Diversity Mark has announced that with the combined number of organisations it has currently signed up, it now reaches over 80,000 people in Northern Ireland, with almost 40% of those companies based within the STEM sector.
Four of NI’s largest IT firms – Allstate, Learning Pool, Liberty IT and Outsource – have been accredited through Diversity Mark for over two years, and in that time have jointly increased their female workforce by 27% overall, and by 30% specifically in senior management positions.
Diversity Mark aims to improve diversity and inclusion within businesses, and all four of these companies have grown collectively by 401 employees since they joined the organisation, with 47% of all new hires being female, tipping the overall gender balance collectively in favour of women by 3%.
Launched in 2017 by Women in Business, Diversity Mark is now the leading authority in diversity across the UK and Ireland. Its accreditation recognises a firm's commitment to embracing diversity and creating an inclusive culture for all staff.
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A McKinsey report published last year found that companies in the top quartile of gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer companies.
John Healy OBE, Vice President and Managing Director at Allstate NI, said: “Diversity is central to everything we do, and it’s needed now more than ever in the IT sector. As the first company in Northern Ireland to receive the Silver Diversity Mark, Allstate are committed to be the catalyst for change.
“In a sector where females are underrepresented, I am delighted to see the progress Allstate and the other companies have made to address this. The frameworks and resources provided by the Diversity Mark team have been invaluable in helping us to set goals, track performance and benchmark against other organisations."
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“Partnering with Diversity Mark NI to achieve our accreditation has played a key role in pushing us even further in our DEI journey. We’re growing our teams and continuing to bring diversity of talent into our organisation is critical to this," added Willie Hamilton, Managing Director at Liberty IT.
“We’re seeing improvements in gender balance across all job families including the Executive Team, and our Women in Tech Employee Resource Group have launched mentoring circles and a buddy programme, and our Talent team have introduced coaching and toolkits to support parents and those returning from a period of leave. Our DEI Council has just been established and I am excited to partner with this group to evolve DEI even further across Liberty IT."
To learn more about Diversity Mark Accreditations please click here.
To sign up to become a Diversity Mark Signatory please click here.
