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Inclusion and diversity employment monitoring report 2024

Workforce data and findings: Ethnicity

Headcount by Ethnicity

4.8% of the workforce indicated that they have a BME background compared to 4.5% last year and 3.7% in 2021. The White Other figure has increase from 3.8% in 2021 and 2022 to 4.0%. The figures from the Wiltshire census 2021 indicate that 5.7% of the population in Wiltshire have a BME background and 3.8% a White Other background.

95.8% of staff have disclosed their ethnicity. This is a very slight improvement on the figures from last year where 95.7% of staff disclosed their ethnicity.

Headcount by Ethnicity
Ethnicity% of total Council headcount
BME combined total4.8%
White British87.1%
White Other4.08%
Unstated4.2%

Recruitment by Ethnicity

The proportion of BME appointees was 4.3% compared to 6.4% last year. However, the % appointed that did not state their ethnicity rose from 19.9% to 30.9%. Despite the decrease in the BME recruitment figures and an increase in the turnover rate (below), the BME workforce % has increased slightly. This is due to staff declaring their ethnicity after appointment, either during the on-boarding process or when responding to the annual survey exercise.

The proportion of applicants from a BME background was 19.5% compared to 13.3% last year. This significant increase is clearly partly a result of recruitment campaigns which included overseas applicants, particularly for social care roles, but this will be looked at in more detail.

Total recruitment
Ethnicity% of total applied% of total shortlisted% of total appointed
BME combined total19.5%8.0%4.3%
White British48.6%63.0%60.4%
White Other5.2%5.2%4.4%
Unstated26.7%23.7%30.9%
Internal recruitment
Ethnicity% of total applied% of total shortlisted% of total appointed
BME combined total7.1%3.1%3.0%
White British78.4%81.2%78.1%
White Other4.8%7%4.4%
Unstated9.7%11.0%14.5%

Remuneration, Pay Gap, and Pay Quartiles by Ethnicity

The proportion of BME staff in the upper grades N/O/Hay has decreased from 3.8% in 2022 to 2.5% in 2023. This is a small decrease in the actual number (from 9 to 6), and the percent change for Grades N/O/Hay is also due to a 40% increase in the total of BME staff in all grades since 2021, however this needs further examination.

The mean ethnicity pay gap has increased slightly from  0.5% to 0.9% compared with last year. The median pay gap remains negative (-1.2% compared to  -2.2% in 2022) with the BME median hourly rate higher than the non BME median hourly rate. The ethnicity pay quartiles show an increase from last year in the upper middle quartile (5.1% to 6.2%, but a light decrease in the upper quartile  (4.5% in 2022 down to 4.4% in 2023).

Pay grade
Grades groupedBMEWhite BritishWhite OtherAll staff
B/C4.6%7.0%6.8%7.0%
D/E16.2%16.9%18.0%16.9%
F/G13.7%14.8%17.1%14.8%
H/I24.5%25.6%24.4%26.0%
J/K23.7%16.3%18.5%16.6%
L/M14.9%11.1%9.8%11.0%
N/O/Hay2.5%8.2%5.4%7.8%
Pay gap hourly rate of pay
Hourly rate of payBMENot BME
Mean average hourly rate£1655£16.70
Median average hourly rate£15.62£15.44
Pay gap hourly rate of pay: mean pay gap, median pay gap
Mean pay gap0.9%
Median pay gap1.2%
Pay quartiles
Pay quartilesBMENot BME
Upper quartile4.4%95.6%
Upper middle quartile6.2%93.8%
Lower middle quartile4.9%95.41%
Lower quartile4.1%95.9%

Attendance to the Wiltshire Leadership Programme by Ethnicity

Participation in the Wiltshire leadership programme by BME staff was 2.3% which is lower compared to last year (5.4%). Participation by employees from a White Other background has increased from 1.4% last year to 2.3%. However, the number of staff participating in this programme is small and increasing numbers is a priority for us over the next 2-3 years.

Attendance to the Wiltshire Leadership Programme by Ethnicity
Ethnicity% of total of Leadership Programme attendance
BME combined total2.3%
White British90.9%
White Other2.3%
Unstated4.5%

Disciplinary and Grievance cases by Ethnicity

Disciplinary and Grievance cases by Ethnicity
Case typeBMEWhite BritishWhite OtherUnstated
Disciplinary12.3%82.2%1.4%4.1%
Grievance10.0%70.0%10.0%10.0%

Turnover rates by Ethnicity

The turnover rate for BME staff (17.9%) and White Other staff (13.2%) are higher than the whole council turnover average (12.2%). The main reason for leaving for all groups, as in previous years, was resignation.

The proportion of BME staff leaving for other employment was consistent with the figure for all staff at around 50% of resignations. We are looking to increase uptake of exit interviews, and this will be supported by a new system to improve our understanding of areas to be addressed.

Turnover rates by Ethnicity
EthnicityTurnover rate
BME combined total17.9%
White British11.2%
White Other13.2%
Unstated25.6%
Whole council12.2%

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