Monitoring of MPA staffing and recruitment

Report: 18
Date: 1 November 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

This report provides monitoring and analysis by gender and ethnic origin of the recruitment exercises in the MPA.

A. Recommendations

That 

1. the MPA should examine best practice in comparable organisations to inform ways to improve under-representation in the workforce and the success of under-represented groups in its recruitment processes. This should include under-representation of staff with disabilities;
2. the MPA review the methods and media used for recruitment purposes and consider consultation with representative organisations such as the Employers Forum on Disability to improve areas of under-representation; and
3. the MPA should continue to monitor its workforce and recruitment processes.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Monitoring in the context of this report means comparing the employment patterns of men and women, of ethnic minority and white staff and of people with disabilities, to identify if there are any marked differences. Where there are differences, this may suggest the need for further analysis.

2. Monitoring normally deals with snapshot monitoring, i.e. using data on the organisation distribution of staff; and monitoring progression, i.e. that is the progression of applicants through the recruitment process. The monitoring of personnel data does not generally need complex statistical analysis, since the differences may be readily identified from a few simple techniques. Both the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) and Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) suggest using the participation ratio for snapshot monitoring and the 'four fifths rule' for recruitment.

3. An organisational profile is useful for showing under-representation and, over a period of time, trends. One simple way to highlight differences in the proportions of any group is to construct a participation ratio. This may be done by dividing the percentage of women or ethnic minorities in the MPA by the percentage in the population in London, using data supplied by the Office of National Statistics. It would not be possible to compare against a 'catchment' area for employment since this is essentially anywhere within commuting distance.

4. On recruitment, the four-fifths rule suggests that if any group is less than four fifths of the rate of the group with the highest success rate, then there will be an indication of potential bias. This can be expressed, for example, as follows:

• Male success rate 20/100 (as a percentage) = 20%
• Female success rate 10/100 (as a percentage) = 10%
• 4/5ths of highest success rate = 16%

In the example, there is significant disparity because the female success rate (10%) is less than four-fifths the male success rate (16%). The four-fifths rule can be used at each stage of the recruitment process to identify if at any stage there is a particular difference. It is not intended to be an absolute measure, but is a simple and easy way to measure whether the differences in recruitment rates are significant.

5. Ethnic origin refers to members of an ethnic group who share the same cultural background and identity. This does not necessarily mean country of birth or nationality. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on someone's ability to carry out normal, day-to-day activities such as those involved in mobility, manual dexterity, physical co-ordination, speech, hearing, eyesight or communication, or a permanent condition which is controlled by medication. However, given the small number of people who identified themselves as having a disability, no further monitoring or analysis was carried out. This, in itself, may suggest the MPA needs to consider how to attract more potential staff with disabilities, for example by speaking to the Employers' Forum on Disability, or disability groups.

6. At Appendix 1 is a profile of all staff in the MPA, differentiating staff by the two salary bands and including staff on long-term secondments or fixed term appointments. Because of the small number of staff in the MPA, it would be inappropriate to differentiate these groups further as this may enable the ethnic origin of individual members of staff to be identified.

7. At Appendix 2 is a comparison of total media costs against the media that successful candidates used.

Analysis

8. The percentage of female staff in salary band 1 is 24% compared with 51% in the working population of London. This represents a significant level of under-representation. The percentage of visible ethnic minority staff, i.e. excluding all white groups, is 24% compared with 25% in the working population of London.

9. For salary band 2, the percentages of men (51%) and women (49%) are almost identical and comparable with the working population of London. The percentage of visible ethnic minority staff in this salary band is very favourable, i.e. 34% compared with 25% in the working population of London.

10. Turning to the data on monitoring progression, this can be summarised as follows:

11. For Band 1 there is no significant disparity between the success rates of men and women at each stage. It appears 23% of male applicants were invited for interview, compared with 19% of female applicants. The female success rate is 83% of the male success rate at this stage. At interview, 19% of male interviewees were selected, compared with 22% of female interviewees. The male success rate is 86% of the female success rate at this stage.

12. For Band 1 there is some disparity between the success rates of white groups (white British plus all other white groups) compared to other groups. It appears 24% of white applicants were invited for interview, compared with 21% of applicants from other groups. The other groups' success rate is 88% of the white success rate at this stage. At interview, 25% of white interviewees were selected, compared with 17% of other groups. The other groups' success rate is 68% of the white success rate.

14. For Band 2 there is no significant disparity between the success rates of men and women at the sift stage. It appears 13% of male applicants were invited for interview, compared with 15% of female applicants. The male success rate is 87% of the female success rate at this stage. At interview there is a significant disparity with 12% of male interviewees selected, compared with 20% of female interviewees. The male success rate is 60% of the female success rate at this stage.

13. For Band 2, there is no significant disparity between the success rates of white groups (White British plus all other white groups) compared to other groups. It appears 18% of white applicants were invited for interview, compared with 15% of applicants from other groups. The other groups' success rate is 83% of the white success rate at this stage. At interview, 18% of white interviewees were selected, compared with 20% of other groups. The white groups success rate is 90% of the other groups' success rate.

Conclusion

14. The MPA have endeavoured to use a representative cross-section of panel members for its senior appointments, objective recruitment processes, proper job specifications and well developed marking and assessment criteria in accordance with best recruitment practice. However there is clear under-representation of female staff in Band 1. Looking at the posts for which we have recruitment data, it is possible that under-representation may be due in part to a low level of applications from female candidates. Future recruitment exercises at this level may need to consider ways in which more potential female candidates can be encouraged to apply. The experience of the MPS, GLA or other similar organisations may be helpful for comparison or 'best practice' purposes.

15. There is some disparity in the overall recruitment success rates of the other groups in Band 1 and male candidates in Band 2. Once again, a disproportionately low level of applications from these groups within these respective bands may have 'fed through' the recruitment process, although large numbers of applicants did not indicate their ethnic origin. Future recruitment exercises may need to consider ways in which more potential ethnic minority or male candidates can be encouraged to apply within these respective bands. The experience of the MPS, GLA or other similar organisations may be helpful for comparison or 'best practice' purposes.

16. The MPA should continue to monitor its workforce and recruitment processes on the basis outlined in this report.

C. Financial implications

None.

D. Background papers

MPA staff appointments (Human Resource Committee paper), 21 September 2000
Recruitment of staff to the MPA (Human Resource Committee paper), 17 May 2001.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Alan Johnson, MPA.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: Ethnic origin of MPA staff (including full time appointments and secondments)

Band 1 (approx £35k+) (% rounded up)

Clerk, Treasurer, Deputy Treasurer, Director of Internal Audit, Deputy Director of Internal Audit, Assistant Directors of Internal Audit, Director of Communications, Management Accountants, some Policy Officers or Managers, Systems Manager, Head of Secretariat, and some Senior Auditors

• White British 15 (71%)
• White Irish 1 (5%)
• Black Caribbean 2 (10%)
• Black African 1 (5%)
• Asian, Indian 2 (10%)
• 5 women
• 16 men

Band 2 (salaries up to £34,999)

Head of Admin, Security and Resources Manager, Head of Committee Services, Website Manager, Committee Administrator, Finance Manager, remaining Policy Officers, Senior Human Resources Adviser, PAs to Senior Management Team, Liaison and Member Services Support, Committee Services Support, Analyst, Head of Member Services and Liaison Unit, Senior Press Officer, Press Officer, remaining Senior Auditors, Auditors, Trainee Auditors, Administrative staff

• White British 27 (57%)
• White Other 4 (9%)
• Black Caribbean 6 (13%)
• Black African 6 (13%)
• Black British 1 (2%)
• Asian, Indian 2 (4%)
• Asian, Other 1 (2%)
• 23 women
• 24 men

Appendix 2: Comparison of total media costs against the media which successful candidates used

Of the twelve staff appointed in pay band 1:

• 6 were working for the transition team or were aware of the vacancy through their involvement with MPS or national policing issues.
• 4 responded to advertisements in The Guardian
• 1 responded to an advertisement in Public Finance
• 1 responded to an advertisement on the Internet

Of the 22 staff appointed in pay band 2:

• 8 were working for the transition team
• 4 responded to advertisements in The Guardian
• 6 responded to advertisements in The Evening Standard/Metro
• 2 responded to advertisements on the Internet
• 2 responded to advertisements in The Voice

For the Guardian advertisements, this works out at £5,736 per candidate appointed
For Public Finance, this works out at £15,128 per candidate appointed
For the Evening Standard, this works out at £1,416 per candidate appointed
For the Voice, this works out at £7,184 per candidate appointed
For the Internet, this works out at £4,380 per candidate appointed

Advertising in Asian Times (£12,190) and Local Government Chronicle (£54,375) did not produce any successful candidates.

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