City named inclusive employer by DCA

The Diversity Council Australia (DCA) has confirmed that City of Stirling is one of just 30 organisations nation-wide that have met its criteria to be listed as an Inclusive Employer 2022-2023.

The City participated in DCA’s Inclusive Employer Index to better understand and celebrate diversity and inclusion in the organisation, which saw City employees complete an anonymous survey.

The DCA is the leading independent, not-for-profit body for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, providing unique research, events and programs, curated resources and advice to over 1,100 member organisations. Member organisations of DCA are estimated to employ nearly two million Australians, representing up to 20 per cent of the Australian workforce.

Only employers who exceed the national index benchmark on at least five out of six measures – awareness, engagement, inclusive organisation, inclusive leadership, inclusive team and exclusion – are eligible for this status.

Mayor Mark Irwin said the City was dedicated to ensuring its multicultural community remains vibrant, inclusive and welcoming.

“This is just as true of our vision for the community as it is for our workforce. The 2021 Census showed us just how diverse we are in the City of Stirling, with almost 65 per cent of people living in the City having one or more parents born overseas,” he said.

“Employees in our workforce speak 55 languages, with 32 per cent speaking more than one language. Our team belongs to 19 different religions and come from 68 different cultural backgrounds, with 42 per cent born overseas.

“Therefore there is no surprise that an overwhelming 92 per cent of the employees who completed our survey supported more action to create a diverse and inclusive workplace.”

City of Stirling CEO Stuart Jardine PSM said the City of Stirling was delighted to be recognised by the Diversity Council of Australia with Inclusive Employer status.

“Local government works best when it employs people who are a part of the community, and who reflect the diversity of that community,” he said.

“Real workplace inclusion is determined by a broad set of factors including age, cultural background, caring responsibilities, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity, and the City takes each of these as seriously as the next.

“Research by the DCA found that employees working for an inclusive organisation are four times less likely to experience discrimination or harassment, eight times more likely to be both highly effective and highly innovative, and four times more likely to provide excellent customer service.

“The City is very proud of our customer satisfaction rate – which currently sits at 94 per cent – and we understand that much of this success is due to the diverse nature of our workforce and the important role individuals play in delivering important services for our customers and ratepayers.”

Diversity Council of Australia Chief Executive Officer Lisa Annese said recognition as an Inclusive Employer was the only one of its kind in Australia.

“The organisations who have participated in this year’s Inclusive Employer Index are demonstrating their commitment to inclusion and through their participation they can reflect on their achievements and identify ways to do even better,” she said.

“Our Inclusive Employer Index is rigorous, and it is not an award. It is a way to measure the work of inclusion in employers in a robust way. Those who have been recognised today are doing the work of diversity and inclusion and making progress on greater inclusion.”