Equality and diversity officer

Equality and diversity officers work for organisations such as local councils, universities and colleges. Their aim is to make sure that people who work for, or come into contact with, their organisation receive equal opportunities irrespective of race, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief.

Also known as

Diversity and equality officer

Work activities

Equality and diversity officers (EDOs) are responsible for making sure that the organisation they work for provides equal opportunities, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity. EDOs work with different departments in their organisation, such as human resources and communications, to make sure that laws relating to equal opportunities are observed. They also work with managers, providing them with support and advice and passing on their specialist knowledge of the equality laws.

Organisations such as local authorities need to make sure that they are providing equal opportunities in all the services they provide to the community. EDOs make sure that this happens by putting together policies and procedures to be followed by all members of staff. EDOs usually write a yearly equalities report, which sets out how the organisation is doing in relation to equalities and diversity. The report also looks forward, to show how things can be improved. To produce the report, the EDO needs to gather and analyse a lot of information.

As well as the annual report, EDOs regularly monitor how the organisation is doing with regard to equality and diversity. This involves meeting with different community groups to gather opinions and feelings. These meetings are also an opportunity for the EDO to offer advice and assistance, if needed. EDOs also have responsibility for staff development and training on equality issues. They identify where training is needed and put together a plan of how the training should be carried out. They either do the training themselves, or bring in a specialist trainer to do it. If inequalities are identified in the organisation, the EDO works with relevant staff members and managers to take action to improve the situation. Working as an EDO usually involves local travel and some evening work, to attend meetings.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

As an equality and diversity officer, you need to:

Manage and organise your own work.
Show initiative and have negotiation skills.
Act as a role model and agent for change.
Communicate with all kinds of people.
Analyse and interpret information.
Write and present reports clearly.
Use IT skills.
Understand why it is important to promote equality and diversity.
Work well in a team.
Be flexible, tactful and diplomatic.
Impartial and non-judgemental.
Confident and pro-active.
Able to motivate, influence and lead people.

Pay and opportunities

Salary levels for equality and diversity officers (EDOs) vary depending on the size of organisation and the range of responsibility. EDOs earn in the range of £22,000, with senior positions attracting up to £45,000.

Hours of work: They usually work 38-40 hours, Monday to Friday, with occasional extra hours required. Part-time opportunities are also available.

Where could I work?

Opportunities for EDOs occur throughout the UK. Employers include:

Firms in industry and commerce (where EDOs are normally based in human resource or training departments).
Local and central government departments.
Hospitals.
Universities.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers, on job boards, such as Diversitylink.co.uk, on employers’ websites, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

It is not essential to have a degree, although many equality and diversity officers have one (or another higher education qualification, such as an HND or foundation degree) in a relevant area. Employers look for people who can demonstrate that they have the necessary skills, which could be gained through paid or voluntary work.

Employers also usually look for candidates with knowledge and understanding of the laws relating to equality and diversity. There is legislation covering the following areas: age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity. You will also need to show that you have knowledge of the type of organisation you are applying to, for example, local government. A course in a relevant social science degree subject that includes some work experience would be useful.

Once employed, you will be able to access internal and external training in relevant areas.

With experience, it is possible for equality and diversity officers to move into more senior positions, involving supervisory or management responsibilities.

Qualifications

Many entrants are graduates, although there is no formal academic requirement for this career. The usual minimum entry requirement for a degree in any subject is:

Two A-levels
GCSEs (9-4) in three other subjects.

Other qualifications, such as an Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualification or the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma could also be considered. Entry requirements for degree courses vary.

A professional qualification, in an area such as social work or community work, could help you to become an equality and diversity officer.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

People enter this career from a wide range of backgrounds. Some applicants have gained skills and/or qualifications in other fields, for example, personnel, social work or youth and community work.

There are postgraduate courses (Master’s) available at some universities.

Related careers

Advice centre worker
Community worker
Employee relations adviser
Trade union officer