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Diversity IN Check. A list of the best employers for Diversity and Inclusion in Poland

Restoring the world affected by the pandemic in a new and better way will not be possible without including the previously overlooked or marginalised social groups, both in the labour market and in the social space. On the contrary, the aim is to strive for greater social cohesion. It is therefore no coincidence that the EU taxonomy, designed as a tool to support the implementation of the European Green Deal in the EU, addresses social aspects in addition to environmental ones. It is also one of the fundamental dimensions of ESG reporting, the role of which is expected to grow.

The Diversity IN Check is a survey to diagnose the maturity of companies/organisations in managing diversity and building inclusive organisations. Organisations that are better able to meet the challenges of the modern world by leveraging the potential of diversity to enhance innovation, contribute to their financial performance and at the same time strengthen social cohesion.

Who

The project is organised by Respponsible Business Forum, the coordinator of the Polish Diversity Charter. RBF is the largest NGO in Poland addressing the concept of corporate social responsibility in a comprehensive manner, with the longest tradition in Poland, operating since 2000. The Forum is an expert organisation that initiates and partners in key activities for the Polish CSR.

Organiser: Responsible Business Forum, coordinator of the Diversity Charter in Poland

Partner: ABSL

Research partner: PBS

Substantive partners: Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute (Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy-Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, CIOP PIB), Deloitte Advisory, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Share the Care Foundation, TAKpełnosprawni Foundation

Council of Experts

Karolina Andrian, President of Share the Care Foundation
Barbara Fabisiak, project manager, PBS
Prof. Ewa Lisowska, SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Zofia Mockałło, assistant, CIOP-PIB
Paweł Panczyj, Managing Director Strategy & Partnerships, ABSL
Irena Pichola, Climate Action and Sustainability Bold Play Lead Global Public Sector, Deloitte
Agata Robińska, President of TAKpełnosprawni Foundation

Why

Each participant of the Diversity IN Check:

  • receives a Certificate of Participation, which they can use in their internal and external communications to strengthen their brand as a responsible employer who is open to diversity
  • gains knowledge about company’s maturity level in managing diversity and building inclusive workplace compared to other organisations participating in the survey in the form of an individual report/presentation
  • is given the opportunity to present the company in the media of the Diversity Charter (text, audio, video) and/or the RBF publication on the results. The organisers are also planning to prepare a publication in nationwide medium
  • promotes their organisation as a responsible employer and supports the dissemination of diversity management as well as the process of building inclusive organisations in Poland by sharing knowledge and best practices, thus contributing to greater social cohesion.

How

Methodology

The questions of the survey are based on internationally recognised standards and guidelines, such as:

  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • ISO 26000
  • GRI Standards
  • the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

In order to qualify for the Diversity IN Check, a certain number of points must be obtained based on the answers to the survey questionnaire. Minimum benchmarks are defined both in general and separately for each of the three groups of scored factors. The survey allows for an objective and transparent assessment of diversity management in an organisation.

FAQ

On what cycle is the Diversity IN Check conducted and what period should the information provided in the survey cover?

The Diversity IN Check survey is implemented on an annual basis. For the 4th edition of the survey, all information, practices and data provided should be for 2023.

For which organisations is the Diversity IN Check designed?

The Diversity IN Check is open for big and SMEs organisations and sectors: business companies, public institutions, NGOs with at least two employees.

Until when can you apply to take part in the survey?

Phase I of the survey, which involves the collection of analytical data through a questionnaire, will begin in January 2024 and will last approximately two months – during that time you can join the survey and complete the questionnaire. However, it is important to note that the data to be collected relates to many areas of the organisation’s operations and a last day submission may result in insufficient time to complete the questionnaire with reliable data. Therefore, it is advisable to proceed with the survey in time adequate to obtain all needed information.

How to apply to take part in the study?

To join the survey, please complete the application form available on the Diversity in Check website.

After completing the application form, fulfilling the conditions for participation in the survey and paying the fee (if applicable) according to the fee table available in the project regulations (pdf), the organisation receives an individual link to participate in the survey. The link directs you to the survey questionnaire. It is possible to repeatedly close and resume the survey at the point of completion, at any time. The answers entered are saved automatically, but only when you move on to the next screen (rather than immediately after entering/selecting an answer). After 30 minutes of inactivity, the session expires. Completing the survey simultaneously on several devices and in several browser windows at the same time may result in the loss of some data.

The data entered by the organisations is stored on the secure servers of the Project Research Partner – PBS.

When will the latest List of Employers Most Advanced in Diversity Management and Inclusion in Poland be published?

The list will be public in May 2024, on the occasion of the Diversity Month celebrations. The exact date will be announced at a later date. The organiser reserves the right to create separate lists for micro and small and medium and large organisations.

What is the threshold for an organisation to enter the List of Employers Most Advanced in Diversity Management and Inclusion in Poland?

In order to qualify for the List of the most advanced employers in diversity management and inclusion in Poland it is necessary to obtain a certain number of points for the answers to the questions included in the Diversity IN Check questionnaire. The minimum score necessary to qualify for the List is defined both in general and separately for each of the scoring areas (management basics, programmes and activities, building commitment, results/outcome indicators). Organisations that qualify for the List developed on the basis of the results of the Diversity IN Check, reaching a level of DEI sophistication in accordance with the adopted methodology, will be presented in alphabetical order. The final composition of the 4th List of Employers Most Advanced in Diversity Management and Inclusion in Poland will be approved by the Experts of Project. The Organiser reserves the right to create separate lists for micro and small as well as medium and large organisations.

Will the information provided by the organisation and the score it has obtained be made public?

The detailed score obtained by the participating organisation will not be publicly available. It will only be made available to the organisation to which the score relates.

Organisations that do not obtain the minimum number of points to enter the List will also receive detailed information on the results obtained in the survey.

Details and data provided by companies and organisations in the research survey will NOT be made public to any extent.

What information and data should the organisations forming the group provide?

In the case of organisations forming a group, all answers to the questionnaire should in principle relate to the group itself and not to the practices and activities carried out by other entities in the group. The activities and practices described in the questionnaire should be carried out in Poland.

Will the information provided in the questionnaire be verified?

Responses from a specific random sample of participating organisations’ questionnaires will be reviewed and assessed for consistency with source documents and/or additional information obtained during interviews with representatives of participating organisations.

By taking part in the survey, the organisation agrees to the verification of the correctness of the answers provided in the questionnaire/correspondence with the actual state of affairs in the organisation by the FOB experts online/at a meeting in the premises of the organisation/FOB or by sending documents confirming the data entered.

The organisation, whose answers will be verified, is obliged to present, within the timeframe agreed with the FOB, documents (in paper or electronic form) confirming the correctness/correctness of the answers/information provided in the project questionnaire.

Where information provided by an organisation constitutes a business secret (i.e. is marked as 'confidential’ by the company), the Responsible Business Forum is obliged to keep it confidential. This restriction does not apply to information that is public information or information obtained from other sources without an obligation of confidentiality.

To what extent/which indicators from the Diversity IN Check support non-financial ESG reporting?

Diversity In Check largely supports ESG reporting, particularly in the 'S’ area, although not exclusively.

In preparation for participation in the DINC survey, the organisation conducts a review of existing strategies, policies and procedures (including, but not limited to, codes) internally regarding sustainability issues, diversity management, respect for human rights, anti-discrimination, anti-bullying and anti-harassment, and procedures for working with contractors. This is part of the existing internal procedures falling into/supporting reporting in the area of 'Sustainability management (policies, strategies, objectives)’.

The biggest reference of the DINC survey to ESG reporting is in the area of social indicators. Here we have direct reference to indicators S-P1 diversity in supervisory bodies and S-P2 equal pay index. The S-P3 employment turnover rate, S-P5 human rights policy and S-P6 human rights due diligence procedures are also common.

In area 'G’, the DINC study supports the reporting of indicators: ethics standards G-P2, violation reporting mechanisms G-P4.

Do all outcome indicators correspond to the GRI indicators?

No. The DINC survey examines diversity management in detail and therefore some of the survey indicators go beyond the GRI standard.

Get in touch

Companies interested in taking part in the survey are invited to contact us.