Deloitte is Opening Doors to More Diverse Talent
Deloitte is Opening Doors to More Diverse Talent
Deloitte UK is a professional services firm with a wider mission to make an impact that matters. Deloitte UK signed up to Business in the Community’s (BITC) Opening Doors campaign in April 2022 and has implemented three actions from the inclusive recruitment framework as part of its focus on fostering an inclusive workplace that celebrates diversity in all its forms.
Actions Deloitte has committed to from the Opening Doors campaign
1) Partner with organisations that support disadvantaged groups into work
Deloitte UK recognises that certain groups face systemic barriers to employment and is dedicated to playing its part in breaking down these barriers.
To address this, the firm has committed to working with organisations that support disadvantaged groups into employment. An example of this is Deloitte’s work with Bright Network, helping undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds develop work-ready skills and providing them with employment opportunities. Deloitte also works with upReach, another charity supporting undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds to access and sustain top graduate jobs.
Through these partnerships, Deloitte provides young people with invaluable work experience, mentorship, and insights into the professional services industry. These partnerships are not only instrumental in ‘opening doors’ for these individuals but also in enriching Deloitte’s own workforce with diverse perspectives and experiences.
Making a difference
One example of how work with upReach is making a difference is the story of Baba Balogun, a young man who joined Deloitte’s Graduate Programme in 2021, bringing with him an unwavering work ethic and a commitment to both personal and professional growth. While pursuing his academic aspirations, he demonstrated remarkable dedication by balancing his studies with a part-time supermarket role to help support his family. Using the support from upReach, Baba applied for the Deloitte Summer Vacation Scheme.
Through this journey, Baba now works with clients at Deloitte to enhance their operations through technology and aspires to mentor new graduates, being a role model to younger generations in similar circumstances. His journey, from facing socioeconomic adversity to thriving as a consultant, demonstrates the power of our work with upReach in fostering social mobility and creating a more inclusive and equitable future.
2) Ask all candidates if they need any adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process
Deloitte is also dedicated to providing equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including those who are neurodivergent. It recognises that candidates with disabilities and neurodivergence may require adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure they can fully demonstrate their skills and abilities.
As a result, Deloitte has pledged to ask all candidates if they need adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process, as part of the Opening Doors recruitment campaign.
Deloitte is also part of the UK Government’s Disability Confident employer scheme which focuses on best practices around the recruitment, retention, and development of talent with disabilities. As such the organisation also supports workplace adjustments after the recruitment phase and for individuals who require the need for adjustments over the course of their employment.
“Our pledge to reasonable adjustments is clearly articulated on our career website, in candidate communications, and during all stages of the hiring process. We have trained over 250 resourcing professionals on disability and neurodiversity confidence, enabling them to engage in informed and supportive conversations with candidates, and we have a dedicated Reasonable Adjustments Manager to support candidates, recruiters and hiring managers through every step of the process,” Katie Dodsworth, Leadership and Talent Assessment Lead explains.
As a result, candidates who have received support with reasonable adjustments have shared positive feedback. Candidates have reported that this approach has enriched their onboarding experience. They have described that this has made them feel:
- comfortable making a disclosure for the first time
- impressed with Deloitte’s knowledge of neurodiversity and of the adjustments put in place
- the care put in place to discuss reasonable adjustments exceeded their expectations in comparison to their previous experiences elsewhere
3) Provide training on inclusive recruitment and ensure your employees understand your commitment to inclusive recruitment
Deloitte believes that hiring decisions should be based solely on merit and free from any bias. Central to Deloitte UK’s inclusive recruitment approach is its Hiring Manager Accreditation Programme (HMAP). HMAP plays a crucial role in ensuring this by equipping our hiring managers with the knowledge, skills, and tools to conduct fair and objective assessments. The programme has undergone significant enhancements recently to create a more flexible and effective learning experience, catering to diverse learning styles and time constraints.
HMAP actively promotes inclusion and consistency in the hiring process, with a dedicated module on inclusion that focuses on how to minimise the potential for bias, empowering Deloitte hiring managers to make more inclusive hiring decisions.
