HM Revenue & Customs has announced its goals to improve diversity and inclusion within the organisation, including plans to report on their progress twice a year.
The organisation has set out their aims over the next four years into four strategic themes; representation, inclusion, capability and customer equality. The aims come as a result of HMRC’s Civil Service Talent Action Plan, released in 2014.
The HMRC diversity and inclusion strategy 2016 to 2020 details the organisation’s policy, including plans to release the progress made half-yearly to HMRC’s People Matters Committee. The strategy will extend across all of HMRC’s employees, at any level.
According to the Office of National Statistics, the Civil Service is most diverse it has ever been. At the end of 2015, there were 53.9 per cent of women in the Civil Service, compared to 53 per cent in 2010. BME staff stood at 10.6 per cent, compared to 9.2 per cent in 2010; and people with disabilities in the Civil Service is currently 8.9 per cent, compared to 7.6 per cent, five years ago.
Jon Thompson, Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary said, “A diverse, inclusive and vibrant organisation is one we should all strive to achieve. Diversity, in all its various forms, is central to our success as an organisation, ensuring a diversity of experience and thought.”
“I totally believe that we need the widest possible aperture on talent. We should be recruiting from all sections of society, not just people who’ve done the ‘right’ degree at the ‘right’ university, and we need to be open and honest with ourselves and with others about the obstacles that get in the way of that.”
“Our efforts shouldn’t stop once we’ve got people through the door though, we need to support people from underrepresented backgrounds through every stage of the talent journey – making sure we create an inclusive culture and spot and develop internal talent just as we seek out external talent. It’s our responsibility to the people we serve to make sure we’re drawing on the widest possible range of views and experiences.”
You can read the full HMRC diversity and inclusion strategy 2016 to 2020 here.
