Employers can’t tackle inequalities they cannot see. Diversity data can reveal where different groups are underrepresented or experiencing poorer outcomes in recruitment, retention and progression. But gaps in disclosure leave employers with an incomplete picture, making it harder to identify where barriers exist, target support and monitor progress.
Better data can help employers target action and build fairer workplaces where more young people can thrive. We want to build evidence on practical approaches for how employers can tackle low or uneven diversity disclosure rates, so they can better understand the makeup of their workforce, and more confidently identify gaps, and target training and outreach activity.
This trial is the first in our What Works in Recruitment and Retention programme, through which we partner with employers to uncover what works in supporting young people to get in and get on at work.
Youth Futures Foundation partnered with the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) and Kier Group – a leading infrastructure and construction group, with 10,000 colleagues across the UK, including hundreds of young people in early career roles – to deliver a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT).
As well as assessing the impact of the two campaigns on diversity data disclosure, the evaluation included employee interviews to examine how the campaigns landed in practice, and an economic evaluation which looked at the costs of delivering the two campaigns.
The results challenged our assumption (based on existing, lower quality studies) that the behaviourally informed campaign would drive higher disclosures. Instead, we were able to see through the RCT that the ‘standard’ communication was more effective at encouraging young employees to disclose their diversity data.
More than one in four young employees receiving the standard communication disclosed all nine diversity characteristics, compared with around one in six receiving the behaviourally informed version.
The evaluation explores why this may have been the result, including:
While the trial findings are specific to Kier’s workforce, there are interesting learnings for employers more widely – especially ahead of upcoming requirements around Ethnicity and Disability Pay gap reporting and the Social Value Act:
Nishi's full reflections“If we want to improve employment outcomes for young people, we need robust evidence about what actually works in the workplace, not just what we think should work. That requires employers like Kier who are prepared to test their practice, learn from the findings and help build evidence that benefits employers and young people more widely.”
Nishi Mayor, Director of Employer Engagement & Partnerships at Youth Futures Foundation
"Having good workforce data is essential if we want to understand where we are today and where we need to get to. But with limited time and resources, we also need evidence to tell us where to focus our efforts. That’s why trials like this are so valuable: they help us move beyond assumptions, understand what works and invest where we can make the biggest difference.”
Tracey Collins, People Capability & Transformation Director at Kier
