RICS to launch ‘Quality’ scheme to encourage diversity and best practice

26 May 2015

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The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is launching a new initiative to help property firms across Scotland create a more inclusive and competitive workforce.

RICS has been working across the land, property and construction industry and learning from other professions to find out what is not working and what can be improved diversity wise. Findings from the organisation’s research have led to the launch of the Inclusive Employer Quality Mark, designed to help firms gain a competitive advantage and a diverse workforce.

Launching next month, the Inclusive Employer Quality Mark asks employers to pledge their commitment to adopting and continually improving against the following six principles:

Leadership and Vision– commitment to increasing the diversity of the workforce

Recruitment – engage and attract new people to the industry from under-represented groups; best practice recruitment methods

Staff development– training/promotion policies that offer equal opportunities for career progression

Staff retention– flexible working arrangements/adaptive working practices

Staff engagement– an inclusive culture where all staff engage with developing, delivering, monitoring and assessing the diversity and inclusivity policies

Continuous improvement– continually refreshing and renewing the firm’s commitment to being the best employer; sharing and learning from best practice across the industry

Accompanying each of the RICS six principles are multiple ‘proof points’, against which signatories will be required to document – on a bi-annual basis - the action they are taking to ensure they meet or are working towards each principle. RICS has created two separate criteria metrics too so that both small and large firms are assessed fairly. RICS will use the assessments to document the outcomes and trends for the profession as a whole.

Louise Brooke-Smith, RICS president, said: “The Employer Quality Mark is a step change that the profession needs. This initiative has been discussed with, and has the support and encouragement of, a number of leading firms - both large and small – across the land and property sector.

“Employee needs are changing, along with their expectations and demographic make-up. By committing to the Quality Mark, firms will gain a competitive advantage, while an inclusive approach allows organisations to reflect and engage with their clients more effectively and efficiently.”

Sarah Speirs, director RICS Scotland, added: “If current workforce statistics about our industry don’t improve, Britain will stop building in 2019. We need to bring more skilled and qualified people into our sector, and until we change the culture in the workplace, we are not going to attract the brightest and the best.”