HarperCollins gets BITC diversity acclaim for a second year

HarperCollins has been named as one of 70 employers on Business in the Community’s Best Employers for Race listing, for a second year running.

The unranked listing, published today (30 October 2018), highlights some of "the best employers in terms of diversity", recognising good practice on workplace race equality and inclusion and celebrating the public and private sector organisations making a difference in this area. It was created in response to the independent government sponsored McGregor-Smith Review, Race in the Workplace, published in February 2017.

To be considered for the listing, employers have to make a specific application to Business in the Community (BITC) demonstrating how they are putting leadership on race in place within their organisation, creating inclusive workplace cultures and taking action on leadership, progression or recruitment. They must also show how their policies are positively impacting Black, Asian and Minority (BAME) employees within their organisations. This is then assessed by an internal anonymous panel.

HarperCollins is the only UK publisher to have appeared on either this year's 2018 list or the inaugural list in 2017. Other arts organisations recognised two years running include the Southbank Centre.

A spokesperson for Business in the Community told The Bookseller it could not reveal whether any other publishers had applied but not been included in the listing. It also confirmed other publishers may also be doing good work in this area but they may not have been listed because they had not applied.

John Athanasiou, director of People at HarperCollins UK [pictured], said HarperCollins was "very proud" to be the only publisher to have been on both this year’s and last year’s inaugural list and expressed confidence progress was being made. "Changing the make-up of a workforce takes time, but I know that, with our employee led D&I group HC All IN, our various recruitment and mentoring schemes and now the introduction of blind recruitment, we are making change happen," he said.

Sandra Kerr OBE, race equality director at Business in the Community, commented HarperCollins had "demonstrated [its] leadership and commitment to creating fair, diverse and inclusive workplaces that work for all employees, including those from BAME backgrounds", adding: "I hope more employers will learn from their example, seize the moment to act on workplace race equality and follow the example set out by the leading employers in this listing by signing up for Race at Work Charter launched earlier this month".

The full list of Best Employers for Race is available on BITC's website.