Diversity and inclusion in recruitment
Workplace diversity and inclusion is an an increasing area of focus for many organisations. Whilst there have been some high-profile initiatives within banking (Women in Finance Charter, for example) the pace of change has been slow.
In 2019, the FCA estimated that the banking and finance sector wouldn’t achieve gender equality for another 88 years. Representation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) workers in financial services is growing even more slowly. In 2018, a recruitment industry report revealed that members of the BAME community held fewer than one in ten management roles with banking and financial services.
Austin Andrew works hard to unearth talent that represents all parts of society. We feel that if candidate pools and resulting hires are not sufficiently diverse, then the talent management activities which follow will not grow sufficiently diverse leaders for the future.
Why do we value diversity?
• To recruit from a larger pool of talent
• It encourages creative and innovative thinking
• So that workforces can reflect the community they operate in
• To benefit from a broader range of perspectives
• To help understand our customers better
How can we help? We can offer advice with the following:
• Writing inclusive job descriptions
• Widening the search to include diverse groups
• Making shortlisting fair
• Making reasonable adjustments at interview
We value diversity and inclusion for all the right reasons. We work diligently to reflect every reach of society and ultimately deliver the best possible candidates available to our clients.
“Recruitment firms can and should impact the future of the sectors that they specialise in. It’s a shared responsibility to make a difference to under-represented groups that struggle to get a foot in the door, let alone forge a successful career, in certain sectors” – James Willacy, Managing Director.