EXPERT OPINION and transformation over time . It ’ s about ensuring people from all walks of life , including varying demographics such as age , gender and ethnicity feel confident they are part of the team and have the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling career . It also means listening to employees and taking action to improve ways of working . This is by no means easy but will pay dividends in the long term .
Research from McKinsey has found diversity is not just a ‘ nice to have ’ but makes business sense , with diverse companies more likely to outperform less diverse organisations on profitability . As such , diversifying where companies look for new hires is crucial . They could consider local communities and schools , or even hobby groups such as sports teams , arts or music collectives which could feature fresh , motivated potential employees with a range of transferable skills useful for a career in data centres .
We at CyrusOne have partnered with University Technical College Heathrow , a specialist school teaching science , technology , maths and engineering , to help redesign its existing curriculum to allow students to gain the essential knowledge and skills needed to thrive in technical careers within the data centre sector . One of its students , Kirstie Poon , is currently on an apprenticeship with CyrusOne and has spoken about how it ’ s helped her to understand the kind of career options available to her long-term and what she ’ s looking for in a future fulltime job .
Thinking critically about hiring practices is also vital . Tech Nation , the UK network for technology entrepreneurs , has shared several ways innovators have improved their own application processes . For example , one organisation hid certain data from candidates ’ hiring profiles , such as their name and details that could reveal their age such as year of school graduation , to remove potential implicit biases , in addition to focusing on role- and task-based questions in the application process . In randomised control trials , it proved up to 60 % of applicants who were qualified could have
Steve Hayward , Senior Director European Operations , CyrusOne
been sifted out at the CV review stage . Tech Nation also found studies showing HR teams implementing this have a 96 % retention rate a year after employment .
Build the ideal apprenticeship environment
The education think tank EDSK revealed many apprentices quitting apprenticeships felt their experience was ‘ poor quality ’ with a lack of training and bad management , and even receive less than the minimum one day off a week to receive teaching . Thousands are ending these early each year , so it ’ s imperative apprenticeship providers implement structures to ensure staff feel supported www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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