This year 14% of external hires to the Bank of Ireland – equal to 148 roles – have self-declared as being from an ethnic minority.
Bank of Ireland has been accredited as an Investing in Ethnicity Employer in recognition of its progress in developing an inclusive and ethnically diverse workforce that is reflective of the population.
The accreditation was made by Investing in Ethnicity, an organisation established to encourage greater ethnic diversity in the workplace.
“Our colleagues increasingly reflect the diversity we see amongst our more than 4m customers”
To achieve this accreditation Bank of Ireland has implemented a number of recommendations made by the organisation, and is taking a range of other steps including monitoring ethnicity at all stages of recruitment, creating dedicated talent programs for career pathways, and providing unconscious bias training for all hiring managers.
Diversity and inclusion
This year 14% of external hires to the Bank – equal to 148 roles – have self-declared as being from an ethnic minority. This will speed progress in the Group being more fully reflective of the broader population.
“We value diversity in our business for a number of very clear reasons,” said Deirdre Gavin, Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Bank of Ireland.
“At its core, this is not just the right thing to do. It is also the commercially sensible thing to do.
“We want to understand our customers better, and do more business with them. Our colleagues increasingly reflect the diversity we see amongst our more than 4m customers. We also want to be one of the best places to work, offering excellent customer products and services today and innovating for the future. The talent to do this is everywhere. It doesn’t all look or sound the same, or come from the same background.
“We know we need people of different backgrounds and experiences bringing their diverse talents and perspectives to our company. The same goes for Ireland. Diversity is in the spotlight now, and it’s important we acknowledge how vital it is to the future development of our economy and society.”
Main image at top: Bank of Ireland Multi-Cultural Network committee members Yemi Ajomale, Taniya Srivastava and Christine Simiyu along with Kate Butler, Bank of Ireland Inclusion & Diversity Lead and Chief People Officer, Matt Elliott
