‘Diversity management &

promoting women access to high level positions in Belgium’

Silvia Akif

Head of Diversity

Centre of Expertise

Diversity@SELOR –

selection office of the

federal Government

© selor

AGENDA

1. SELOR

2. Diversity :

- In Belgium

- Diversity management@SELOR

- top skills programme

3. Diversity Centre of

expertise

20 juni 2011

1. SELOR

selection office of the (federal)

Government in Belgium

“Make your talent public”

Mission statements

1. SELOR TALENT – MANAGEMENT

2. SELOR PROXIMITY

3. POWERED BY SELOR – HR reference

4. CENTRE OF EXPERTISE

5. SELOR ENGAGEMENT

5

Expertise of Selor (1)

• Competence-oriented selections at all levels (from technicians to managers, written as well as CBT)

• Organization of massive selections (competitions) => branding/profiling

• Performed capacity of computer based tests (over 450 units)

• R&D : huge CB test library

Expertise of Selor (2)

• R&S tools, procedures, methods…(standardized, neutral, unbiased, objective)

• Competence certification (languages (3 national + sign language), security,…)

• Clients certification - coaching (Selor certified)

• Diversity management

(centre of expertise)

2. Diversity :

- In Belgium

- Diversity management

SELOR

- TOP SKILLS programme

Diversity in Belgium

8

GENDER

- Men: 48,1 %

- Women: 51,9 %

Government : 15% (TOP))

Population

(2009):

10.880.588

Ethnic and cultural minorities

- Became Belgians (2009): 22.128

- Non Belgians (2008): 971.448

Government : 0,5% non Belgians

People with disabilities

- Long term limitations : 10 -

15 %

Government : 0,9%

Sexual orientation

HOLEBIS

Estimation (2009): 5 – 10 % Poverty (2009)

15,2%

Diversity in selections (SELOR)

9

Selection commision

members

- Men : 69%

- Women : 31%

Ethnic and cultural minorities

??? (estimation 15%/selection)

People with disabilities :

749 reasonable

accommodations (2009)

3000 adaptations since 2004

Success rate = no RA candidates

Satisfaction : 8,7/10

Application rate at the

TOP level selections: ♀

20% - ♂ : 80%

Gender (2009):

Men: 55%

Women: 45%

Success rate ♀: 32%

Success rate ♂ : 29%

2. Diversity :

- In Belgium

- Diversity management

SELOR

- TOP SKILLS programme

SELOR: Diversity Management

=> Strategic process:

Mission and goals :

1. Guarantee equal opportunities, treatment and access to the public services and jobs to all

2. PROXIMITY

3. Increase the representativeness of target groups in our Governments and reflect the diversity of our country better

4. Real diversity management :employ diversity!

Diversity management

SELOR

A project approach aimed at diversity target

groups (gender, ethnic minorities, people

with disabilities, under-qualified, poverty, …)

+ network philosophy (target groups,

experts, networks,…) => allows to convert

this process in a concrete methodology with

a focus on competences.

Concretely…

• Principles: inclusion – „bottom up‟ – project approach - network expertise

• Colour of the skin, sex/gender, age, convictions, disabilities, sexual preferences, …have NO influence at all on your results

• ONLY COMPETENCES count!!!

• Importance of eliminating ALL barriers to the expression of the competences

MANAGEMENT

People with

disabilities

Ethnic and

cultural

minorities

Gender

Federal

diversity

network

Centre of expertise

products to private

sector, EU

/international

institutions, other non

mandatory clients,…

TARGET

GROUPS

Scientific

commitee

SCIENCE,

UNIVERSITIES

DIVERSITY

NETWORK

CERTIFICATION SELECTION Other departments

Associations,

integration

organisms,

bodies, …

1

2

3

4

(“Diversity in the workplace – when we are equal but not the

same” (2005) Nour, S., Thisted, L.)

2. Diversity :

- In Belgium

- Diversity management

SELOR

- TOP SKILLS programme

TOP SKILLS

programme

How to increase the representativeness of

women in top management positions

…and still avoid quotas?

top skills : why?

Context-Background

• Women do not get equally promoted as men

• Considerable differences in salary, professional

trajectories and careers

• No matter what sector of activities or country we

consider, women are always under-represented

at management levels

• „bottom up‟ field study (workshops, events,

networks,…)

6/20/2011 18

Context – Belgian Federal

Government

6/20/2011 19

Some figures:

• % belgian population: ♀>♂

• Higher educated than men

• Success rate : ♀ >♂ (school, university, management selections,…)

• Application rate ♀ <♂ (20% of female applications VS 80% male)

• Board: ♀ <♂ (only 1 female manager for 6 male managers => 15% women on the federal TOP)

=> Federal mission: reflect the diversity of our country (>50%) and hire more women at the TOP

Top skills : goals

• ↑ female applications and their representativeness at

the TOP level of our Government (+ everywhere else)

• Help ambitious women climb and realise what is the

real level of their management skills (feedback)

• Demystify & be transparent : Inform women about the

selection procedure and the status of a federal

manager

• Identify & reduce personal and psychological

obstacles/barriers to their ascension (litt)

(vs glass ceiling)

6/20/2011 20

Top skills : HOW?

TOP skills screening : development centre

Simulation of a real TOP selection procedure :

demystify & be transparent

Feedback on their strengths and weaknesses,

self-marketing skills, barriers,…+ tools

Identify obstacles/barriers and reduce them!

Research (psychological and organizational

factors) + impact of the programme on their

career

6/20/2011 21

Methodology

• STEP 1: obstacles/barriers hunting

• STEP 2: Simulation of the TOP Selection

5 management skills tested (high level management case):

1. Capacity of vision and integration

2. Sense of responsabilities and taking initiatives

3. Convincing and negociating

4. Flexible and innovative thinking

5. Collaborating and developing networks

6/20/2011 22

Methodology

• STEP 3: Development centre - Awareness

– feedback – tools

• STEP 4 : Demystify & be transparent

• STEP 5: Impact of TOP SKILLS on their

career and obstacles/barriers

TOP SKILLS : Results

• 3 editions (2008/2009 – 2009/2010 –

2010/2011) - 200 women tested

• 25% applied directly after TOP SKILLS for a

management position

• 70 % adopted active actions in order to apply

• ♀ application rate ↑ 10% > TOP SKILLS I

(20%=>30%)

• ↑12% application rate within female

candidates group (2009-2010)

• 65% have a clear professional project

The value of the project:

93,17% satisfied after TOP SKILLS

• 72,8% will apply for a management position more easily after TOP SKILLS

• 76% know themselves/their skills better

• 73% feel more equipped to develop their career

• 79,3% know their strenghts and weaknesses better

• 86% know better the criteria and demands related to a manager profile (selection & job)

• 78% say TOP SKILLS has helped them in

their management career

• …

Full reports on www.selor.be

6/20/2011 25

TOP SKILLS today

• On-going product of the Centre of

Expertise Diversity@Selor

• Organized at least once a year (Inhouse)

• Implemented in different companies as

development tool stimulating women to

climb (Inhouse/@clients)

• Popularity ↑ (media, future TOP

SKILLS DB, consultancy, …)

CENTRE OF EXPERTISE

Diversity@Selor

Centre of expertise Diversity

& branding We offer our expertise in terms of:

Audit/Diversity Screening

Reasonable accommodations

(in/out house)

Diversity trainings (RA- disability

management, pro-diversity selection

& recruitment, …)

Diversity communication

(diversity channels, ethno-

communication)

TOP SKILLS

Ad-hoc diversity solutions

…

More information

diversity@selor.be

• SILVIA AKIF – Head of Diversity Unit & Centre of

Expertise – SELOR

Phone: 0032/27886716 – 0032/476995359

E-mail: silvia.akif@selor.be ; akifsilvia@yahoo.com

BOULEVARD BISCHOFFSHEIM 15, 1000 BRUXELLES

SELOR - www.selor.be