PPC117 | Technical

Can a new approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion be a boost to your recruitment problems? 

BPCA has released Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) guidance for pest management companies. 

The EDI toolkit has been created with help from BPCA's EDI Committee, a group of dedicated volunteers from across the pest management community. 

The toolkit aims to help get businesses and teams ready for being diverse and inclusive when recruiting new talent.

What is EDI?

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is an approach that promotes fairness and full participation for everyone, particularly groups that have been historically underrepresented or discriminated against.

The EDI concept is made up of three points:

Equality
Ensuring everyone has the same opportunities and is not treated differently or discriminated against.

Diversity
Recognising and valuing people's different backgrounds, knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Inclusion
Seeing differences as a benefit, and ensuring people feel comfortable sharing their perspectives.

Why is this useful to pest controllers?

In the last couple of years, pest management businesses have found recruitment a struggle. 

The pest management sector should be an opportunity for everyone, no matter their background, to develop their skills and realise new and exciting careers. A good EDI framework in your business can help with:

Recruitment
With an estimated 40% of the workforce retiring in the next ten years, it's more crucial than ever to start attracting new talent into the pest control industry. EDI when recruiting new staff can help reduce bias and attract better candidates.

Retention
A diverse workforce is strongly connected to employee retention, as employees feel accepted and respected.

Improved financial performance
Research has found for every percentage increase in the rate of racial or gender diversity, there was an increase in sales revenues of approximately 9% and 3% respectively.

Increasing new business
92% of employers interviewed in a government study report diverse recruitment has enhanced their reputation and helped them win 
new contracts.

Chair of the EDI Committee, Julia Pittman, commented: "We're really proud, as a committee, of the toolkit that we've put together for the sector. Our hope is that it helps enable the pest management community in the UK to grow, thrive and have a level of future-proofing that we currently don't see."

Real life stories

As part of the toolkit, we spoke to members of the EDI committee about the challenges they faced, as people with protected characteristics. 

One of those was Ian Adamson at Precision Consulting, who spoke to BPCA about autism. Ian was happy to speak about his autism, believing that it might give others the confidence to join an industry that he’s found works for him and his neurodivergence.

“The beauty of my job is that a lot of my autistic traits filter into it very well. I’m very meticulous and fixated on solving problems, and ever since I could talk, I’ve been fascinated by the natural world"

“There are some disadvantages that I have to work through, though. When I talk to people, I’m sometimes overly blunt, and that can be difficult when I’m auditing.

“I’m not very good at multitasking, so if I’m typing up a report, I have to put my phone on silent and switch my emails off so I can focus on what I’m doing.”

He continued, “Working from home helps with having fewer distractions. While I don’t mind being part of a team, I’m not a big group person. I sometimes find working in an office a bit overwhelming, with all the noise and bustle.”

The EDI Toolkit

The toolkit is designed for professional pest management businesses looking to enhance the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within their workplace. 

There are a range of resources available in the document, including recruitment tools and more information about EDI. 

There's also a great deal of information and case studies on how to support those in your business with protected characteristics, such as age, disability or sexual orientation.

Download the toolkit at bpca.org.uk/library (login required).

Coming soon - BPCA EDI Charter

BPCA Marketing Manager, Scott Johnstone, believes it's time for the industry to step up and make a commitment to the principles of EDI. 

He said: "There's never been a more important time to open our arms as an industry and welcome people from all walks of life, into what is an exciting, challenging field.

"Keep an eye on our comms to see how you can sign the BPCA EDI Charter and pledge your support to being an inclusive pest management business."

Interested in committee work?

If you'd like to find out more about the EDI Committee and would like to volunteer, get in touch. hello@bpca.org.uk