Diversity and Inclusion Award 2021 Winner
Employee Wellbeing & Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion Award

AMS is a global total workforce solutions firm founded in 1996. It enables organisations to thrive in an age of constant change by building, re-shaping, and optimising workforces through talent acquisition and contingent workforce management, internal mobility and skills development, and talent and technology advisory services.

What AMS did

AMS’s mission for diversity, equity and inclusion is to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging where everyone can be successful, drawing upon the differences within the workforce to drive innovation and growth, and to support the communities in which it operates.

In 2020, AMS was awarded the NI Silver Diversity Charter Mark, a result of the action taken locally to maintain and implement new ambitious diversity targets reinforcing its commitment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AMS created a range of health and wellbeing resources to provide support and guidance to staff. It integrates diversity, equity and inclusion into every process in the organisation, starting with how it recruits. 42% of its workforce has been promoted since 2020 through the Internals First Policy. This has resulted in increased gender diversity, with 62% of the leadership team in Belfast being female. In 2020, AMS won Best Early Careers Initiative at the TIARA Awards for its partnership with Santander, supporting social mobility.

AMS is working towards becoming a Disability Confident Committed employer, working in partnership with Auticon and Disability Action NI to offer placement and contract opportunities to individuals who have a disability, with the aim of attracting neuro-diverse talent into the organisation.

AMS has also pledged its commitment to ensure disability inclusion in the workplace via The Valuable 500. These partnerships enable AMS to both support and diversify its current workforce, scale more efficiently and meet skill demand.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training modules for all employees drive inclusive thinking and behaviours at all levels within the organisation.

AMS supports the career development of all employees through its High Potential and Aspiring Manager Programmes, available to all members of staff. AMS has also implemented mentoring programmes like its Focus Forward and Reverse-Mentoring Programmes with the aim of supporting inclusion across the organisation.

AMS celebrates key dates on the inclusion calendar through internal events, and also publishes a quarterly internal newsletter on Diversity Equity & Inclusion. AMS participated in the annual Belfast Pride Parade to show support for LGBT+ colleagues, and has worked with The Rainbow Project to host awareness sessions regarding issues that face the LGBT+ community in N.I.

AMS has strengthened its stance on anti-racism, ensuring that colleagues feel heard, valued and supported. AMS are a signatory of Change the Race Ratio, giving them a platform to discuss these issues and build relationships with other businesses. AMS also operate open forums for staff, such as Time to Talk, providing a safe space to speak out against bias and racism.

In response to redundancies from Thomas Cook and Wrightbus, AMS utilised its social media platforms to offer free employability workshops for those who were facing the job market, some for the first time in more than a decade.

AMS believes that individuals can thrive and succeed, despite their socio-economic backgrounds, given the right opportunities and support. AMS has partnered with Advantage NI to facilitate virtual mock interviews with young offenders in Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre & Prison, and also with Young Enterprise.

AMS have a long partnership with the Prince’s Trust NI supporting their Get Hired programmes by facilitating employability workshops focused on CV writing and interview skills.

This year AMS have partnered with LGBTQ+ charity, Cara-Friend and a number of staff from AMS have used their own time to attend training so they can deliver anti-bullying training in schools, which is specifically aimed at preventing bullying within the LGBT+ community, promoting acceptance and the importance of respect for others.

Impacts and Outcomes

  • Increased gender diversity – 62% of leadership team in Belfast are female
  • Won Best Early Careers Initiative at the TIARA Awards in 2020
  • 93% of PulsePoint survey respondents agree that their team work together inclusively
  • 80% agree that their manager values diversity in their team
  • 81% agreed AMS has an inclusive culture
  • 50% of workforce completed workshops to increase awareness of microaggression
  • Awarded the N.I Silver Diversity Charter Mark in 2020
  • Hosted awareness sessions on issues facing LGBT+ community with the Rainbow Project
  • Signed the ‘Change the Race Ratio’
  • Working towards becoming a Disability Confident Employer

For more information, please email: marcella.mckeever@weareams.com

The Judges said

AMS stood out as a leader in a range of D&I areas. It has been inclusive in its approach to strategy, providing a range of touch points in relation to employee engagement to enable staff to influence and deliver strategy. What has been particularly impressive is the wide range of support that has been afforded to their staff and their outreach work in the wider community, focusing on social exclusion and delivering on key areas of need.