Historic England‘s Commitment to Diversity in Hiring: A New Era of Inclusive Growth
Historic England, the public body that helps people care for, enjoy, and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment, has been actively working towards creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Their comprehensive strategy, spanning from 2020 to 2023, outlines ambitious plans to enhance diversity and equality within the organisation and the wider historic environment sector.
Table of Contents
Expanding Early Career Opportunities
One of the key strategies Historic England has adopted is the expansion of early career programs, including apprenticeships, work experience, and positive action training placements. These initiatives are designed to open doors for young people from diverse backgrounds, fostering a new generation of professionals passionate about the historic environment.
Vision and Aims
At the heart of Historic England’s strategy is the vision that “Heritage is for everyone.” This vision is underpinned by three key aims:
- Ensuring Relevance and Inclusivity in Work: Historic England is dedicated to making its advice, content, policies, and projects resonate with a diverse range of people, delivered in ways that are inclusive, participatory, and collaborative.
- Reflecting Community Diversity: A core goal is to have a workforce that mirrors the diversity of the communities they serve, enriching the organisation with a wide range of perspectives and talents.
- Expertise and Partnership Development: The strategy involves enhancing expertise and forging partnerships to support and encourage organisations in the historic environment to embrace diversity and inclusivity.
Building a Network of Diversity Champions
To ensure a consistent focus on diversity and inclusion, Historic England has established a cohort of trained Diversity Champions across the organisation. These champions are pivotal in fostering an inclusive culture and guiding the organisation towards its diversity goals.
Addressing Underrepresentation
Despite some improvements, Historic England recognises the significant underrepresentation of certain demographic groups within its workforce. Addressing this imbalance is a priority for the organisation.
Historic England has identified key groups that have been historically underrepresented in their workforce and among their audience:
- Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic individuals.
- LGBTQ+ community.
- Young people under 25.
- People with disabilities.
- Those disadvantaged by social, economic, or geographical factors.
Revamping Recruitment Processes
A key action in Historic England‘s strategy is to review its approach to recruitment. This involves identifying strategies to attract a more diverse range of candidates for all roles, including committee roles and commissioners. A part of this process is the implementation of mandatory unconscious bias training for all involved in the selection process, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring practice.
Empowering Young Talent
Historic England is also focused on creating a coherent pathway into the sector for young people. This includes staff participation in mentoring schemes, careers talks, web-based resources, and the Heritage Training Placements scheme. These efforts are designed to raise awareness of potential careers in the historic environment and make them more accessible to a wider range of candidates.
Embedding Inclusion in Core Work Programs
Inclusion, diversity, and equality objectives are being integrated into Historic England’s staff appraisal processes and personal development programs. This integration ensures that these values are embedded in every aspect of the organisation’s work.
Strategic Framework
The strategy is organised into three strands, each with specific aims:
- Our Work: To make Historic England‘s work inclusive and relevant to a diverse audience.
- Our People: To create a workforce that reflects the demographics of the communities in which they operate.
- The Historic Environment Sector: To develop expertise and partnerships that foster diversity and inclusivity within the sector.
Conclusion
Historic England’s strategy is a testament to its commitment to fostering an inclusive, diverse workforce that reflects the communities it serves. By expanding early career opportunities, building a network of Diversity Champions, revamping recruitment processes, and empowering young talent, Historic England is paving the way for a more inclusive future in the historic environment sector. This approach not only enriches the organisation but also ensures that England’s heritage is preserved and celebrated by a workforce as diverse as the history it represents.
