Diversity & Inclusion (L1)

Question 1

What is your firm’s equality, inclusion and diversity policy?

Answer 1

The aim is to make sure no job applicant, employee or worker feels discriminated against.
1. Recruitment selection – do not discriminate
2. Training & Promotion – senior staff training
3. Monitoring – collect data to assess effectiveness of policy

Question 2

What does Equality mean?

Answer 2

Equality means ensuring everyone has the same opportunities to fulfil their potential free from discrimination.

Question 3

What does Inclusion mean?

Answer 3

Inclusion means ensuring everyone feels comfortable to be themselves at work and feels the worth of their contribution.

Question 4

What does Diversity mean?

Answer 4

Diversity means the celebration of individual differences amongst the workforce.

Question 5

What does the Equality Act 2010 do?

Answer 5

Makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based upon NINE protected characteristics.

Question 6

What are the nine protective characteristics?

Answer 6

Gender
Race
Religion
Marriage / civil partnership
Sexual orientation
Gender reassignment
Age
Disability
Pregnancy and maternity

Question 7

What is ‘Building Regulations Approved Document M: Access to and Use of Buildings’?

Answer 7

Offers practical guidance to meet Building Regulations 2010.
The guidance is split to three categories:
1. Visitable dwellings
2. Approach to the dwelling
3. Wheelchair user dwellings

Question 8

What RICS initiative was launched in 2015 to promote and increase diversity in the industry?

Answer 8

RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark

Question 9

What was the RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark launched in response to?

Answer 9

Launched 2015, a response to the sector being behind other professions in moving towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce, which is only possible if there is a measurement of this specifically to determine how inclusive an organisation is.

183 companies signed up, representing 300,000+ workforce.

Question 10

What are the FOUR key principles of the RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark?

Answer 10

Leadership
Recruitment
Culture
Development

Question 11

Explain the FOUR key principles of the RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark?

Answer 11

Leadership – demonstrable workforce diversity commitment at highest level.
Recruitment – using best practice recruitment methods engage to attract new people from under-represented industry groups.
Culture – develop an inclusive culture where all staff engage with developing, delivering, monitoring and assessing diversity and inclusivity
Development – training and promotion policies that offer equal access to career progression to all workforce members.

Question 12

What is direct discrimination/what could it involve?

Answer 12

Someone treated less favourably directly because of protected characteristic they have/someone else they know has/thought to have.
Could involve a decision to not employ, dismissal, poorer promotion/training/contractual benefits, or denying contractual benefits because of a protected characteristic.

Question 13

What is indirect discrimination/what could it involve?

Answer 13

Where you have procedures in place that make it indirectly more challenging for someone with a protected characteristic to perform, and you are unable to justify it.
Could involve a recruitment selection criteria.

Question 14

What is affinity bias?

Answer 14

Feeling an affinity with someone as they have similar life experiences.

Question 15

What is the halo effect?

Answer 15

Unfounded positive trait attribution (i.e. dressing ‘smart’ = good)

Question 16

Can you name a recent article / CPD activity you undertook relating to Diversity & Inclusion?

Answer 16

UKAA Conference 2022 - keynote speaker was on DEI, discussed the importance and how to encourage diversity in the industry.

Question 17

What recent announcement have the RICS made in relation to diversity & inclusion?

Answer 17

The Governing Council of RICS has established a strategic oversight group to steer Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives focused on building a culture of accountability and belonging, and ensuring the membership and profession better reflect the societies they serve.

Question 18

What should you do if you find out a weaker candidate has been appointed due to a personal connection within the firm, over stronger candidates for a role?

Answer 18

First - find out if the stronger candidates were overlooked due to a protected characteristic (i.g. age, sex etc). If so, this is a more serious breach of the Equality Act and the RICS Rules of Conduct, and should potentially be reported to the RICS.

If not, attempt to influence recruitment policies internally - discuss with HR / Operations Director.