15th Feb 2022

Women in Policing and the Importance of Good HRM

Elaine Kirkham

Those of us with an interest in the topics of organisational culture, human resource management, and equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI), will no doubt have been following reports in the media surrounding issues within the Metropolitan Police Force in London. It has frequently made for uncomfortable and extremely concerning reading.

The ‘Met’ has responsibility for policing in London but also covers national counter-terrorism, and until very recently has been led by Dame Cressida Dick, the first woman to lead the largest police force in the UK. However, she is standing down from the role after the wide reporting of some damaging controversies, some high-profile issues and cases involving Met Officers (including the recent tragic murder of Sarah Everard). The Police Watchdog in reviewing some of these issues, recognised that whilst many serving Met Officers work and conduct themselves appropriately, there have also been many reported instances of misogyny, discrimination and sexual harassment from some Met Police Officers, therefore the reality of being part of the workforce at the Met, may be experienced differently by different individuals and groups, particular in respect of the protected characteristics of sex/gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

The foregoing may indicate a number of points, not least of which is that despite appointments to some senior roles from previously underrepresented groups, and in spite of being 23 years on from the Macpherson Enquiry into the handling of the murder of Stephen Lawrence which identified institutional racism, and despite being 12 years on from the Equality Act 2010, current UK legislation in respect of ‘protected characteristics’ is enabling rather than a safeguard in respect of EDI. Many organisations may still have much to do in order to embed EDI at the heart of their culture, so that hearts and minds are opened and not just the doors to the organisation! Difficult conversations are needed…

The 43 Police Forces across England and Wales are inspected and reviewed by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), who independently assess the efficiency and effectiveness of Police Forces in the public interest. With approximately 160,000 Police Officers across the UK and a need for culture change in some forces (including of course within the Metropolitan Police in London), this is an important undertaking, and HRICFRS Inspectors meet with Officers, Staff, Leaders, Partners and Volunteers as part of this process, before reporting back and identifying recommendations for improvement to each Force inspected. Whoever replaces Dame Cressida Dick at the Met, the world will be watching, not only for improvements in the culture at the Met, but also in other Police Forces, in the hope and expectation that all Officers with protected characteristics (under the Equality Act 2010), have a fair and inclusive experience of the workplace …as well as those whom they are employed to serve “without fear or favour”.

Other organisations also recognise that a strong and inclusive culture is not only an ethical imperative, but also makes sense; a business case for good management of the most important organisational asset – the human resources or workforce! However, what if this does not surface a true reflection of the organisational culture? Many organisations are recognising that following on from the dispersed collaborations forced upon us by the Covid-19 global pandemic, hybrid and agile models of working for some workplaces are here to stay, and that this paradigm-shift may require new ways of communicating, monitoring performance and establishing EDI ‘norms’ in different types of culture now. This may require an overhaul of traditional organisational policies to see if they remain fit-for-purpose in the new organisational realities, along with new and rigorous metrics to measure success, to surface any issues, to enable trust to be built/rebuilt (along with a vehicle for whistleblowing, where legacy issues still need to be surfaced), and to support the training of Line Managers and Leaders.

All of this points to an even more significant role for HR professionals in the workplace, who can lead on human resource management, human resource development, and organisational development!

The University of Wolverhampton Business School has Undergraduate and Postgraduate full-time and part-time courses to support those wishing to eventually work in HR, or develop their HR careers further, linked to the CIPD professional body that supports the HR Profession. You can find out more information here: BA (Hons) Human Resource Management - University of Wolverhampton (wlv.ac.uk) and here MA Strategic People Management and Human Resources - University of Wolverhampton (wlv.ac.uk)

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Elaine Kirkham, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader, Department of Leadership and Management, University of Wolverhampton Business School.