Equalities officer jobs

Equality and diversity officers strive at eliminating discrimination in the workplace based on a variety of factors, including age, handicap, gender, color, religion, and sexual orientation. While others concentrate their efforts on one field exclusively, other people are experts in a variety of fields.

What exactly does it mean to work as an equality and diversity officer? Common employers | Education and experience requirements | Essential skill sets

Equality and diversity officers are responsible for reducing prejudice and promoting equality in a variety of settings, including businesses, schools, colleges, housing associations, social welfare organizations, and the general society at large.

The following are some of the responsibilities of the job:

bouts of running for exercise

keeping track of records and coordinating information systems

providing guidance on the impact of discrimination based on factors like age, handicap, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation

creating a statistical compilation

functioning as an advocate for persons impacted by age or handicap, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community and members of ethnic minority groups, and bringing the concerns of such groups to the public

bringing attention to concerns about equality and pushing for change

putting up and disseminating exhibits and promotional materials

reading the law and making sure it's being followed properly

putting up and giving speeches and presentations

investigation of specific instances

Key aspects of the job include making referrals to and maintaining communication with other relevant organizations (such community groups), respectively.

Take a look at our rundown of the work we do in the field of diversity and equal opportunity to learn more about this topic. You may also investigate other prospective specializations by going to the part of our HR website devoted to fields of work.

Employers who are often represented by equality and diversity officers

The Commission for Equality and the Protection of Human Rights

Associations serving professionals

The Society of Lawyers

Institutions of higher learning

The police force

Large private sector firms

Authorities at the local level

Trade unions

The Public Service Sector

Citizens Advice, in addition to the local, regional, and national media, Adviser Magazine, and the biweekly employment listings published by AdviceUK, publish advertisements for open positions. It is wise to submit unsolicited applications to companies, especially for internships and other work experience assignments.

Look through our list of companies that provide graduate training programs in human resources to get a head start on your career.

Qualifications and experience are expected of applicants.

Many positions will need a degree. Any field of study may be considered, but those that are most applicable to the job include law, psychology, business, management, education, social/community work, public administration, and sociology/social sciences. Other fields may also be considered. It would be beneficial to have a postgraduate degree in a subject like disability studies, equality and diversity, or race and ethnic relations.

Prior experience in a field related to the one being pursued is required before beginning employment in that field. Participating in volunteer work at a local advice center, citizens advice bureau, or students' union welfare office is one way to acquire this skill. After working in fields such as education, law, social work, housing, welfare rights, human resources, health, or youth and community work, many equality and diversity officers come into the field from such backgrounds.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is an organization that provides chances for continued professional development (CPD) and membership in the organization may assist to demonstrate your dedication to the subject in which you work. Either by receiving a certification from the CIPD or by going through an experience evaluation, in which you utilize your work history from the most recent three years to acquire professional recognition, you may become a member of the CIPD.

If you are a high school graduate interested in entering this field, the best way to do it is to first finish an apprenticeship in human resources and then look for positions in more specialized fields once you have gained some experience.  The website that we maintain just for high school and college dropouts, to learn more about how to enter this field after graduating from high school or college.

Competencies that are essential for equality and diversity officers

Good listening skills

The capacity to form meaningful connections with a diverse group of individuals

abilities in both verbal and writing communication

Maturity

Confidence

Open-mindedness

Patience

Negotiation skills.