10 proven ways to make your procurement and supply teams more inclusive

Prioritising ED&I (equality, diversity and inclusion) is key for building inclusive procurement and supply teams. Employers that are inclusive in their working practices can be more effective and better performing. 

Latest insights from the CIPS Procurement & Supply Salary Guide 2024, produced in partnership with Hays, show there’s work to be done in this area. And that organisations must make ED&I a bigger priority. 

Here are 10 proven ways to make your procurement and supply teams more inclusive. 

Recruit for behaviours and competencies, not character traits  

Keep your jobs adverts clear and specific by requesting only the specific behaviours and competencies required for a role. Asking for character traits in a job advert can deter both women and ethnic minorities from applying for a role and may limit your talent pool. According to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD): “Women and ethnic minority candidates are more likely to apply for roles where the requirements are expressed as behaviours rather than character traits.” Zoe Brooks, an advocate for ED&I and a former procurement director for Atlantis Resorts, says fair recruitment practices are the way to unlock diverse talent. “Our fair hiring practices at Atlantis led to a great mix of nationalities and industry experiences and brought our team diverse skills and perspectives. This diversity drove our success and made us stronger,” she says.  

Remove biased language from your job adverts  

Make sure your job adverts are free from identity-based stereotypes. This includes language that is stereotypically masculine (“ambitious”, “hierarchy”, “decisive”) or stereotypically feminine (“compassionate”, “cooperative”, “empathetic”). Job adverts that use biased language can set a false expectation of what’s required for a role and have a marginalising effect on the people who apply for it.  

Offer flexible working by default  

Where possible, advertise roles with flexible working options by default. This includes working from home, compressed hours, and flexitime. Flexible working improves workplace diversity by making jobs more accessible for disabled people, those with caring responsibilities, as well as younger and older workers. Evidence suggests that not offering part-time work (which is mostly undertaken by women), for example, can negatively impact an organisation’s gender pay gap.  

Include salaries in job adverts and make them non-negotiable  

Publishing salaries or salary ranges in job adverts can help to increase pay equality and pay transparency.  According to research, marginalised people are less likely to have connections with existing staff in an organisation who can share information on pay for roles. So, sharing salary information upfront can help to level the playing field. If pay for a role is negotiable and must be so, make sure this is outlined in the job advert and that it doesn’t disproportionally affect minority groups.  

Advertise the benefits and policies you offer  

Advertising your benefits and policies in your job adverts can help to attract diverse applicants and is great for promoting inclusivity. Certain benefits such as longer parental leave and generous pension contributions are especially good for increasing equality, diversity, and inclusion.   

Make the recruitment experience inclusive  

Provide candidates with clear information upfront at recruitment stage to ensure the recruitment experience is inclusive. This includes outlining the key recruitment stages for a role in both the job advert and in your communications with candidates. Setting clear expectations for jobs can be especially supportive for those with caring responsibilities or those working unpredictable hours, who may be unable to interview flexibly.  

Pair diversity with inclusion  

True diversity comes from providing a sense of belonging. Recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates, while simultaneously ensuring your existing staff feel listened to, included and heard, can help to provide a sense of belonging in your procurement and supply team. And, by extension, spark both innovation and enthusiasm.  

Act on the data you collect  

Data collection is easy, but it’s what you do with the data that counts. Use the data you gather on your ED&I efforts to drive positive change in your procurement and supply team. This includes drilling down to detail on specific data and pinpointing areas for improvement.   

Make ED&I your day-to-day  

Don’t wait for diversity days to improve your ED&I efforts. Relying on these days to show your diversity commitments is performative and tick-boxing and should really be avoided. Instead, take time to build a mindset of ED&I in your team that’s embedded in your daily practices and cultures. AI Salman Hospital in Kuwait achieved just this with its ongoing efforts to cultivate a diverse workforce. “Our efforts have led to increased innovation, improved decision-making, and a stronger sense of belonging among our staff,” says Fares AIMethen, central supply chain manager for AI Salman Hospital.   

Empower individuals for lasting change  

Lasting change takes collective effort. For ED&I, this means building a culture from the ground up where employees feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute their unique perspective. “It’s a strategic advantage,” says Fares. Or as Pat Law, an expert in recruitment and talent development puts it, ED&I is not a label; it’s a live, ongoing thing that you have to keep going. 

To learn more about driving ED&I in procurement and supply, read the CIPS Procurement & Supply Salary Guide 2024.