HR Industry News

Microsoft UK's diversity shockwave

— 22 March 2007 —

Microsoft UK has sent a very clear message to British employers about how much it values diversity, after ditching a supplier for its ‘cavalier’ approach to the issue. The move comes as the UK arm of the global IT giant said it was increasingly looking at its suppliers' diversity policies.

Microsoft UK’s HR director, Dave Gartenberg, said he thinks it is the responsible thing to do and they are learning from experiences in the US, where many private companies insist on good diversity policies from their suppliers.

He added that the company in question was supplying a perfectly good service but Microsoft UK stopped using them because they were cavalier towards the topic

The decision follows moves by Barclays - which has started requesting diversity statistics from its legal advisors as part of its corporate social responsibility policy.

The lead taken by Barclays and Microsoft UK has prompted an increase in the numbers of UK companies insisting on good diversity practices from their suppliers according to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

A spokesperson for the institute said it is a growing trend for suppliers to be asked for their diversity policies and it has seen this grow over the past few months and it would be sensible for employers to put policies in place so they can't be caught out.

Ceridian Head of HR Operations, Sally Livermore, said the action by Microsoft should serve as a wake-up call to all UK employers not concerned with diversity. She said the action by Microsoft was laudable, and would be welcomed as a sign of progress by companies like Ceridian, who value diversity and already have effective diversity policies in place.

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