National Equality
Standard Final Report
Sample for illustration only

LIMITATIONS OF THE SAMPLE REPORT:The following document provides an overview of the key elements of a NES final assessment report. This document is limited in scope, its purpose
is to provide a snapshot and does not include the levelSectionof detailor Chapter
which
title would be provided in a client report.

In this report1.

Foreword

03

2.

Methodology

05

3.

NES Quick read – Summary of results

07

4.

NES Quick read – Key outcomes

5.

Detailed recommendations

17

6.

Observations against individual competencies

26

7.

Detailed culture assessment results

Appendix

13

34
33

Assessing organisation

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2

01

Foreword

Section or Chapter title

We are delighted to be assisting the organisation with its
National Equality Standard Assessment. It was evident
that the Organisation has put significant resource andinput into their Diversity & Inclusion strategy andactivities, and that these significant efforts are starting tochange the organisation andimpactthe LEAGUE
culture.FOR
These
ASK THEPREMIERTHE RIGHT
PICUTRE TO USE
HERE
include the Leadership engagement
programme
and thediversity agents.
Arun Batra
CEO and Founder of the National
Equality Standard

The organisation should be very proud of the successes todate. However there is some room for improvement and
we are sure that the recommendations outlined in thisreport will help the Organisation progress to the nextstage in its D,E&I journey
Our methodology incorporated a robust review of
documentation and a broad set of interviews andconsultations. Thank you to all of you that took time toengage and support this immensely important piece ofwork.

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02

Methodology

Section or Chapter title

The scope of our work
Our review took place between January and May 20XX. It consisted of three key stages.

Stage 1: Evidence review§ Technical interviews with key stakeholders for your D,E&I team. These included the
HR Director, the head of organisational Development, Head of HR Operations, theprocurement lead, Head of D,E&I, Head of Engagement, Head of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) and communications. We also spoke to leads from a range of thestaff support networks.
§ A detailed review of the documentation that was discussed within these technicalinterviews.

Stage 2: Interviews and focus groups§ X number of on-site/telephone interviews and five focus groups with staff based atyour headquarters in London and in the other three key locations.
§ The purpose of these interviews and focus groups was to validate the evidence
reviewed during stage 1.

Our methodology in numbers

X number

Pieces of supporting
documentation
reviewed

Y numberIn depth
conversations withstaff

Z numberStaffsurveyed

Stage 3: Final results and report§ Preliminary results were shared and discussed with in June 20XX.
§ This report lays out the final results and recommendations.

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5Section or Chapter title

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03

Section or Chapter title

Summary of results

Overview

Headline results

The organisation has engaged EY to conduct a National Equality Standard (NES)
assessment. The NES is a best practice framework designed to assess anorganisation’s proficiency against all areas of diversity as defined by the Equality Act
2010. The organisation’s policies and practices relating to diversity and inclusion(D,E&I) have been assessed against the 35 competencies contained within the NES
framework. The organisation has been evaluated as fully compliant against 26 ofthese.

NES certification requires:

This report details the process undertaken to complete the NES assessment,
observations of current good practice which meet or exceed NES requirements andrecommendations for improvement, where applicable, to reach the required level ofproficiency for NES certification.

The organisation’s NES results are as follows:

The assessment was undertaken in two key stages. The first stage was a series oftechnical interviews and documentary review of the evidence provided. This enabled
the assessor to gain an understanding of The Organisation’s intended approach to
D,E&I and whether The organisation had met the requirements of the standard
within its documentary evidence. The second stage comprised of on-site interviews.
Interviews took place with employees and leadership to supplement and validate
any evidence already reviewed.
Following a comprehensive review via a documentary analysis and a series ofinterviews, The organisation has been assessed as currently meeting the level
required for NES certification• 25 competencies to be Met• 0 competencies to be Not met• A minimum of 3/5 competencies graded Met within each of the
NES’ seven pillars

15

15 of the NES’s 35 competencies have been Met

17

17 of the NES’s 35 competencies have been graded
Partially met

3

3 of the NES’s 35 competencies have been graded
Not met

3/7

A minimum of 3/5 competencies have been graded‘Met’ in three of the NES’s seven pillars

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03

Summary of results

Section or Chapter title

Scoring against 35 competencies
The organisation’s results against each of the 35 competencies within the NES frameworkCorecomponents
EDI

l 1.1 CultureYourtalentl 2.1 Talent attraction l 3.1 Strategy&
l 1.2 Policies & practices l 2.2 Recruitment
onboarding

l 1.3 Engagement
surveyYourbusiness

Appraisal &l 3.2 BiasYourpeoplel 4.1 Feedback
mechanism

Your
leadershipYourrelationships

Commitment &External relationships

l 5.1 accountability l 6.1 & CSR

health &&l 4.2 Mental
l 5.2 Visibility
wellbeing
messagingl 3.3 Business case l 4.3 Flexible working l 5.3 Inclusive
leadershipl 6.3 insightl 1.4 Targeted training l 2.4 Career
progression&
Senior-levell 3.4 Governance l 4.4 Adjustments
l 5.4 scrutiny
accessibilityl 6.4 regulations&
l 1.5 Communications l 2.5 Learning
development

l 3.5 Setting
priorities

Key:

Middlel 4.5 Caring
l 5.5 management
responsibilities

l 7.1 Pay gap

l 6.2 Supplier relationships l 7.2 Data analysis

l 2.3 performancemonitoring

Review andmeasurement

Customerl 7.3 implementation

Action planning &Industry insight &l 7.4 Review

l 6.5 modern slavery

Human rights &l 7.5 Measuring impact

2/5

3/5

3/5

1/5

3/5

2/5

1/5

x

ü

ü

x

ü

x

x

Competency has been graded Met

Competency has been graded Partially met

Competency has been graded Not met

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03

Section or Chapter title

Summary of results
Summary of legal
regulations

ü No default retirement age forAge

Flexible retirement

Youth group

Competency 3.5

Competency 3.5

The table on the right details asummary of both legal regulations
and the key supporting activities inplace which relate to each of theprotected characteristics, as well associal mobility (which is not
currently protected under UK
equality law), and reporting
requirements under the Financial
Conduct Authority (FCA) Corporate
Governance Code and theCompanies Miscellaneous Reporting
Regulations 2018.
The table should be read from left
to right.

Disability

Recruitment approach

Building accessibility

Competency 4.2

Competency 4.4

Genderreassignment

Gender reassignment policy

Trans employee blog

Competency 1.2

Competency 1.2

Marriage and civil
partnership

Relevant policies include a lens forsame sex couples

Pregnancy andmaternity

Relevant policies in place
Competency 1.2

Competency 1.2

Race

BLAME network

Senior champion

Data gathering

Competency 2.1

Competency 6.1

Religion and belief

Adapted uniforms

Multi-faith network

Competency 4.4

Competency 6.3

Sex

Women’s Network

Gender recruitment targets

Gender panel pledge

Competency 3.4

Competency 2.4

Competency 2.4

Sexual orientation

LGBT+ Network

Data gatheringSocial mobility

Out reach activity plans

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Protected characteristic

The NES is a holistic assessment
which seeks to ensure all legal
regulations have been considered
and the nine protectedcharacteristics have been
supported.

Culture and Corporate
Governance*staffü Compliant with gender pay
reportingü Compliant with flexible
working regulations

with the Modern
ü Compliant
Slavery Act

Competency 1.2

Competency 2.5

Competency 3.5

Family friendly policy

Competency 3.5

Competency 2.1

Not applicable
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► * Regulations as defined by the FCA Corporate Governance Code and the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018

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03

Section or Chapter title

Summary of results

The NES D,E&I model below demonstrates the assessor’s analysis of the organisation’s current maturity level. The model shows increasing levels of proficiency with regard to the extent
to which D,E&I culture is embedded within an organisation. It may be used as a tool to identify an organisation’s standing within the broader maturity spectrum and the stages that anorganisation will need to travel through in order to achieve and sustain a truly inclusive culture.

The Organisation
Level 3
Awareness“I can be myself”

Level 2Complacency“We are all the same, really”

Level 1
Compliance“Us and them”• Overemphasis of mutual
characteristics, hiding deeper
recognition and appreciation ofother values, beliefs and practices

FeaturesüPolicies focused only on
regulatory requirements, no dataon staff collected or analysed

Impact on
businessandpeople• Judgmental, often clichéd view ofcultural differences• Business disruption through highattrition and absenteeism• staff are cynical and mistrustful ofleadershipüLimited diversity data (gender,
age and ethnicity) collected but
not proactively analysed• ‘Don't ask don't tell’ culture stifles
team spirit and creativity• staff disengaged and unlikely tocontribute discretionary efforts• Recognise, appreciate and value
difference• Recognition of the barriers toprogression and good intent toremove and progressüStrategy in place but limited follow
throughüLeadership commitmentüUnconscious bias awarenessüDefined business case fordiversityüLimited metricsüLimited tracking & monitoring of
key business processesüNetworks and groups driving
change• Business starts to understand,through evidence, the positive
impact on productivity andengagement of diversity
interventions• staff feel valued and teams
perform better

Level 4Integration“Diversity helps us innovate”• Deep understanding at all levels• Clear ownership andaccountability• “The more diverse we are, themore productive and innovative”

üHigh level of leadershipaccountability, with examples ofobjectives set, progressed andachievedüDiversity data collection andmetrics available, used toreshape the strategic approach
for inclusionüBusiness case for diversity fully
embedded and contextualised foreach division• Increase in engagement scores,
greater visible diversity of senior
management• staff seeking mentors and taking
responsibility for personal careerdevelopment

Level 5
Inclusion“Diversity drives our businessgrowth"• A core component of businessactivity and process• Capable of shifting cultural
perspective and changing
behaviourüActions implemented andevaluation of impact conductedüLessons learnt fed into
continuous improvement, future
strategy and plansüVisible leaders, role modelling
inclusivity, with a noticeablechange in the diversity profileüDedicated budget and resource
leading & coordinating D,E&I• Employee resource groups drive
corporate priorities and are able
to articulate clear ROI• Business lines report higher profit
margins and sales revenues• Greater understanding of the
global market place• staff are passionate brandambassadors

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03

Section or Chapter title

Summary of Cultural Values Assessment

Summary of the cultural values assessment

Europe26.35%

Euroasia
and Africa
13.60%

Latin
America
31.75%

North
America
26.60%

Pacific
18.25%

Cost reduction

32.75%

15.38%

22.67%

22.36%

30.91%

Exploitation

18.03%

12.56%

18.28%

6.57%

6.17%

Hierarchy

25.74%

19.74%

35.96%

19.95%

15.93%

Information hoarding

15.68%

14.92%

28.56%

6.81%

8.40%

Internal competition

28.14%

10.87%

24.29%

18.38%

12.12%

Job insecurity

26.94%

5.76%

20.95%

17.06%

8.75%

Silo mentality

12.13%

16.41%

28.46%

14.41%

12.61%Long hours

24.86%

23.28%

32.42%

26.98%

22.39%

Manipulation

15.85%

9.74%

11.90%

3.89%

6.52%

Power

16.39%

11.87%

19.67%

3.89%

6.00%

Short-term focus

29.95%

14.03%

35.71%

22.84%

15.47%

Propensity for risk

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1.1
1.1

Recommendation

Section or Chapter title

Strengthening the organisational culture to promote D,E&I

CultureWhat we recommend (1/2)

What we observed••

Diversity is identified and communicated as
one of the core values of the organisation
and referenced in the employee culture
handbook.
The annual D,E&I report, published in 2020references an ambition for a ‘culture ofinclusion and belonging, where ourdifferences are celebrated’•

Focus groups highlighted current cultural
challenges with references to a hierarchal,'oldfashioned'
andinconsistentorganisational culture.

•

We noted some incidents of bullying andharassment being raised through the focus
group conversations.

•

Employees further reported at times
feeling reluctant to speak up at publicforums due to fear of repercussions.

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The organisation could benefit from actively working towards cultivating an inclusive organisational culture which supports the rapid organisational growthand minimizes the possibilities for biased decisions. This could be achieved by better understanding and measuring the existing organisational culture
through identifying the prevalent behaviours currently in the business, defining a set of desired inclusive behaviours and measuring to what extend these arebeing adopted throughout the organisation.
Defining

Developing

Embedding

Measuring

Defining and promoting organisational values and behaviours required to foster an inclusive culture•

Consider adding a new inclusion related value to the strategy to highlight the organisational commitment to D,E&I and how it should be core to thecompany.

•

Consider how this new inclusion related value will be engaging and keeping in line with the current culture at the organisation, going beyond just‘diversity’ to capture the workforces passion around D,E&I.

•

Throughout this, it is important to engage with leadership and employees to test and challenge the new value through a ‘values project’. This serves
as a consultation with the wider organisation to understand what employees and leaders feel should be a core DE&I related company value, allowing
employees to select their preference and the reason why.

Developing your “speak up” programme•

As part of the effort of creating an inclusive organisational culture, the organisation should focus on developing a “speak up“ programme that willallow employees to be open and transparent when experiencing or witnessing inappropriate behaviours, as this is fundamental to a successful D,E&I
programme.

•

Outlined are components of a successful speak-up programme which we believe could benefit the organisation if introduced:•

Creating leadership accountability for creating an inclusive working environment•

Improve data capture around unacceptable behaviours•

Emphasise positive messaging around speaking up•

Build multiple points of feedback into the performance appraisal process•

Carry out detailed and granular trends analysis•

Review the diversity of those fielding complaints•

Acknowledge the contribution made by those who speak up

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1.1

Recommendation 1

Section or Chapter title

Strengthening the organisational culture to promote D,E&I

What we recommend (2/2)
Embedding the values and behaviours to ensure employee and leadership alignment• Appraisals: Consider if it is possible to include a weighted behavioural element in development conversations. For example, in line manager and direct report development
conversations as part of the performance reviews, employees could be asked to describe which two values they have lived the most in that assessing period and how they have done
this. These points can then be discussed to recognise the contribution of those whose performance is aligned to the company purpose and objectives.
• Training: It could be of benefit to consider curating values learning ‘playlists’ to provide guidance on how to live the required behaviours defined in the strategy. The purpose of thisis to raise a common level of awareness and understand on how to live company values and what this means for the ways of working. It is also recommended to include coreresources/ materials in the onboarding process for new joiners.
• Reward and recognition: Further to the existing awards programme, the organisation could review the possibility of holding monthly or quarterly ‘values awards’ whereby employees
and leaders nominate those they feel are living the company behaviours, with a small sentence to explain how. Leaders of these organisations will pick the winner against the
explanation and a small prize or voucher is awarded.

Measuring and monitoring culture• Undertake a company-wide review to understand the current and desired cultural
attributes and behaviours across each business unit. This should include a deep-diveinto the enablers and blockers related to the desired organisational culture, taking
into account issues raised by employee groups through structured feedback or otherlistening mechanisms.
• The review should explore alignment between the ambition of the D,E&I strategy andemployee perceptions, highlighting areas of dysfunction and identifying variances inexperiences of diverse staff.
• The review should also include a lens on core organisational processes such as
promotions and career development and the impact of current cultural attributes onthese.
• The cultural assessment could be repeated annually and the results analysed withother available organisational data to explore correlations between culture andbusiness performance.
• Please see an example of a cultural assessment dashboard, which can de used to deep
dive on existinganddesired behaviours over time, track progress and summarize
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