HOW TO ENHANCE DIVERSITY IN TRADITIONALLY NON-DIVERSE SPACES 

Read how our bespoke research advised on current topics around diversity and location, as well as uncovering several challenges affecting the client’s employees, including: 

• How employee perception of the client’s competitors affected job satisfaction
• How the desired commutable distance influenced diverse hiring
• How diversity expectations aligned with employee experience
• Revealing concerns held by employees at a location situated far from company HQ

A client came to us with unique challenges around diversity and location. Here’s how we supported them. 

CLIENT CHALLENGE: 

A major mining company engaged Wilbury Stratton to assist in improving diverse hiring at one of its sites in a rural, conservative town in the US. The client sought insights into the local talent pool, with a particular focus on gender diversity, and wanted to explore ways to make this talent pool more accessible. Additionally, they were keen to understand the broader working environment to ensure inclusivity and a positive experience for employees of all genders. 

OUR SOLUTION: 

Wilbury Stratton’s bespoke talent research approach began with an in-depth assessment of the client’s relationship with the local community. With the client’s approval, we conducted interviews with a range of stakeholders, including current employees and individuals working for competitor companies. This comprehensive research aimed to uncover underlying challenges in hiring and retention that were specific to the location.

KEY FINDINGS: 

1. Competitor Dynamics:

A competitor mining company held a dominant position in the local talent market. There was a notable “grass is greener” perception, with employees frequently comparing benefits and pay packages to those offered by the competitor. Both the client and its competitor also experienced a culture of long-term employment, with a significant proportion of employees having been with their companies for over eight years. This culture fostered loyalty but limited mobility between employers, making talent acquisition more difficult. 

2. Commute Expectations: 

The client had initially considered a one-hour drive from their mining site to be a reasonable commutable distance. However, research showed that most local workers were unwilling to commute more than 30 minutes, as there were sufficient job opportunities within that radius. The average commute for current employees was just 20 minutes, indicating that expanding recruitment beyond this range would not be effective. 

A one hour commute radius would have included a couple of larger cities, which have a greater percentage of women and people belonging to ethnic minority groups working in mining and other related industries. However, due to the preferred commutable distance being smaller than anticipated, further obstacles to inclusive and diverse hiring were revealed. 

3. Workplace Satisfaction Among Women: 

Contrary to the concerns of senior leadership, women in the workforce did not feel disadvantaged or face overt discrimination. In fact, workplace satisfaction among female employees was high, particularly regarding respect from male colleagues and leadership opportunities. However, many women noted that they felt they had to “prove” themselves more than their male counterparts to succeed.

4. Connecting with Senior Leadership: 

During internal interviews, female employees took the opportunity to voice broader observations about the company’s leadership. Non-headquarters employees felt misunderstood and under-supported, particularly with regard to technology adoption. European leadership had assumed resistance to change, but US employees revealed that they had not been adequately trained on new software and had to seek support from Europe-based teams in inconvenient time zones.

We’re not afraid of new technology, in fact we welcome it. We just don’t receive a lot of training beyond a Teams meeting.

OUTCOME:

Wilbury Stratton’s research revealed that the client’s initial assumptions about the challenges in hiring were only part of the issue. Broader concerns around management disconnect and operational inefficiencies were impacting employee satisfaction and retention. With these insights, the client was able to have candid conversations with employees about perceptions of senior management and took steps to address the concerns raised.

As a result, hiring rates increased, and the client implemented new measures to reduce attrition, including adjusting the night shift policy and improving communication and support between US employees and European leadership.  

This case demonstrates the importance of nuanced, research-driven approaches in addressing talent challenges. By going beyond the surface-level issue of diversity hiring, Wilbury Stratton provided the client with actionable insights that led to meaningful improvements in both recruitment and retention strategies. If your organisation is facing similar challenges, get in contact with us via email or reach out on LinkedIn.