What does a diverse business have that a less diverse one does not? How do organisations address race equality in the workplace, and sustain it to deliver long term benefits? In our latest podcast we address these issues, and more. This frank and open discussion draws on the insights and experiences of Susan Clews, Acas Chief Executive; Julie Dennis, Acas Head of Diversity and Inclusion; and Afifa Kiran, Co-Chair of the Acas Race Equality Network and Acas workplace adviser, with Nike Siffre asking the questions. We look at:  Why invest in change? What’s in it for organisations? Making change long term, rather than tokenisticHow to handle uncomfortable conversations about raceTips for small businesses Episode resources: Webinar: Race inequalities in the workplace Advice: Improving equality, diversity and inclusion in your workplace Tailored support for your workplace: We offer tailored support for workplaces wanting to improve their equality, diversity and inclusion. Call us on 0300 123 1150, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm or fill in our enquiry form. Transcript Nike 0:00   Welcome to the Acas podcast. I'm Nike Siffre, part of the communications team here at Acas. We're here today to talk about making and more importantly sustaining real change when it comes to racial equality in the workplace. I'm joined by Susan Clews, Acas Chief Executive Officer, Afifa Kiran, Co-Chair of the Acas Race Equality network and Acas workplace adviser and Julie Dennis, Acas Head of Diversity and Inclusion here at Acas, thank you very much for joining me today. Welcome.  In July this year, our podcast on Black Lives Matter in the workplace explored how racism and inequality are experienced and persist. We discussed what white people, all people need to do to be part of change, and what organisations and leaders need to do to be responsible for the change. Today, we're continuing that conversation. I'm interested to learn how we can make our workplaces truly more equal, no matter whether those workplaces are small or large. And also, what advice you can share for when those conversations that need to happen. Get uncomfortable. I thought I would start off with a simple yet very important question. Why change? What's in it for the organisation and for the individuals within that organisation to change? And what does that diverse workplace have? The less diverse workplace doesn't? Susan, could I ask for your thoughts first? Susan 1:25   Yes, definitely Nike. It's great to have the opportunity to talk today about what is such a big issue for every organisation, and for our wider community as well. From an employer perspective, I kind of feel there's a, it's still worth saying there's a moral dimension to this. It's just morally right, that we have diverse workplaces and fair and equal workplaces. And it feels a bit weird that we're still having to say that in 2020, so many years after the Equality Act, and but also, it's much more than just meeting the legal requirements. And I think as an employer, there are so many more reasons, and it gives you a real business advantage as well. And so let me unpack that a bit. I think it's about having a representative workforce. Because that real rich diversity within your organisation helps you meet and understand the communities you serve, or the customers you're trying to reach. Because it's about having diverse culture, diverse skills and experience. And that helps you meet your customer needs. And it's also about talent. And this means an awful lot to me, as a Chief Executive, I want an organisation where I've got the very best ideas, skills and experience. And by ignoring the talents of the Bame community, people with disabilities or trans workers, then we're losing a massive talent pool, and who can afford to do that? So I think that's a really strong reason, we all want to attract the ver