map toward success in your industry.

How to Start Planning Your Sports Career Path

Designing your entire sports career can seem like a daunting prospect at first. The important thing to remember is that your current career plan isn't set in stone. You can always make changes in the future if you discover you're moving in the wrong direction.

In fact, one study in 2018 found that around a third of all Americans completely changed fields when moving from one role to the next after college, a similar pattern for many continents across the globe.

When starting your sports career plan, focus on where you stand and what you hope to achieve based on your current situation. Here are some steps to get you started. You can use the same guidance when creating new career plans in the future or updating your existing strategy.

Step 1: List Your Current Skills

Where you start your career path will depend on your sports skills. Employers in the sports industry will look for different credentials, knowledge, and characteristics for each role they want to fill. Start by listing all of your talents that might benefit your career.

During this step, thinking about hard and soft skills is important. Your hard skills are the technical talents related to sports roles. They might include the ability to use certain software or a specific degree or qualification in a related topic.

Your soft skills are the more versatile, transferrable skills that can apply to various jobs. For instance, you might be an excellent communicator, brilliant at organising your time or have experience leading other teams.

Step 2: Consider Your Industry Experience

Experience and skills often go hand-in-hand when planning the next move in your sports career. If you're fresh out of university or college or haven't had any roles related to your chosen industry before, you will likely need to start with an entry-level position.

Search for job opportunities for people who are just beginning to grow in the sports space, and focus on finding employers who can help to enhance your knowledge with training.

If you've already started your sports career and are ready to take the next step, your existing experience will determine what kinds of roles you can apply for. If you already have experience leading a team, then you might be able to apply for a manager role or more senior positions.

Consider looking at the job descriptions posted by companies in your industry to determine what kind of experience and skills you'll need to apply effectively for each role.

Step 3: Assess Your Personal Values

Once you've got a clear view of your skills and the opportunities they match, you can start to think about the other factors influencing how satisfied you might feel in a role. If you haven't determined a specific "long-term goal" for your career yet, consider looking at the market and asking yourself what kind of roles most appeal to you.

Ask yourself what you like doing, what fields of the sports space you're most interested in, and which directions offer the most benefits. Outline the key values you will focus on when searching for roles. For instance, 58% of employees say professional development contributes to higher levels of job satisfaction.

Other points to consider include:

Work/life balance: How important is it for you to have a job that contributes to a good work/life balance? Do you need to look into flexible, remote, or hybrid roles?
Purpose and meaning: Which role will give you a deeper sense of purpose? How will you ensure you feel proud of what you're doing?
Company culture: Do you want to pursue any particular company culture when looking into new roles? Do you want a company to show high diversity, ethics, and inclusion?

Step 4: Think Long-Term

While you can always consider changing your career path in the future, it's important to take a long-term approach when deciding which roles you want to pursue. The sports landscape is extremely short on skills at this time, which has prompted a lot of employers to offer higher remuneration and benefits to attract more candidates.

For some employees in the sports industry, it might be tempting to jump rapidly from one career to the next in search of more money. However, investing in a short-term cash injection now might not be as beneficial as planning what you can achieve in the long term.

Take the time to plan out what you really want to accomplish, and evaluate how each job opportunity will help you progress towards your end goal. For instance, taking a lower-paid role or a lateral move at the same salary right now with a host of learning opportunities could make it easier to move into a high-end position later in your career.

Mastering Work Sample Questions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Effective Answers

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 09:00:05 GMT

As employers become more conscious of the impact of unconscious bias in the hiring process, traditional CV-based recruitment is giving way to new methods of candidate assessment.

One such approach is the use of work sample questions, designed to provide insights into how candidates would perform if hired.

Answering work sample questions effectively requires careful preparation and a structured approach. While these questions can range from simple situational to complex problem exercises, most have a limited word count, making it challenging to showcase your skills effectively.

In this blog, we will share three steps that you can follow to help you ace work sample questions and increase your chance of landing the job.

Step 1: Read the question carefully

Before attempting to answer the question, it’s essential to read it carefully and understand what the employer is looking for. Many candidates make the mistake of including irrelevant information or merely regurgitating their CVs. By comprehending the question’s nuances, you can tailor your response to demonstrate your critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving abilities.

For instance, work sample questions could require you to prioritise between two choices or demonstrate your ability to manage a difficult situation.

For example:

Can you explain how you would personalise a customer's journey, and provide an example of when you may have done this?
Can you describe a difficult or sensitive media issue which you had to manage and advise on?
The Head of finance has a big presentation tomorrow and you are asked to provide an analysis of XYZ before the presentation. What is your approach and how will you communicate it?

Now that you have an understanding of what work sample questions entail, the next section will focus on equipping you with the skills to formulate your answers effectively, leaving a lasting impression that sets you apart.

Step 2: Use the STAR technique to formulate answers

The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) effectively responds to behavioural-based work sample questions. This formula helps candidates structure their responses authentically and clearly.

For example, let’s consider the question, “Give me an example of a goal you’ve set and how you achieved it.” Using the STAR technique you could answer as follows:

Situation: During my time as a Marketing Executive at XYZ Company, I noticed that our email open rates were low compared to industry benchmarks.

Task: I set a goal to improve our email open rates by 10% within three months.

Action: To achieve this goal, I researched industry best practices, analyzed previous email campaigns, and collaborated with our graphic designer to create visually appealing email templates.

Result: As a result of these efforts, we increased our email open rates by 12% within two months, surpassing our initial goal.

For more examples, click here

By using the STAR technique, you can structure your response within the limited word count while demonstrating your ability to achieve strategic goals.

Step 3: Provide Specific and Detailed Responses

When answering work sample questions, it’s important to be both specific and detailed in your responses.

If you depend on particular tools or software to efficiently manage your work, mentioning them in your answer is important. Detailing all the steps you take to handle projects, maintain relationships with stakeholders, and manage other crucial elements will demonstrate your capabilities and expertise to the reviewer, ultimately setting you apart from other candidates.

Time to take action

In conclusion, mastering work sample questions is crucial for job seekers looking to stand out from the competition. You can effectively demonstrate your skills and abilities by reading the question carefully, using the STAR technique, and providing specific and detailed responses. With these tips and techniques, you’re well on your way to acing those work samples and landing your dream job.

To take action towards advancing your career, discover how we at level= assist candidates in finding the ideal sports organization for them.

The Importance of Inclusivity in Sport

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 07:42:06 GMT

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair. Sport speaks to people in a language they can understand.”

These words from Nelson Mandela remain as powerful today as when they were first uttered in 2000 at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards.

Anyone who has been a participant or fan of sport understands its ability to bring people together in a shared experience, no matter who they are and where they come from. More so than many other industries, sport is held accountable when it comes to representation, particularly in regards to gender, race, age, and socioeconomic status. It's why continued efforts are made to ensure sport evolves and continues to set an example.

Inclusion in practice

In June 2021, UK Sport published its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to increase diversity and inclusion across sports, leaders, workforce, athletes and fans, with a particular focus on the Olympics and Paralympics. The strategy focuses on four priority areas:

To power a more diverse and inclusive team that delivers a broader range of champions and medallists than ever before
To increase the diversity of leadership on national and international sports bodies
To promote and embed inclusion across UK Sport’s programmes
To drive with pace, ambition and accountability the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda within UK Sport.

We see many news stories detailing inclusivity efforts across larger organisations and clubs, but what about those yet to embark on their inclusivity journey? Where do you start, and what are the priorities?

In a project commissioned by Play by the Rules, Peter Downs, manager of the Australian Sports Commission's Disability Sport Unit for 17 years, developed the 7 Pillars of Inclusion . To identify and define the common factors that influence inclusion, Downs developed a framework that offers sports organisations a starting point to help them achieve inclusion. The 7 Pillars of Inclusion are:

1. Access

Can everyone physically access the place your sport happens? If so, is the environment and culture welcoming to all? Organisations are encouraged to invest time in developing a genuinely welcoming environment for every person entering the premises.

2. Attitude

Are your people willing to embrace inclusion? There can sometimes be a gap between intention and action, and this needs to close for inclusion strategies to be effective. Being positive and talking about issues is great, but things need to happen for progress to be made.

3. Choice

Is there autonomy in your organisation? By offering options regarding how people can get involved, you are more likely to attract diverse workers and participants.

4. Partnerships

This pillar examines how individual and organisational relationships are formed. Are you facilitating connections both within the organisation and the wider community?

5. Communication

Does everyone know about your inclusivity efforts? How do you communicate this information? Look at how this could be done better to reach more people both inside and outside the organisation to encourage wider participation.

6. Policy

How have you committed to fostering inclusion? Are you taking responsibility? This is about holding your organisation accountable for inclusion by having policies and goals that everyone knows about and are working towards.

7. Opportunities

What options are available for people from different backgrounds? How can they grow their career with you? This pillar sees sports organisations offer everyone the same opportunities to grow and progress regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Time to take action on inclusion.

Here at level=, it's our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Find out more about how we support employers and help them implement effective ED&I policies that take action on inclusion.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Ensuring your ED&I efforts stay on track

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 06:35:21 GMT

Research continues to prove the value of diverse and inclusive workplaces. Not only does the diversity of perspective and viewpoints unlock greater innovation and lead to more effective decision-making, but individuals working in these environments tend to be more engaged and motivated.

Despite the clear benefits, many employers struggle to elevate ED&I from a programme to something embedded into the organisation’s cultural fabric. While such initiatives might be promoted heavily internally and externally, they may lack the buy-in required to deliver tangible long-term results.

For ED&I to secure its rightful place at the top of your organisation’s agenda, it must be fully ingrained into business practices and remain front of mind, without the messaging surrounding it growing stale. Here, we explore some of the ways to ensure your ED&I strategy remains a priority.

1. Establish your “why”

Due to increased emphasis on workplace diversity and inclusion in recent years, many organisations have concluded that they must take action. However, rolling out a programme because it's the "right thing to do" will only go so far. To win hearts and minds, it must link with the company's mission, vision, and values. For example, if you're committed to providing the best levels of customer care, your team should better reflect the communities you serve.

2. And your “what”

A truly diverse and inclusive workforce embraces all lived experiences and ensures every voice is heard. However, does your ED&I strategy embody this? Do your people understand it fully? A common misconception about ED&I is that it exclusively refers to immutable traits like race, ethnicity, and gender. It's crucial to outline precisely what ED&I looks like and the value placed on different experiences and viewpoints, including educational background, socioeconomic status, age and neurodiversity.

3. Ongoing communication

One of the best ways to keep your ED&I agenda fresh is to keep talking about it. It shouldn't be something that is written up, placed on a website and never heard about again. Establishing ED&I ambassadors and steering committees ensures these conversations keep happening while also securing employee buy-in and promoting accountability at all levels. Regular reporting on goals should be factored into internal communications, with messaging around the 'why' included, so people are reminded of the bigger picture.

4. Ongoing learning

ED&I strategies can fall down when too much attention is paid to the recruitment and retention of diverse talent. Organisations that see the greatest success nurture an inclusive culture that welcomes and celebrates difference. Key to this is investing in continuous education for everyone to gain a deeper understanding of issues that impact diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Expanding learning initiatives beyond one-off training sessions, whether regular workshops, discussions or Q&A sessions, establishes ED&I as more than a tick-box exercise to become a vital element of the organisation's culture.

5. Highlighting leaders

Diversity at the top is crucial to reinforcing that your organisation genuinely values different lived experiences. As previously mentioned, immutable characteristics often provide a direct definition of diversity. In fact, members of your leadership team may have an important story to tell that reveals more about their career journey. Perhaps a learning disability impacted their educational trajectory, or they had a challenging economic start in life. Sharing experiences with the broader team in an open environment can break down perceived barriers, both regarding access to leaders and the positions they hold. Initiatives like this can be an excellent way to start conversations with employees about their aspirations and, in turn, help you build a diverse leadership talent pipeline.

We’re here to support you

Here at level=, it's our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Find out more about some of the ways we support employers and help them implement effective ED&I policies that promote fair and inclusive hiring practices. Alternatively, connect with our team on 020 8159 8656 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

ED&I: It’s For Everyone’s Agenda

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 06:26:56 GMT

Effective equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) strategies are proven to benefit the bottom-line , boost innovation, and with organisations facing increased sociopolitical pressure, leaders are rapidly accelerating their implementation.

However, while ED&I strategies might look good on paper, do they actually filter down to day-to-day operations and promote effective change throughout the organisation?

For ED&I to be truly effective, leaders need to pay close attention to whether underrepresented candidates:

Are identified, approached and engaged at the hiring stage
Progress through each phase of a hiring process
Accept roles in the organisation
Feel supported, valued and engaged
Are developed in line with their goals and aspirations
Move up through the organisation
Are represented at leadership level.

To ensure it’s woven into the fabric of an organisation, efforts must be coordinated at a systemic and individual level. It affects each touchpoint of an organisation, meaning everyone has to be fully bought-in, hands-on and responsible for playing their part.

The starting point

Gaining backing and support from employees may sound straightforward; after all, levelling the playing field to ensure there's fairness for all can only be a good thing. However, in reality, it’s more nuanced.

ED&I is far-reaching and complex. Opinions will differ, some people will be more informed than others, and some may not understand the context behind strategies or policies. With everyone on different pages, leaders should ask questions and listen closely to their people rather than dictate a particular course of action. It's only through opening up the dialogue that organisations can get the buy-in they need to progress.

Give everyone the option to be involved

Presenting an ED&I plan with goals and timelines attached not only puts employees under pressure to align with the organisation's way of thinking, but it also does little to involve them in the process. Will they believe their contribution really matters if they weren't consulted from the outset?

Before any final plans are drawn up, ask everyone to participate in group or one-to-one discussions about the employee experience. What areas are lacking? Is the environment inclusive? Are there opportunities for all? What does diversity mean to them? Ensure the door remains open for employees to offer feedback, making it comfortable and easy to raise any issues or submit ideas.

Armed with this data, employers can build a plan that more closely aligns with the attitudes and expectations of their people.

But don’t assume everyone wants to be involved…

When implementing an ED&I strategy, it’s common to assume that underrepresented groups will want to align themselves and champion efforts and action. However, it’s important to respect that these employees may not want to invest time in this area. A female director may not want to become a spokesperson for women in leadership, and, in the same way, Black employees might not want to spend time educating their peers on racial microaggressions.

Give people the choice of how involved they want to be and outline exactly what their participation would involve so they can make an informed decision.

Be open and honest

It's crucial to lead an ED&I strategy with transparency and accountability. Provide company-wide updates on planning and progress, allowing employees to contribute throughout. Including people at every stage reinforces that their input is crucial and valued.

Also, encouraging feedback and making ongoing improvements helps employees understand that you're all learning and developing together. No one has all of the answers, and it's essential everyone in the organisation feels like they are embarking on the same exciting journey of listening, learning, adapting and improving.

What now?

Our next blog looks at the following steps organisations can take to ensure ED&I efforts stay on track. Has it slipped back down the agenda? Should you invest in training? If so, what kind? Is your strategy delivering results? We explore some of the ways you can ensure initiatives remain front of mind and meet expectations.

Here at level=, it's our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Find out more about some of the ways we support employers and help them implement effective ED&I policies that promote fair and inclusive hiring practices. Alternatively, connect with our team on 020 8159 8656 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

A Guide to Providing Constructive Feedback to Candidates

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 05:13:37 GMT

The pandemic has shifted the talent landscape exponentially. Skills shortages coupled with a greater focus on equality, diversity & inclusion (ED&I) mean organisations are working hard to elevate their employer brand to stand out from the competition and successfully secure in-demand talent.

Key to this is providing a positive candidate experience throughout the hiring process, even for those who are unsuccessful. After all, just because they may not be suitable for a position right now doesn’t mean they won’t be an excellent fit for another role in the future. That’s why employers must provide an engaging experience that, while may not deliver the candidate's desired outcome, leaves the door open for them to apply further down the line.

A significant element of this is offering personalised feedback to all unsuccessful candidates. But, how can this be delivered positively and constructively? And how can you ensure that a candidate will be receptive? Here, we look at some ways employers can offer feedback while still providing a positive candidate experience.

1. Acknowledgement

Applying for a role takes time and effort. From the moment they enter the working world, candidates are told to tailor applications to each employer and invest time to prepare for interviews and assessments. Make sure you thank them for considering you as an employer and that you value their time.

2. Establish preference

While most candidates will appreciate a telephone call to inform them of the outcome, they may wish to receive any detailed feedback via email so they can digest the information at a time and place that’s more convenient. You must also consider that they may not want to know at all. Applying for a role can be highly emotional, so find out the information they want to receive and how they want to receive it early in the feedback process.

3. Accentuate the positives

Reinforce the strengths in their application and recommend areas they can build upon for future applications. Keep this based on their skills and ability rather than personal attributes, which could hint at bias in the selection process.

4. Explain the decision

Many employers make the mistake of focusing too much on why someone wasn’t selected. In reality, the candidate will want to know what made someone else’s application successful, so be sure to tell them. As a progressive employer, your selection and assessment process should be entirely based on someone’s ability to do the role, rather than something intangible (and potentially problematic) like ‘cultural fit’. If the successful person had stronger skills in a particular area, explain this to the candidate as they will then know where strengths need to be built if they apply for similar roles.

5. Outline the process

Remind the candidate of the process and how they were scored at each stage. You want them to know they were assessed fairly throughout and that your decision didn’t come down to something beyond their control. For example, if the role description didn’t ask for management experience, but you chose someone who possessed this experience as a differentiator from other candidates, your process was likely unfair from the outset. Also, if they completed an assessment as part of the process, offer to share their results with them. They may not wish to see them, but it’s their right to see how they performed and identify areas for improvement.

6. Keep the door open

Once they have digested the feedback, a candidate may have further questions or require clarity on specific points. Offer them the space and time to do this. If a candidate is good, you’ll want them to return at a later date or recommend your company to a friend who’s seeking a new role. Be proactive about continuing your relationship with them and be patient if they want further information on the hiring process and the decision.

7. Standardise it

Once you have established a feedback procedure that candidates are receptive to, formalise and incorporate it into your hiring process to ensure all hiring managers have a practical blueprint for feedback. It should be applied across all roles in your organisation, from entry-level to senior leadership, so the candidate experience is consistent and becomes attributed to your unique brand.

Building positive and inclusive candidate journeys

Here at level=, it's our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Find out more about some of the ways we support employers and help them build fair and inclusive hiring processes, from implementing competency-based assessments to conducting consciously inclusive interviews.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Why a CV isn't the only option for showcasing your skills and experience

Tue, 17 May 2022 04:58:39 GMT

As soon as we are ready to enter the world of work, we get told the most important thing to do is put together a CV for potential employers. Even if we possess zero work experience, a CV is required to outline our educational history, career aspirations and interests. Furthermore, we are encouraged to tailor this CV to each role to be in with the best chance of landing an interview.

However, spending hours crafting the perfect CV is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. That’s because a growing number of companies are disregarding CVs to reduce unconscious bias to make the hiring process more fair and inclusive.

Additionally, in an era of industry-wide skills shortages, employers are being forced to think outside the box to secure the talent they need. As a result, achievements traditionally found on a CV such as a degree or experience gained in a similar role are becoming less sought after, with transferable skills and attributes more desirable than ever before.

Candidate screening is changing too. Organisations are introducing skills assessments at the application stage, with the results driving decisions rather than intuition and gut-feel.

Where does this leave candidates?

Such a gear change can be intimidating for those looking for a job. On the one hand, a CV can be limiting and fail to communicate who you are as a person, but on the other, it provides an opportunity to showcase your achievements in your own words. Without a CV, how will your chances of landing a role be impacted?

The great news is that CVs haven’t been completely eliminated, with some employers adopting a hybrid approach that incorporates both resume and skills assessments. However, even if a CV isn’t necessary for future roles, there are still several ways to ensure you stand out for all of the right reasons. Let’s take a look…

1. Boost your online presence.

Modern talent attraction is increasingly reliant on technology to find people with the right skills. It does this by searching platforms like LinkedIn for keywords related to the role. Candidates can also apply directly for positions through LinkedIn, with the information pulled from their profile to form an application.

It means that now is the time to revisit your LinkedIn profile and make sure it’s fully optimised for roles you’re interested in. Check the email attached to your profile and make sure it’s one you still use (employers or recruiters may send InMails to you). Also, check that previous posts you’ve shared or liked still hold messaging that you stand by and believe in - this goes for all of your social media channels.

2. Get used to assessments.

It’s becoming more important for employers to make sure their hiring processes are fair and inclusive. One of the most effective ways of doing this is replacing CV screening with digital assessments that measure skills that ensure the best person is hired for the role.

While it can be tricky to prepare for an assessment, given organisations will use different methods and styles of tests, there are plenty of free online tools that test your attention to detail, communication and logical thinking, which are three areas employers tend to be most interested in.

Just getting into the mode of taking practice tests will help you get into the right frame of mind if and when you are required to undertake one for a role.

3. Unleash your creativity.

Some employers are building their own assessments to determine an applicant's work style and whether they align with the company's values. As mentioned previously, skills shortages mean there's less emphasis on education and employment history. It's led to some organisations foregoing such questions at the application or interview stage and replacing them with more open enquiries, such as "what does our brand mean to you?" or "what will you bring to our team?"

It provides the perfect opportunity to get creative, particularly at the application stage, to communicate who you are in your own unique way. More employers are welcoming applicants to demonstrate who they are through films, art and even song! The idea is to appeal to more neurodiverse candidates by enabling them to communicate their attributes in a way that works best for them.

Above all, don’t worry.

This isn’t the death of the CV. Instead, think of it as part of your career portfolio. These additional screening methods are not being introduced to create more work for you or catch you out, but to make the recruitment process more inclusive and remove decisions being made on gut feel, which are not fair and could have possibly led to you missing out on a role in the past.

If you’d like to discuss your career options and require assistance boosting your candidate portfolio, level= can help. Alternatively, if you’re an employer looking to make your hiring process more inclusive, our expert team is on-hand with valuable insights and guidance to enable you to do this.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

What's Ahead for Diversity in Sport in 2022?

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 05:50:38 GMT

As outlined in our previous blog , diversity and inclusion (D&I) was a key theme for sports organisations across the globe in 2021. Now, as we enter a new year, pledges must turn into action as D&I finally transcends its status as a box-ticking exercise to become a critical driver for growth and success.

Drawing from our work bringing D&I to the leadership and broader teams of sports organisations across the UK and beyond, we pinpoint some of the key drivers that will continue to shape the sports industry in 2022.

1. Flexible working

Before the pandemic, roles offering flexible working were few and far between. However, with the last two years exposing the differences in employee circumstances, many employers are rethinking the working model to ensure it’s inclusive to all.

To demonstrate how attitudes have shifted, we only have to look at the negative press attention that National League North football team AFC Fylde received when a job advertised on their website went viral for the wrong reasons. The job description stated: “...don't apply if you are looking for a work-life balance or have to pick up the kids from school twice a week at 15:30 BST."

Understandably, the club was branded out-of-touch, and the post was quickly deleted. The story highlights how far sporting organisations have come over the last few years, with the post's wording deemed discriminatory towards those workers requiring flexible working hours. It confirms that employers must incorporate flexible and remote working options if they want to cater to current employee needs and attract candidates from a broader hiring pool.

2. Accountability

Diversity in 2022 requires action and accountability. D&I initiatives can no longer be left to chance, which means we'll see organisations increasingly tapping into their data to ensure progress is being made. For example, what percentage of candidates who reach the interview stage are ethnically diverse? How many women hold leadership positions in the organisation? Finding the answers to such questions enables employers to track their progress more accurately.

While setting quotas isn't always practical or effective, extra efforts are being made to ensure employees in sporting organisations reflect the population of the local community. It's something we expect will continue throughout this year and beyond.

3. D&I outside of the office

With D&I initiatives picking up speed, more employers are looking beyond their organisation to ensure the makeup and values of the businesses and partners they deal with are aligned with their own. Whether it's sponsors, vendors, suppliers or contractors, the supply chain is under the microscope, with sporting organisations not wanting bad external practices to undo any of their hard work.

Of course, it’s a two-way street. Sponsors that associate themselves with D&I and sustainability practices will expect the teams they support to do the same. This extends further than mission statements and value propositions, with organisations now expected to have answers and take action, whether that’s clamping down on racism or withdrawing from events held in locations with poor human rights records.

4. Listening

A truly inclusive and welcoming workplace isn't built upon guesswork. Employers understand the importance of speaking to workers and the wider community about what representation and diversity mean to them.

In December 2021, Sport England released a six-month update on the progress made since its race in sport review. One of the standouts was the creation of a working group of participants who share their stories and help shape overall thinking around tangible action. The update stated: “The focus has been on working together to identify what can change, and where this can happen within the sporting structures. The group are spending time exploring all the themes, starting with representation, systems and structures.”

We expect sports organisations to encourage sharing stories and experiences in 2022 to ensure D&I actions align with requirements and expectations. Face-to-face meetings, anonymous surveys and group sessions will help highlight areas that require attention and reinforce that worker needs are a priority.

Sports organisations mustn't let the momentum they have built in D&I in 2020 and 2021 die out. Now is the time to fulfil the goals they have set out while continuing to listen and adapt so that diversity becomes something everyone connected to the organisation can be proud of.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Diversity in Sport: 2021 Round-Up

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 05:37:12 GMT

From the appointment of Sport England's first director of equality, diversity and inclusion back in January through to the December news that the NHL would be extending its commitment to inclusivity, diversity and inclusion (D&I) provided a key theme for sports organisations across the globe in 2021.

Here, we take a whistle-stop tour of some of the key D&I developments in 2021...

January

The year kicked off with the aforementioned appointment of Viveen Taylor as Sport England's first director of equality, diversity and inclusion, a role dedicated to ensuring everyone can enjoy the benefits of being physically active regardless of their background.

UK Athletics (UKA) announced the launch of a series of key activities as part of its ED&I programme. The governing body set out plans to create a new mentoring programme and offer inclusion workshops.

February

The Premier League launched its No Room For Racism Action Plan, building on the existing moves to promote equality, diversity and inclusion. The plan features commitments to create greater access to opportunities and career progression for Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups in football.

Champion cyclist Tao Geoghegan-Hart hit the headlines when he announced he was taking action to tackle cycling’s diversity “problem” by sponsoring an U23 rider to join his former team. He said he hoped it would be “the beginning of a joint effort to increase racial diversity within the amazing sport of cycling”.

In the same month, double Paralympic champion Kadeena Cox was appointed on the Sports Monitoring Advisory Panel to hold to account publicly-funded sporting organisations over their Black Lives Matter-inspired pledges. Describing the sport as "mainly white middle class", Cox said she wanted to "create change" in cycling and improve representation within the sport.

March

In the US, the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) released the Complete 2020 Racial and Gender Report Card, which analysed individual report cards of MLS, the NFL, MLB and college sport. It revealed that the WNBA and NBA continued to set the industry standard in diverse, equitable and inclusive hiring practices.

Back in the UK, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) unveiled its plan to change the perception of boating as being elitist, too white and for middle-class people or millionaires. The “10 steps to progress” plan covers ethnicity, gender and LGBTQ+ inclusivity to “make all forms of recreational boating inclusive, accessible and attractive to all”.

April

The BBC reported that 35 leading sportswomen had joined the charity programme 'Unlocked' to tackle the lack of diversity across sport. Among the women who joined the initiative, set up by the Women's Sport Trust, were footballers Nikita Parris and Caroline Weir and five-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockcroft.

May

The former Nottingham Forest defender Wes Morgan retired from football and declared a move into the governance of sport to enforce change around racism and diversity. Morgan said: "If I could get into those positions, I would try and make positive change in that sense. I think that's when you'll see real change when someone the likes of me gets there."

Stakeholders in British horse racing came together under a "unified industry commitment" to improve diversity and inclusion across the sport. The commitment revolves around five areas of leadership and accountability, good governance, education and awareness-raising, celebrating racing's diversity and engaging new audiences.

June

McLaren announced the creation of a new alliance as part of its commitment to increasing diversity in motorsport. McLaren Racing Engage aims to "advance the team's diversity, equality and inclusion agenda as part of its broader sustainability programme".

British snowsport governing bodies launched a new Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, with representation from GB Snowsport, Snowsport England, Snowsport Scotland and Snowsport Wales to improve representation in the sport.

July

Sport England released its internal Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, which outlined its ambition to tackle inequality within the organisation. The plan represents Sport England's objectives for ensuring equality, diversity, and inclusion for the next four years, recognising the principles set out in the Code for Sports Governance.

As reported by the BBC , sport governing bodies were told in July that they must improve diversity in their organisations or face losing funding. Funding bodies Sport England and UK Sport updated their code, meaning publicly-funded organisations have to produce a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) to show how they are getting more women, disabled people and those from ethnic minority backgrounds involved in the running of sport.

August

New Zealand Football launched a review of cultural diversity that included potential plans to drop the “All Whites” nickname for the men’s national team. The governing body sought feedback from stakeholders on the change due to concerns the handle carried racial undertones.

The Economist released a report stating that the Tokyo Olympics was more diverse than ever. Despite this, a presentation given to Sport England’s talent inclusion advisory group claimed that Team GB was not representative of the diversity of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with too many sports dominated by white, suburban sportspeople and too few encouraging athletes from urban areas.

September

New chair of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Tom Ilube spoke publicly for the first time since taking the role, setting out his ambitious plans to transform English rugby and do more to make it a sport for all.

TIDES released a report detailing race and gender among sports media in the US, which confirmed the industry remains overwhelmingly white and male. "We need more women in this industry," said Lisa Wilson, former APSE president and a key adviser to the study. "We need those voices. We need that perspective. We need them making coverage and hiring decisions."

October

Formula One Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton established a new charitable foundation to support under-represented young people in the UK, with a £20million pledge. Mission 44 aims to “support, champion and empower young people from underrepresented groups in the UK”, with side project Ignite aimed at improving diversity in motorsport.

Researchers from Loughborough University outlined recommendations to enhance the diversity of sports coaches across the UK. The research identified a series of structural and cultural barriers experienced by coaches, including socio-economic and cultural constraints, limited knowledge and financial accessibility of local coaching opportunities, and negative experiences and exclusion when coaching.

November

Azeem Rafiq's testimony on racism in cricket led to a specific focus on the experiences and progression of South Asians in cricket, with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison declaring a "sense of belonging" must be created for everyone.

Sky and Kick It Out announced a partnership with the University of Liverpool Management School to launch the Kick It Out Scholarship Programme . The scholarships are targeted at Black and other under-represented ethnic minorities applying for the 2022 Football Industries MBA qualification.

Across the Atlantic, TIDES released a diversity report for racial and gender hiring in Major League Soccer saw a “substantial” increase in its scores for hiring women at team and league level after four years of declines.

December

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) launched the Commonwealth Sport Pride Network to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion at the Commonwealth Games and beyond. It has four goals, including creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ people and allies to undertake activities as a community, raising awareness of LGBTQ+ participation in Commonwealth sport, supporting relevant bodies through information-sharing, training and education, and providing a platform to pursue LGBTQ+ acceptance and equality across the Commonwealth.

In the US, the NHL Board of Governors provided an update on the league's continuing efforts to ensure that the game is safe, inclusive and respectful and that the NHL and its clubs provide welcoming workplaces for all. The report, "Respect Hockey - Committing Ourselves to the Game's Greatest Values", focused on four pillars - Prevention, Reporting, Counselling and Accountability.

Stay tuned to the level= blog for a look at what’s ahead for diversity in sport in 2022.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Confidence Returns to The Global Sports Job Market in 2021

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 05:21:52 GMT

While the impact of Covid-19 on unemployment remains a key issue, confidence in the global sporting jobs market has increased since 2020.

According to the results of the latest People Agenda Survey conducted by Global Sports, the period between March and July 2021 saw a 20% increase in confidence since 2020 in respondents’ ability to retain current jobs over the next 12 months, with a 27% increase in optimism to find a job amongst job seekers.

Global Sports surveyed more than 600 participants from 90 countries across the world to help gain an understanding of how events have impacted those working in sports over the last 12 months and how the industry is transforming.

The survey revealed that just 6% of respondents have low confidence about retaining their current jobs, compared to 19% in 2020. A clearer future coupled with wages rising at their fastest rate in 25 years are thought to be key drivers of returning job confidence. Furthermore, record numbers of vacancies and employers battling for talent have provided employees with renewed career optimism and the opportunity to negotiate their position in an organisation.

Remote working: Who is it working for?

The last year also saw a significant shift in the way we work. While remote working was a necessity at the start of the pandemic, many companies are still undecided if the future of work is fully remote, hybrid or flexible. For almost half of the survey respondents (46%), remote working has proved unsuccessful, suggesting further efforts need to be made to establish a style that suits all levels of seniority, organisation functions and business types.

Interestingly, the survey found that male employees view their company’s adaption to remote working to be less successful than their counterparts, suggesting that certain groups work better and feel more productive in different environments. Such data should tell organisations that there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to working practices. It must be evaluated on an individual basis for maximum inclusion.

The importance of purpose

It’s becoming increasingly evident that today’s sports industry workplaces must consider their ‘purpose’ and align this with the aspirations of current and future employees. Those companies with a clear purpose and defined company values are more appealing to today’s job seekers who are looking for responsible and ethical employers.

It is, therefore, unsurprising that 87% of respondents believe that a purpose-led organisation will be a major consideration when choosing their next employer, further confirming that this approach is imperative for organisations looking to attract quality talent.

The sports industry performs well against the global average, with 74% of respondents believing their company has and communicates their purpose successfully, compared to 62% in other industries.

A large majority (84%) of those surveyed also confirmed that it’s important to understand a company’s culture and values before working for them, with 87% of women stating their importance compared to 82% of men. This slight gender split should prove interesting for those organisations looking to attract more women onto their team, suggesting that highlighting messaging around values across all external comms is crucial to connecting with target talent.

Sustainability goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The pandemic, increased climate concerns and a heightened political landscape in 2020 saw society’s values and aspirations shift, with a renewed focus on equity, wellbeing and support.

The Global Sports survey asked respondents which of the UN Sustainable goals they most aligned with to build an empowered workforce for tomorrow. The results were:

Good health and wellbeing (91%)
Reducing inequality (88%)
Quality education (88%).

As a consciously inclusive talent acquisition solution, the team at level= is pleased to see that reducing inequality ranks as a key priority for sports organisations and employees worldwide. Through this shared vision and passion, sport, business, and society can become truly fair and fully sustainable for all.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Why it’s up to leaders to shift the dial on diversity

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 05:16:30 GMT

As reported by the BBC in July, sport governing bodies must improve diversity in their organisations or face losing funding.

Following an "extensive consultation involving hundreds of organisations", funding bodies Sport England and UK Sport updated their code so that publicly-funded organisations now have to produce a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) to show how they are getting more women, disabled people and those from ethnic minority backgrounds involved in the running of sport.

Sport England allocates government and National Lottery funding to grassroots sport, while UK Sport does the same for elite-level sport.

With a greater focus on D&I than ever before, the new code reinforces that the responsibility for driving change sits firmly with those at the top. Board members and senior leaders in sport are increasingly being called upon to take tangible action that will shift the dial on D&I in their organisation.

Implementing a robust D&I strategy is akin to delivering a major change programme in that it will improve bottom-line performance and long-term competitiveness. Here are just some steps that sports leaders can take to ensure their D&I efforts are meaningful and impactful.

View from the top

Organisation-wide buy-in can only be achieved if there’s a commitment to change that starts at the top. It stands to reason that a diverse leadership team will deliver the diversity of thought that drives effective decision-making. If a board is not representative of an organisation's stakeholders in terms of background and demographics, more work needs to be done. A senior team should be able to demonstrate expertise in change and transformation, deliver D&I strategies and have a genuine passion for change.

Create a culture of inclusion

There’s a reason why diversity and inclusion go hand-in-hand. Without inclusion, diversity will fail. A culture of inclusion means employees are not just present in the organisation but play an active role in operations and have autonomy over their careers. An inclusive environment also sees more engaged employees who will come together to share divergent viewpoints. This is key to innovative thinking, something that’s vital for organisations looking to grow and remain ahead of the curve.

In practice, inclusivity requires tangible actions, which might include establishing regular employee feedback sessions and group discussions, or allowing everyone to share their views anonymously. However, initiatives like this only work if leaders listen to the feedback and take the appropriate steps to make improvements that are then communicated to the wider organisation. Providing managers with training in collaborative and inclusive leadership styles will go a long way in fostering a truly inclusive culture.

Get connected with metrics

Without hard facts and figures on where an organisation stands versus where it wants to get to, D&I initiatives are unlikely to be effective. A plethora of data already exists within a business that can paint an accurate picture of the current situation. Conducting a gender and ethnicity pay gap analysis, analysing the hiring process to see the types of candidates who typically progress at each stage and looking at the demographics of employees who receive promotions will help highlight areas that need to be addressed.

Once a starting position has been established, leaders can set targets of where they want to be and a timeline of action. Organisations are increasingly choosing to hold themselves accountable for their diversity targets by sharing them with the wider team and even publicly. Even if there’s a lot of work to be done, people will appreciate that a business is taking action to get it right.

Break down barriers

Armed with data from the hiring and development process, leaders can see which groups are underrepresented in each area of an organisation. For example, if ethnically diverse candidates are not progressing to the interview stage, unconscious bias could be playing a part. Alternatively, if a business is getting no diverse candidates applying, it signals that work needs to be done on developing an employer brand.

Introducing policies and initiatives such as flexible hours, remote working options, parental support, apprenticeship schemes, or career-returner initiatives can go a long way in attracting talent from more diverse pools.

For existing employees, introducing clear career paths for each role and mentoring schemes can be highly effective in developing the strategic skills that diverse talent requires to progress into senior leadership roles.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Exploring the link between diversity and sustainability

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 05:09:22 GMT

As a consciously inclusive talent acquisition solution, our purpose and passion is to ensure sport, business, and society becomes fair and fully sustainable for all. You’ll see this statement on our website, and it’s mentioned throughout our communications. However, some people have asked what sustainability has to do with diversity and inclusion.

It’s a fair question considering that people have come to view sustainability as purely an environmental issue. In reality, there are many definitions of sustainability - the most common based on the 1987 Brundtland report: “Development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainability has three main pillars: environmental, economic and social, which are informally referred to as people, planet and profits. To achieve true sustainability, each of these factors need to be equally balanced. Let’s explore them.

1. Environmental

This is arguably the pillar everyone is most familiar with. Environmental sustainability is defined as living within the means of our natural resources. It means consuming resources like energy fuels, materials, land and water at a sustainable rate.

For good reason, there has been a laser focus on this pillar for a number of years as organisations work towards net zero carbon targets and adopt circular economy principles to help protect our resources and reduce damage to the environment.

How diversity fits in

A more diverse workforce, with a particular focus on leadership, helps organisations build more effective strategies. Employees who represent the diverse communities and locations an organisation operates in means there will be greater clarity of the direct environmental impact of the company’s operations.

Additionally, any environmental effort requires bold action and innovative thinking. Research published in the Harvard Business Review states that diversity can help organisations innovate more effectively and increase market growth. Furthermore, McKinsey data reveals that ethnic and gender-diverse companies are 35% more likely to outperform homogenous teams.

Economic

This pillar of sustainability refers to businesses or countries using their resources efficiently and responsibly to produce an operational profit. Given that a company cannot sustain its activities without turning a profit, it must act responsibly and use its resources properly to remain active.

How diversity fits in

As stated in the environmental pillar, it’s proven that diverse teams deliver greater financial results for organisations. When it comes to leadership, McKinsey states that culturally diverse boards worldwide make 43% higher profits than homogenous boards.

Diverse teams help to improve operations too. Organisations that practise what they preach regarding equal opportunities will see more transparent communication between colleagues and customers, leading to good governance. A culture where everyone feels free to share ideas, raise concerns or offer feedback is, by default, more resilient and better equipped to deal with challenges before they turn into problems.

Greater diversity and representation also helps to promote a positive, approachable and trustworthy brand image. A diverse company is more likely to accept and understand different opinions from stakeholders, customers or potential employees.

Social

Often overlooked when organisations build sustainable strategies, social sustainability highlights the concept of social license. It means a company is supported by its employees and stakeholders and the community it operates in - particularly pertinent for sporting organisations.

Social sustainability should see businesses treating their employees fairly, implementing a non-discrimination policy, enabling flexible working, ensuring fair and equal wages, investing in their local communities, ethically sourcing talent, and understanding their supply chains.

How diversity fits in

Being inclusive can unlock a plethora of social benefits for organisations. An inclusive culture ensures everyone is treated equally and has access to the same opportunities, which immediately improves a company’s social impact.

Understanding unconscious bias and the power of privilege helps leaders make fair and balanced decisions when it comes to hiring and developing their teams. Plus, an inclusive culture is one where employees feel safe to take risks to make improvements without fear of repercussions. A safe environment means open communication and innovation, which, in turn, leads to positive action across all areas of a business.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Why Team GB must reflect British society

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 04:55:29 GMT

A member of the Board of Directors of Sport England made headlines last month by stating that the GB team is not representative of the diversity of Britain and Northern Ireland.

In a presentation given to Sport England’s talent inclusion advisory group, Chris Grant, one of British sport’s most senior administrators, highlighted that too many sports were still dominated by white suburban athletes, with little action taken to encourage those from more urban areas.

The presentation revealed that over a third of the sports funded through the talented athlete scholarship scheme (TASS) had zero non-white athletes, with estimations that between a third and half of all Olympic and Paralympic sports have never been represented by an athlete from a minority background.

Furthermore, and tying into our recent blog series on social mobility, the presentation quoted research that, in the last decade, around half of Team GB medallists attended a private school. Just 6% of medallists attended school in a city, compared with 39% of the UK population. In fact, medallists from this year, Bethany Shriever (BMX) and Emily Campbell (weightlifting), had to self-fund to secure their spot on the team.

For the Tokyo Games, 86% of Team GB were white. Although this reflects the 2011 census figure for the British population, chief executive of UK Sport, Sally Munday, has publicly recognised that, for Team GB to be truly reflective of modern British society, more work needs to be done in certain sports.

It was announced in December 2020 that UK Sport would cut funding from ‘posh’ sports, such as equestrianism, sailing and rowing, for the next Olympic cycle in plans to help boost a more diverse range of sports. At the time, Munday stated that such a change in emphasis was an attempt to level the playing field between more traditional public school sports and ones inner-city pupils are more likely to take part in.

“We’re really clear that what we are aiming to do is have teams at the Olympics and Paralympic Games that represent our society,” said Munday. “You look at some of the sports that are now in our progression stream. You look at the likes of basketball, you look at skateboarding – these are sports that are probably going to bring new people into the Olympic and Paralympic family. And I think that’s really exciting.”

In a positive move for the future of Olympic sports, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated they are “keen to set a new standard for inclusive, gender-balanced and youth-centred games” for the upcoming 2024 Games taking place in Paris. 2024 organisers have highlighted the importance of including sports like breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing, which are “easy to take up” and will “help to inspire millions of children to take up sport”.

Grant makes clear that more work is required to change how elite athletes are discovered and nurtured to ensure sport becomes more representative. He launched “Mission 2032”, a project aimed at increasing diversity in the British Olympic team through increased transparency in the selection data.

Despite calls for greater diversity on the British Olympic team, Grant said that progress has been slow. “Part of the reason it hasn’t happened is that some of the people who are in positions of power don’t really believe it can happen, And part of that, frankly, is unconscious bias,” he recently told The Guardian . “Tokyo has demonstrated yet again that we have amazing talent development pathways, but that the gateways to elite sport are not fairly distributed. We need investment to change that, but more than anything, we need vision, ambition and will.”

Time to make change happen

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

All or Nothing: Why You Must Address Socio-Economic Diversity

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 04:47:29 GMT

In our previous blog , we explored the issue of discrimination towards social class following comments made by Lord Digby Jones regarding BBC presenter Alex Scott MBE dropping her g’s during coverage for the Olympics.

Since the establishment of the Equality Act in 2010, we’ve seen a laser focus on improving diversity in the professional workforce. While the Act includes official ‘protected characteristics’, a significant element of the diversity equation is missing.

Someone’s social and economic background can significantly impact their entry and progression into the workforce. Despite this, many organisations don’t monitor socio-economic diversity or have a plan on how to improve accessibility and progression.

Embracing social mobility should be a positive move for employers as it opens the door to previously untapped talent. Additionally, diversity of background can bring new ways of thinking and help to foster innovation and change. So, what’s the problem? Unfortunately, it seems to be two-fold:

Because socio-economic status is not a protected characteristic, employers are, therefore, not held to account for bypassing it in D&I efforts.

Employers have vested interests in maintaining the status quo within their organisation due to prejudice or convenience.

Regardless of the reason, ignoring socio-economic diversity demonstrates a lack of commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. In short, it’s all or nothing.

Getting started

Firstly, addressing social mobility doesn’t mean penalising those who have had advantages; it’s about making the best use of the talents of every person. Here, we look at how employers can take the first steps in improving social mobility in the workplace.

1. Measurement

A crucial step to improving socio-economic diversity is finding out more about the background of your current workforce. Such measurement enables you to identify any gaps in access and barriers to progression that need to be tackled. Making a record of such data will also help your organisation evaluate whether progress is being made over time.

You can do this by conducting employee surveys. A Civil Service report entitled ‘Measuring Socio-economic Background in your Workforce’ suggests asking the following questions to gauge employee backgrounds:

What type of school did you attend between the ages of 11 and 16?
What is the highest level of qualifications achieved by either of your parent(s) or guardian(s) by the time you were 18?
Thinking back to when you were aged about 14, which best describes the sort of work the main/ highest income earner in your household did in their main job?
If you finished school after 1980, were you eligible for free school meals at any point during your school years?

The answers can help to highlight patterns in hiring and progression. For example, if most of your managers and leadership team are private school alumni, you can start taking the steps to understand why this is the case and work to rectify it to become more inclusive.

2. Attracting diverse talent

“We get the same types of people applying to work for us.” Such an attitude is no excuse to hire the same traits over and over again. If that’s the case, you need to take a closer look at your talent pipelines, methods of attraction and employer branding.

When it comes to making real change, there are two routes that we recommend:

Developing paid internships and work experience placements. Many placements are unpaid, which limits the type of people who can undertake them. Additionally, they can go completely unadvertised and end up going to friends or relations of existing employees. Advertising internships and placements on your website and social media, as well as providing pay, a stipend, or expenses, ensures money isn’t a barrier and opens up your organisation to a broader pool of talent.
Take advantage of apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are an excellent route to the workplace for young people, enabling them to earn while they learn. Organisations that invest the time in developing apprenticeships and publicising the benefits of taking this route as an alternative to formal education will go a long way in improving social mobility. Additionally, employers with a pay bill over £3 million a year will pay the apprenticeship levy , enabling them to receive funds to spend on apprenticeship training. Remember, it’s still crucial to monitor the socio-economic background of apprentices, so the same people aren’t awarded opportunities over and over again.

3. Hiring practices

Any selection and interview processes should enable candidates to demonstrate their suitability

for the role, with recruitment decisions free from bias. To ensure a perception and bias-free hiring process, we recommend:

Being honest. All personnel involved in hiring should have an open conversation about the skills they are looking for in candidates. Are the assessment methods used to identify these skills working? Are they accurately measuring these skills, or is there an element of ‘gut feel’ creeping into the selection process?
Confronting bias head-on. It can be challenging to accept unconscious bias. However, acknowledging it exists is an important first step that you must take to be a truly inclusive employer. For sports organisations, level= offers help, guidance and training to tackle bias at all stages of the talent acquisition process.
Employing diverse interview panels. If interviews are conducted on a one-on-one basis, you’re unlikely to get a fully rounded idea of a candidate’s suitability. Having interviewers from a wide range of socio-economic and other backgrounds will help provide a greater perspective and help to reduce possible biases.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Why is Socio-Economic Diversity Overlooked?

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 04:38:47 GMT

Anyone keeping up with the latest Olympics news is likely aware that BBC presenter Alex Scott MBE was thrown into the spotlight after receiving criticism from former minister Lord Digby Jones. The complaint wasn’t about Scott’s knowledge, level of professionalism or passion for sport, but that she drops her ‘g’s.

The crossbench peer who served as a trade minister under Gordon Brown took a swipe at Scott on Twitter with the words: “Enough! I can’t stand it anymore! Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her ‘g’s at the end of a word. Competitors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin & swimmin.”

Scott, who made 140 appearances for the England women’s team and represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics, was quick to respond: “I’m from a working-class family in east London, Poplar, Tower Hamlets and I am PROUD. Proud of the young girl who overcame obstacles, and proud of my accent! It’s me, it’s my journey, my grit.”

Many public figures were vocal in their support of Scott, with Stephen Fry tweeting at Jones: “You are everything linguists and true lovers of language despise.”

The exchange confirmed that discrimination towards social class remains alive and well and highlighted an area of diversity that is often overlooked.

Social mobility

In an article for Harvard Business Review, Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, Paul Ingram, measures social class along several dimensions: “Family income during early years, parents’ level of education, and parents’ occupations.”

In the same article, Ingram shares research from a recent study stating that US workers from lower social-class backgrounds are 32% less likely to become leaders than people from higher origins. This disadvantage is greater than that experienced by women compared with men (27%) or black compared with white (25%).

According to the latest Social Mobility Commission's State of the Nation report , in the UK, you are still 60% more likely to be in a professional job if you were from a privileged background rather than a working-class background. There is a substantial class pay gap, too, with the Sutton Report revealing that employees from working-class backgrounds earn on average £6,400 less per year than their colleagues from privileged families. It was also reported that it could take a child from a low-income family five generations to reach the national average income of approximately £27,000.

A significant problem is that socio-economic factors are not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, despite ongoing calls from The Social Mobility Commission to change this. It means that it’s solely up to employers whether they choose to take action or not.

What’s stopping them?

Achieving equality when it comes to gender and race takes priority and for good reason, given the far-reaching inequalities, lack of opportunities and pay gaps that have persisted for decades. With focus on gender and race, socio-economic parity takes a backseat in many organisations, even those with seemingly robust diversity, inclusion and equity (DIE) strategies.

There’s also the matter of measurement. Employers looking to achieve greater gender and race equality can set targets and track their progress. They can also be held to account by anyone on the outside looking in. However, when it comes to socio-economic diversity, many are unclear how the issue can be tactfully tackled, the questions that need to be asked, what goals will look like and the criteria against which they can be measured.

In our next blog, we explore some of the practical steps that sports organisations can take to effectively measure socio-economic diversity, change their culture, and tips on developing and progressing all employees, regardless of background, to leadership positions.

Your partner in action

The future of sport is driven by difference; closing the gaps around gender, race, disability, neurodiversity, and sexual orientation to ensure opportunity and social mobility for all. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

In Focus: The Football Leadership Diversity Code

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 14:22:35 GMT

In October 2020, the FA launched its voluntary Football Leadership Diversity Code to help drive diversity and inclusion across English football.

So far, more than 50 clubs across the Premier League, EFL, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship have committed to tackling inequality across senior leadership positions, broader team operations and coaching roles.

Paul Elliott, chair of the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board and former Chelsea and Aston Villa defender, was inspired to implement the Code when he heard Raheem Sterling say: “When I look up, I don’t see people who look like me.”

In a recent interview with Sky Sports News, Elliot commented : “Opportunities have been lacking for black players over the last three generations, and while we can’t reclaim that time, we can put a sustainable model in place that holds football to account. By capturing diversity of thinking from HR teams, players, coaches, and owners, we’ve created a 21st century model for football that addresses the issues of underrepresentation and provides employment opportunities via targets and accountability.”

In a recent press conference, Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton said the Code puts in place the structure needed to bring about change in representation within the game: “People have accepted that things need to change and the only way that can happen is by putting the structures in place to enable it.”

The Code

The Football Leadership Diversity Code aims to increase equality of opportunity by using hiring targets (rather than quotas) to encourage recruitment from across society.

A longstanding challenge in football has been recruitment practices focused on personal networks, which continues to limit leadership opportunities across the game. By signing up to the Code, clubs agree that all hiring will be entirely based on merit to find the best person.

Additionally, they pledge to create an equality, diversity and inclusion plan, adopt specific recruitment principles, and set targets which include:

Senior Leadership and Team Operations

15% of new hires will be Black, Asian or of Mixed-Heritage [or a target set by the club based on local demographics]
30% of new hires will be female

Coaching: Men’s Professional Clubs

25% of new hires will be Black, Asian or of Mixed-Heritage
10% of new senior coaching hires will be Black, Asian or of Mixed-Heritage

Coaching: Women’s Professional Clubs

50% of new hires will be female
15% of new hires will be Black, Asian or of Mixed-Heritage

When it comes to recruitment, shortlists for interviews should have at least one male and one female Black, Asian or of Mixed-Heritage candidate, if applicants meet the job specifications.

Speaking on what’s required to create change and increase opportunities, Elliot said : “Equality, diversity and inclusion have to be aligned and embedded within the fabric of every football club.”

You can read more about the Football Leadership Diversity Code and view its signatories here .

Your partner in action

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

The female coaches who are changing the game

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 14:12:02 GMT

In November 2020, UK Sport announced its project to improve gender diversity across elite sports. It aims to more than double the number of high-performing female coaches by the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Former sprinter and the first woman to become a head coach at British Athletics, Paula Dunn MBE, dubbed the project “critical” and “long overdue” in an interview with BBC Sport.

The programme officially kicked off in January 2021, with 27 coaches from 15 sports coming together to help increase female coaching representation from 10% to 25% over the next three years.

Eight coaches, including Dunn, will lead a six-month programme for 19 of the most promising coaches in the UK who have been identified as having the potential to coach at the summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic Games from 2024 and beyond. Here, we take a look and celebrate the careers of the eight coaches spearheading this vital project in UK sport.

Paula Dunn MBE

Dunn is a former sprinter who represented Great Britain in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. A five-time Commonwealth Games medallist, including silver (1986) and bronze (1994) in the 100 metres, Dunn was the first woman to become a head coach at British Athletics when she took over the Paralympic programme after London 2012. Additionally, Dunn was the first black head coach and led the team to victory, with Britain winning 33 medals at the Rio Paralympics - four more than in 2012.

Jane Figueiredo

Olympic diver turned multi-medal winning coach, Zimbabwe-born Jane Figueiredo is well-known in the UK as Tom Daley’s coach, having guided him to Olympic bronze in 2016 and a second world title in 2017. Prior to Figueiredo’s headline stealing work with Tom, she steered Russian diving greats Vera Ilyina and Yulia Pakhalina to the synchro springboard final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Claire Morrison

In 2013, Claire Morrison became the first full-time, paid boccia coach in Britain. Morrison’s passion for hockey and football fuelled an initial desire to become a PE teacher, which led her into coaching and securing the role of development officer with Scottish Disability Sport (SDS). Morrison rapidly rose through the Scottish and GB ranks to assume her current position that will see her lead a Team GB squad to Tokyo’s Paralympic Games in August.

Kate Howey MBE

The only British woman to have won two Olympic medals in judo, with bronze at the 1992 Games in Barcelona and silver at Sydney 2000, Kate Howey was made MBE and handed the honour of being the British flagbearer for the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Games. Following retirement from competition, Howey became GB head coach and helped guide Gemma Gibbons to a silver medal at the home Games in 2012. Howey is vocal about the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.

Mel Marshall MBE

Following an outstanding swimming career, which saw her compete in two Olympic Games and win a plethora of medals, including six at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Mel Marshall is recognised as a top coaching talent in UK sport. Marshall is heralded for guiding Adam Peaty to the top of Olympic, World Championship, European and Commonwealth podiums, as well as nurturing the talents of many more British athletes. In addition, Marshall has raised in excess of £100,000 for charity, including funds for a residential training facility in Zambia through the Perfect Day Foundation.

Bex Milnes

Bex Milnes grew up swimming for the Doncaster Dartes before becoming a regular member of the GB triathlon team. Milnes moved into coaching at aged 22 and is now the lead paratriathlon coach at British Triathlon’s Loughborough Triathlon Performance Centre, where she works with some of the nation's top paratriathletes.

Tracy Whittaker-Smith

Tracy Whittaker-Smith is Head Coach for Great Britain Men’s and Women’s trampoline teams and director of Northamptonshire Trampoline Gymnastics Academy (NTGA). Whittaker-Smith made history by guiding Bryony Page to become GB’s first-ever Olympic trampoline medallist when she won silver at the 2016 Games in Rio.

Karen Brown

With over 15 years of experience as a Great Britain Hockey and England Hockey coach, Karen Brown will act as a mentor throughout the aforementioned UK Sport programme. Brown was part of the British squad that won bronze at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and took Commonwealth silver and European gold. After retiring from competition in 1999, Brown went on to become assistant coach for both the GB and England hockey teams and part of the management teams that secured a World Cup bronze with England in 2010, Olympic bronze with GB at the London Games, European gold in 2015 and Olympic gold in Rio.

Looking to improve gender diversity in your sports organisation?

At level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Connect with us on 020 8159 8656 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

What can sports organisations do to improve diversity at leadership level?

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 14:05:25 GMT

Research and studies continue to prove that diverse leadership teams deliver significant value to organisations across all sectors.

Data from the 2019 McKinsey report , Diversity Wins: Why Inclusion Matters, revealed that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profits. When it came to ethnic and cultural diversity, the report found the top-quartile for diversity outperformed those in the fourth by 36% in profitability.

When it comes to sports, the advantages of diverse leaders stretch even further. Not only can diversity help to deliver the highest standards of good governance and drive effective and inclusive decision-making, but with inspiration and aspiration at the heart of sport, it can go a long way in attracting more young people to enter the profession and reach the top.

Despite the many benefits that diverse leadership teams can bring to sports organisations and the communities they serve, change has been slow. A 2019 Diversity in Sport Governance report found that while women accounted for 40% of board members across Sport England and UK funded bodies, just 5.2% identified themselves as ethnically diverse, and only 5% considered themselves to have a disability, compared to around 13% and 22% of the wider UK population, respectively.

For many, the appetite to become more diverse is there, but the knowledge of how to do it is lacking. Becoming a truly diverse organisation involves strategic planning, changing policies and an ongoing commitment from everyone within the organisation. Here are some of the steps that can be taken to start the journey towards true diversity and inclusion at senior level.

Set Targets

Whether you seek out industry targets or set your own, setting clear objectives of what you want to achieve and when is an effective way to measure progress and hold yourself accountable. Such goals can be even more effective if you’re happy to share and report on them publicly.

In October 2020, the FA launched its Leadership Diversity Code, which aims to tackle inequality across senior leadership positions, broader team operations and coaching roles. More than 40 clubs signed up to the code, which outlines that when it comes to senior leadership and team operation roles:

15% of new hires will be Black, Asian or of Mixed-Heritage (or a target set by the club based on local demographics)
30% of new hires will be female.

Review Training & Development

For organisations with a diverse mix of employees but none in top positions, it’s worth looking at what training & development or mentoring opportunities you provide. In an era of industry-wide talent shortages, more and more employers are turning their attention to developing existing employees and carving out clear pathways that enable them to progress through an organisation.

Look at the journey of a diverse employee. How long do they stay with your business? At what point do they exit? This will help you to identify areas of focus for training and development.

Equipping members of your team with the knowledge and tools they need to move upwards will help you build an internal pipeline of diverse talent that’s ready to fill available senior positions.

Analyse your language

It can be challenging to remain objective when looking at how you communicate with candidates and the benefits you offer. Ask someone unconnected to your organisation, like a talent acquisition partner, to provide feedback on how you can appeal to more diverse candidates. It’s a simple equation: The more neutral the language, the more people you will appeal to.

For example, you may be inadvertently using male-centric language. The Gender Decoder is a free online tool inspired by the 2011 research paper, Evidence That Gendered Wording in Job Advertisements Exists and Sustains Gender Inequality. It provides a quick way to check whether a job advert has the kind of subtle linguistic gender-coding that can discourage female applicants.

Taking it a step further, level= utilises the latest AI to remove any and all language bias in job adverts and careers websites.

Review screening and assessment methods

Candidate selection needs to be as fair as possible. This means less ‘gut feel’ recruitment and more scientific measurement of a candidate’s skills, capabilities, knowledge and traits. There are a number of ways this can be achieved. Psychometric testing is perhaps the most well-known way to test for skills, knowledge and personality.

As well as blind resume screening and shortlisting, level= prioritises data-driven testing and profiling solutions that identify skills and cultural fit. We also support sports organisations through designing bespoke competency-based interviews that remove implicit bias and test against workplace scenarios.

Grow your talent network

To consistently meet your diversity targets, you need to ensure access to a readily available pool of diverse leaders. There are several ways that sports organisations can do this, from hosting your own leadership events to partnering with a talent acquisition specialist who can tap into diverse talent on your behalf.

At level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Whether you’re building greater equity within your organisation or looking to take the next step in your career in sport, our team is committed to working with you to offer the skills, services and access to a globally diverse and level field of possibility.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

How technology is driving greater diversity and inclusion in sports

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 13:59:47 GMT

Today’s sports leaders increasingly recognise that workplace diversity & inclusion (D&I) efforts are an organisation-wide responsibility. A lack of diversity and employee equity can have far-reaching effects on a business, including its ability to attract and retain top talent. Conversely, research proves that diverse organisations are more innovative, have better business outcomes and are more profitable.

In this hyper-connected age, technology plays a pivotal role in every area of a sports organisation, including D&I. Businesses are turning to digital solutions in an effort to remove bias, drive consistency, and deliver insights into D&I initiatives. Such a robust market for D&I tech has given rise to a plethora of tools that help with:

Talent acquisition. There is a range of digital TA solutions on the market specifically designed to attract a diverse workforce, reduce unconscious bias and facilitate effective candidate selection. Common features include:
Text evaluation to remove bias from job postings
Outreach tools to connect with recognised networks for diverse talent
Automation capabilities that remove names or other identifying information
AI profiling, testing and assessments that remove bias early in the process
Video-based AI that identifies potential bias in candidate interviews through speech and body movements.
Text evaluation to remove bias from job postings
Outreach tools to connect with recognised networks for diverse talent
Automation capabilities that remove names or other identifying information
AI profiling, testing and assessments that remove bias early in the process
Video-based AI that identifies potential bias in candidate interviews through speech and body movements.
Learning and development. Tools include virtual reality awareness training to help employees better understand different perspectives in workplace situations, micro-training programmes, personalised career pathing and targeted skills development for diverse employees.
Employee engagement. Listening and engagement software is growing in popularity and enables organisations to tailor employee survey questions and identify themes in the feedback. Other tech platforms help evaluate company culture and highlight times when teams are not acting inclusively. Additionally, there are tools specifically for management personnel that measure the differences in how they communicate across all workplace platforms to gauge whether they are speaking and acting inclusively.

Working with a specialist partner

Engaging with a D&I talent acquisition expert enables organisations to tap into the latest market-leading technology. level= uses world-class AI tech to ensure our solutions source the best individuals to meet the leadership, management, technical and professional needs of sporting organisations worldwide.

Our robust technology-led approach guarantees fairness, equality and inclusivity; unconscious and conscious bias is removed in favour of positive metrics and proven processes. This ensures the right talent is sourced and placed within the right organisations.

Technology in practice

level= partnered with a well-known international sporting association to help them move from a traditional paper-led CV and interview process to one that was more technology-led and consciously inclusive. Our team provided:

An assessment framework based on skill and ability, not CV data
Access to leading digital tools to ensure inclusive language in all communications
Connections with more diverse talent networks that extended beyond sports businesses
A system that enables anonymous application and interviewing to remove unconscious bias.

The new technology-led platform and process delivered:

Increased applications from candidates from non-sport backgrounds and more diverse communities
80% of roles filled by female applicants
60% of positions filled by ethnic minority candidates.

level= The best tech, the best talent

At level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Whether you’re building greater equity within your organisation or looking to take the next step in your career in sport, our team provides the skills, services and access to a globally diverse and level field of possibility.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Rooney Rule in English Football: What’s the Story?

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 13:49:56 GMT

In a June 2020 BBC interview regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, England forward Raheem Sterling stated that black footballers feel they “have no representation in the hierarchy” and that now was the “time to implement” change in English football.

The following month, headlines emerged that the Premier League would not be introducing the Rooney Rule for minority candidates, with Kick It Out’s head of development, Troy Townsend, expressing concerns it doesn’t carry enough weight, and footballer Dwight Yorke describing the policy as “a joke”.

So, what is the Rooney Rule? And how does something designed to level the playing field spark such disparaging comments from football insiders? In this blog, we take a look at the history of the Rooney Rule and its adoption in English football.

What is the Rooney Rule?

The Rooney Rule was established in 2003 as a National Football League (NFL) policy that required league teams to interview ethnic minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs.

Named after Dan Rooney, the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and former chairman of the league’s diversity committee, the policy was created in reaction to the 2002 firings of head coaches Tony Dungy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dennis Green of the Minnesota Vikings. At the time, Dungy had a winning record, and Green had just had his first losing season in 10 years.

The firings left just one black coach in the league, prompting a damning report and the formation of an ‘affinity group’ composed of minority coaches, with lobbying from the leagues to implement a new policy. The Rooney Rule was born.

Introduction in English football

The Football Association (FA) adopted the rule in January 2018, stating that at least one ethnic minority applicant must be interviewed by FA figures for coaching positions, from youth level up to the senior teams. In 2019, it was employed by the English Football League (EFL), following a pilot during the 2016/17 season.

Despite adoption from the FA and EFL, the Premier League stated in 2020 that it would not consider the Rooney Rule and instead focus on developing other anti?racism work.

The public shunning of the policy by the Premier League generated media attention, with many asking whether the Rooney Rule was a truly effective method of inclusive hiring for senior positions.

Does it work?

Following its introduction in the US, the NFL fined the Detroit Lions $200,000 for failing to interview a minority candidate for its new head coach role. The move sent a clear message to the rest of the league, and the numbers of minority head coaches increased from three in 2003 to eight by 2011.

Since then, however, things have changed. By 2019, eight head coaches became four, with the number of minority general managers decreasing from six to two. It’s thought that the appointment of Jon Gruden to the Oakland Raiders (now Las Vegas Raiders) was the catalyst for the downward spiral. The team’s owner admitted that Gruden had agreed to take the role before his predecessor was sacked. Following this, Raiders interviewed two minority candidates with the NFL concluding that the rule was not violated. Advocacy group, the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA), disagreed, stating that the interviews were not “meaningful”, as is required in the policy.

Criticism centres around a lack of adherence to and governance of the rule. Back in the UK, despite the EFL having the Rooney Rule in place, there aren’t any guidelines to punish non-compliance. Additionally, clubs are only required to interview a minority candidate if they operate a “recruitment process”, meaning there’s ample opportunity to work around it.

In June 2020, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) called for the Rooney Rule to be strengthened, highlighting its loopholes regarding recruitment processes. A statement read: “Of the current 71 managers in situ at EFL clubs, 70 per cent were appointed during the season when a full recruitment process is unlikely. We are calling for the recruitment code to be mandatory for every managerial appointment, as of next season.”

As to whether the Rooney Rule is effective, the jury is still out. Thankfully, alternative solutions to improve diversity in senior positions continue to be introduced. In June 2020, the Premier League, EFL and PFA announced a new scheme to help minority players move into full-time coaching roles. Introduced for the 2021/22 season, it will give six coaches a 23-month work placement at EFL clubs per campaign.

Any initiative that aims to increase representation is a positive step forward for English football. Still, clubs must be measured and held accountable for inaction - not just by the architects of these solutions but by us fans too.

level= Your partner in action

Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. Whether you are building greater equity within your organisation or looking to take the next step in your career in sport, our team is committed to working with you to offer the skills, services and access to a globally diverse and level field of possibility.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Diversity in Sports Leadership: The Facts

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 13:39:01 GMT

A 2019 Diversity in Sport Governance report found that while women accounted for 40% of board members across Sport England and UK funded bodies, diversity in areas such as ethnicity and disability remained a challenge. The report stated that just 5.2% of all board members identified themselves as ethnically diverse, and only 5% considered themselves to have a disability, compared to around 13% and 22% of the wider UK population, respectively.

Additionally, people on sports boards are more likely than the wider population to have attended private schools and prestigious universities, with Olympic and Paralympic sports boards reporting a higher than average proportion of Oxbridge board members.

Work on improving diversity in leadership is not limited to sports. In 2020, just 4.7% of the most powerful roles were filled by non-white individuals, according to Green Park’s 2020 report , The Colour of Power.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that disabled people in work were significantly less likely to be employed as managers, directors or senior officials, or to be employed in professional occupations (27.2%) than non-disabled people (34.5%).

The importance of diverse leadership

2019 research from Mckinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile, up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014.

When it came to ethnic and cultural diversity, Mckinsey found that the top-quartile for diversity outperformed those in the fourth by 36% in profitability, up from 33% in 2017 and 35% in 2014.

Of course, the benefits of diverse leadership teams in sports extend further than commercial gains; they help to deliver the highest standards of good governance and drive effective and inclusive decision-making across the sector and within the communities they serve.

While it’s clear that progress is being made in increasing the numbers of women in sports leadership positions, more work needs to be done to ensure the sector is truly representative of the society that we live in.

What is being done?

Several high profile sporting organisations and bodies have launched initiatives that aim to boost diversity, particularly when it comes to senior and leadership positions. Some of the most well-publicised include:

Football Association (FA)

In October 2020, the FA launched the Football Leadership Diversity Code to drive diversity and inclusion across English football. Over 40 clubs across the Premier League, EFL, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship committed to tackling inequality across senior leadership positions, broader team operations and coaching roles. The FA also launched its Widening the Net Initiative to increase the number of disabled, female and ethnically diverse referees (who they identified as making up only 1%, 3% and 4% of the refereeing workforce, respectively).

UK Athletics (UKA)

In January 2021, UKA announced several key activities as part of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) programme. It included the ‘Let’s Talk About Race’ programme, which will run from 2021 to 2024, and outline actions around engagement, recruitment and retention, as well as progressing talent from within.

British racing

Most recently, British racing’s leading organisations signed up to a unified “Industry Commitment” to improve diversity and inclusion across the sport. The commitment has established five key areas – leadership and accountability, good governance, education and awareness-raising, celebrating racing’s diversity and engaging new audiences – with each organisation responsible for identifying its priorities and activities under those broad headings.

Signatures to the new Industry Commitment include the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Racecourse Association (RCA), Racehorse Owners Association (ROA), Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA), National Trainers Federation (NTF), Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), National Association of Racing Staff (NARS) and Great British Racing (GBR).

level= Your partner in action

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Neurodiversity: An Introduction

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:30:24 GMT

Janette Beetham on understanding neurodiversity and how employers can provide a thriving and productive enviroment for a neurodiverse workforce.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Informed Assessment: Helping you to make informed, objective recruitment decisions

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:26:28 GMT

Informed Assessment are delighted to be the assessment partner of level=.

By drawing upon a range of high-quality psychometric assessment exercises, and tailoring different packages to suit your needs, we can provide additional objective information to help support your recruitment process, exploring relevant aspects of personality, competencies and aptitudes, aligned as appropriate to your role. This information proves invaluable in identifying areas to explore during the selection process; building-up a picture of candidates’ strengths and areas to consider; identifying potential; and highlighting development and on-boarding needs if appointed to ensure a successful recruitment process.

For more information and to view our case studies please visit:

https://www.informedassessment.co.uk/psychometric-assessment

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

What is a Workplace Needs Assessment?

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:20:31 GMT

Workplace Needs Assessments are quite different from screening or diagnostic assessments. They are carried out by a specialist Workplace Needs Assessor and they focus on the specific challenges the individual is experiencing in relation to their work tasks and recommendations for adjustment which the WN Assessor believes will help them cope more effectively.

A Workplace Needs Assessment is made up of two main parts:

1. A meeting with a workplace specialist (Workplace Needs Assessor) who will talk to the individual about the challenges they are experiencing with work tasks. (Ahead of this meeting, background information is collected via questionnaires sent to the line manager and the individual, plus the Workplace Needs Assessors requests to see a copy of the job description). When carrying out the assessment the Workplace Needs Assessor will consider a variety of aspects including work environment, seating location, specific work tasks, 'tools' and current coping strategies.

(A Workplace Needs Assessments can be requested in relation to a variety of different disabilities including those with 'processing differences' such as Dyslexia, ADHD, Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) & Dyscalculia).

If you book a Workplace Needs Assessment with us here at Right Resources we also include a 30 minute 'line manager information meeting'. This is a 'one to one' meeting designed to provide managers with foundation awareness of dyslexia and neurodivergent 'conditions' to help facilitate future discussions between them and the employee when the workplace needs assessment report is shared and adjustments are then put in place.

2. A report of the meeting which outlines any recommendations (commonly referred to as ‘Reasonable Adjustments’) which the specialist believes should help the individual improve their effectiveness and increase the likelihood of them being able to fulfil demands of their work role. These recommendations may include: equipment, training on the use of equipment, one to one strategy coaching and awareness training - (in the form of CPD) for colleagues. (This is something which is always included in a workplace needs assessment report as it encourages a more supportive, neuro-inclusive work environment ... and, as research has shown at least 1 in 8 of the population is neurodivergent, it is likely to be helpful to other members of staff too).

It is vitally important to engage someone with appropriate experience and specialist workplace dyslexia / neurodivergence-related qualifications. (You may want to ask whether the Workplace Needs Assessor has undertaken the British Dyslexia Association's Workplace Assessor Programme and whether they have been awarded the OCN Level 4 qualification endorsed by the British Dyslexia Association).

Who would request a Workplace Needs Assessment?

Employers who are proactive and have an understanding of their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 either engage a qualified and experienced private Workplace Needs Assessor to undertake this type of work - someone who they know provides a professional, tailored and comprehensive service who may become their 'preferred supplier' - or they may signpost the individual towards making an application to Access to Work. However, for many organisations this could all be very new. If you feel you could use some guidance on this please do contact us and we will be glad to answer your questions and signpost you to what we believe would be the most appropriate provision based on your situation.

Individuals who are experiencing challenges at work which they believe are related to dyslexia or other neurodivergent 'conditions' /Specific Learning Differences (SpLds) may have concerns about whether to speak up, who to tell and where they should go for help. Ideally, the first point of contact would be either their Line Manager or a member of their HR team. (Although there is often reluctance to seeking help due to confidence issues and concerns over whether there would be repercussions in terms of it affecting their career following disclosure of their challenges).

When these individuals are encouraged to come forward and they feel safe to disclose, following the provision of appropriate qualified support this can, in the longer term, help to ensure they are working as effective and productively as possible - plus it can have a positive impact on their overall well-being. However, the decision of whether to disclose or not is very much down to personal choice.

As there can be reluctance to talk about challenges with work tasks (and dyslexia / neurodivergent conditions) there are an increasing number of proactive organisations who now have Accredited Dyslexia Champions ™ within their organisations. These are volunteers who have undertaken a course of study which sees them becoming 'qualified to guide' their neuro-divergent colleagues towards a recognised process of support in a supportive manner and with appropriate skills.

Employing organisations who take a proactive role by guiding, supporting and providing appropriate qualified workplace support will help ensure they are putting people first and as well as complying with the Equality Act 2010.

To book a Workplace Needs Assessments with us please Contact Right Resources .

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Screening, Information and Guidance

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:14:42 GMT

Right Resources offer an online screening, information & guidance service.

For the screening itself, we use a comprehensive, personalized profiling tool which has been developed by internationally-renowned experts in the field of dyslexia and neuro-divergent conditions. The version we use has been tailored for use by workplace needs assessors.

Before and after the screening you will have access to one of our specialists you who will explain the screening / profiling process and what you need to do.

Then, after the screening has been completed we have a 'follow up' conversation (either by phone or using Skype) to explain the results of the screening as well as answer your questions you may have about the results as well as advising you on what the most appropriate 'next steps' might be.

(Please note this service is adult/workplace focused).

To find out how out more please contact Right Resources and we can arrange a call via Skype or Zoom to discuss this and answer your questions.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

About Dyslexia Champions

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:08:44 GMT

The DYSLEXIA CHAMPIONS training & accreditation programme is an initiative which has been designed to help organisations support neurodivergent individuals within the workplace - and by doing so they will be more likely to tap into the strengths many of these individuals are known to have.

The value and potential benefits of this initiative were acknowledged by the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI) - with Right Resources Limited being shortlisted in the 'Neurodiversity' category of the 2019 ENEI Awards.

Accredited Dyslexia Champions are qualified & impartial volunteers who have completed their training equipping them to be able to listen to their colleagues 'stories' & challenges and provide them with much needed foundation information and 'hints & tips' as well as signposting them to professional support. (With this information they can then decide whether to seek professional support....or not). With this volunteer resource within workplaces it helps reduce fear of disclosure - which commonly stops people from seeking specialist workplace related support if or when they need it.

The programme, which was developed by Janette Beetham - Senior Consultant to the British Dyslexia Association, was originally piloted at Imperial College London in January 2017 with excellent feedback on the training, which confirmed not only its value for neuro-divergent work colleagues but also that it contains modules which are Continuous Professional Development (CPD) essentials for everyone, such as wellbeing & mental health and active listening skills.

The training programme, which covers 7 neurodivergent 'conditions', comprises of two full-day workshops plus 2 online/webinar modules - with an assignment/workbook which leads to an OCN (Open College Network) Level 2 qualification - entitled: Neurodiversity - Pathways to Support. (There are also two 30 minute online mentoring sessions for each delegate during the short self-study element of the programme).

The relaunched 'online' Dyslexia Champions programme is delivered as two days of 'livecast' interactive sessions (with plenty of breaks and discussion) which we have found works really well for the small group format we use. (We have found that maximum of 10 people per group works well for this programme). In 'normal' circumstances ...and hopefully when we can once again add this option for clients, people can choose from either the 'open' programme (where you will work with like-minded people from a cross-section of organisations) or employing organisations can have the workshops elements delivered 'in-house' which enables colleagues to work together and share scenarios from their own work environment etc

Here are some more comments from those who have completed the programme and are now Accredited Dyslexia Champions:

“Thought provoking and eye opening.”

“Exceeded my expectations and provided me with a lot of new information.”

“Positive & energising.”

“The programme has been really great! It has given me confidence to talk about my processing differences and hopefully others will do so too.”

“Very engaging, interesting & informative.”

“It has increased my knowledge in the area and opened my eyes to simple changes that can make a big difference.”

“Very positive but also quite emotional.”

“I struggle to say what was the most useful part of the training as I found everything important.”

"This was a fantastic course. It was really well structured and paced. The resources were excellent, in particular the on-line content was really useful. I learnt a huge amount and found the course insightful and relevant, both for my role as an educator and manager. I am an incredibly busy person and I think this course was very good use of my time." Sara Rankin, Professor of Leukocyte and Stem Cell Biology, Imperial College London.

For information on having the programme delivered within your organisation for your team or network please contact us and we can arrange a phone call to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you may have.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

Neurodiversity and the Inclusive Workplace

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:52:40 GMT

If you ask someone what they believe an inclusive workplace is they will probably say something like; ‘it’s a workplace that values diversity within the workforce’ or ‘it’s a work environment where all staff feel accepted and supported’ - and this is indeed what it means. However, many employing organisations may not yet be truly inclusive because they are not comprehensively embracing the concept of neurodiversity. I believe this is the ‘final frontier’ for equality, diversity and inclusion and countless organisations have yet to really explore this, understand it and put in place organisational processes to support this.

To be equipped to support a neurodiverse workforce we first need to have an understanding of the terminology being used. Having a solid foundation of awareness and ensuring we have clarity about the use of the word neurodiversity is an essential first step. From this standpoint, we can take our first steps towards developing a truly inclusive workplace culture that enables all staff to feel supported and thereby increase the chances of them being able to fulfil their potential. But the task, though achievable, can look quite daunting and it can be helpful to know where to go for accurate, useful information and guidance.

Neurodiversity does not mean Autism. The term neurodiversity actually relates to the diversity of human brains and minds – the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species. (Which when viewed in the wider context relates to each and every one of us ….because every brain is different). However, there are those individuals who have a brain that functions in ways that diverge from the dominant societal standards of ‘normal’ and these you may see referred to as neurodivergent ‘conditions’. These neurodivergent ‘conditions’ which are believed to account for 1 in 8 of the population include; dyslexia, Autism, dyscalculia, ADHD and more.

There has been much written about the strengths many neurodivergent individuals have and the benefits they can bring to their employing organisations across a range of sectors (with some sectors being particularly attractive to them ...and these benefitting hugely from this). There is also research which indicates these brain differences may have ‘conferred specific evolutionary advantages’ that have always been helpful to humankind.

However, until now the focus has been on the various individual ‘labels’ (as listed previously) which all fall under the umbrella term of neurodivergence – and sadly, due in part to much misinformation and stigma, there has also been a negative connotation associated with these individuals being 'different’.

To be truly inclusive an organisation needs to include each and every one of its staff and view this as an opportunity to widen the talent pool when recruiting. It is important to bear in mind that neurodivergent ‘conditions’ pervade all other ‘types’ of diversity. You can be neurodivergent regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion/beliefs......

Without understanding and embracing the concept of neurodiversity an organisation will never be truly inclusive.

If you want to help your organisation become a neurodivergence-friendly workplace, be more confident about the ‘message’ you share to influence workplace culture and be able to put in place the right processes related to signposting to services etc. thereby removing 'barriers' and encouraging people to seek support if or when they need it, this training may be of interest to you. Neurodiversity Aware® training & accreditation - has been developed for those who want to ensure they (and their organisation) are equipped to be as ‘accessible’ as possible thereby maximising the potential of everyone in the workforce. The training can be particularly useful for; HR professionals, L & D professionals, recruiters, consultants, staff networks, union reps, EDI managers, occupational health managers and those taking an organisational lead in equality, diversity and inclusion. If you would like to know more about this training, which includes an OCN Level 4 qualification entitled 'Supporting a Neurodiverse Workforce', please do contact me .

Janette Beethman FRSA

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .

10 Tips for managers supporting a 'remote'? neurodiverse workforce.

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:34:09 GMT

Isolation, eyestrain, fatigue and over-working are just some of the negative experiences being reported by those working from home at the present time. There are things that can help alleviate the negatives.... and we have seen much information sharing about this over the past weeks. However, I believe the individual's contact with their line manager and the relationship between these two individuals is the one thing that could potentially make all the difference. So much rests on whether there is a positive relationship where the individual believes they are listened to and where they feel they are supported.

Here are just a few things that supportive insightful managers will be doing ...thus being the positive catalysts - ensuring all members staff are able to access what they need to work as effectively as possible during these challenging times.

Ask your staff / team members what they feel they need to be able to work at their best …and ask if they have any concerns.
Ensure they feel able to reach out and talk if they are starting to feel overwhelmed.
Set calendar reminders to check-in regularly with all members of the team.
Be clear in your communication especially anything related to priorities and deadlines. (Provide summaries, with bullet lists where possible – and try to avoid lengthy emails if you can).
Check people are working their contracted hours – and not putting in excessive hours in order to complete their work.
Ensure everyone, including yourself, knows where they can access support for their mental health.
Provide banners/screens as backdrops for those working from home who may feel uncomfortable about visibly sharing their personal space with others (including those who are unable to use software ‘green screen’ options).
Ask individuals if they feel they have any additional training needs. (E.g. using new technology & other tools or recently introduced or adjusted processes).
Ensure everyone knows where to access accurate information about dyslexia and co-occurring neurodivergent ‘conditions’ (and the potential impact in the workplace) …and ensure they are able to access screening if they feel this is relevant to them.
Ask for guidance, as a manager, on how to support neurodivergent staff so that should any member of your team reach out to you regarding dyslexia and co-occurring neurodivergent ‘conditions’ you feel equipped and able to signpost them to the recognised process within your organisation.

It's estimated that approximately 1 in 8 of the population are neurodivergent /neurodiverse (this includes; dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD). For these individuals changes to work processes, liaising with numerous different colleagues and for many working in a 'non-workplace' environment (along with the additional other factors in each individual's lives) is likely to be affecting these individuals more than most.

If you would like more information about supporting a neurodiverse workforce please do contact me.

Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com .