Deloitte has today hosted a high profile event, in association with the Learning and Skills Council and Focus Consultancy, to promote debate on diversity in UK organisations. The debate was attended by representatives from a number of the UK’s leading firms and public bodies including HBOS and BT and by Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Commission for Equality & Human Rights.

Welcoming attendees to Deloitte Sharon Fraser, Deloitte’s Managing Partner for Talent acknowledged the importance of diversity to Deloitte and organisations more widely:

“Our research shows demographic shifts such as the retirement of the Baby Boomers from 2008 and a growing skills gap mean critical talent is growing scarce. 60% of new jobs in the 21st century require skills possessed by 20% of the population. Indeed, We already have more people aged 65+ than 16 and under in the UK. To address this shortage, firms like ours need to ensure we are recruiting people from all walks of life.”

“At Deloitte we've made a strong commitment to investing in talent. Our stated aim is to make Deloitte the number one firm for career and personal development, where the most talented people can do their best work, progress quickly and fulfil their potential, whatever their background. Managing diversity is vital in helping us realise this ambition,” she said. 

However, Sharon Fraser recognised that more needed to be done to improve diversity in the firm. Speaking specifically on gender diversity within Deloitte she said: “At a graduate level almost half our employees are female. However, like the rest of corporate UK, retaining women and bringing them through to the upper echelons of an organisation remains challenging. We know we have to build on our achievements to date to increase the number of women in senior roles within the organisation."

Examples of success include: Women now account for 44 % of graduates joining Deloitte.  Several senior women hold key operational roles within the organisation, including on the Firm’s Executive, leading Industry Groups and representing the partner group on the UK Board and the Global Board. These improvements led to the firm being short-listed for the CBI’s first women awards which recognise organisations that are outstanding in promoting women in the workplace. We were also in the Times Top 50 “Where Women Want to Work” in 2006.

“We need to ensure that we are attractive to individuals regardless of race, religion, sex or disability and we have taken steps to recruit people from a broader background,” said Fraser.

Initiatives Deloitte has introduced to improve diversity:

• All pay and promotion decisions scrutinised for gender bias as a part of the annual review
• We monitor gender pipelines, and have established a coaching programme to support senior women selected for partner assessment 
• Graduate recruitment - we actively target non-traditional talent pools. This year our campaign includes a focus on arts & humanities graduates
• Earlier this year we launched a series of Deloitte Employee Networks. Employee Networks are distinct from social networking groups (e.g. equestrian society, sailing club) as they draw together individuals who share a common diversity indicator –gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, etc.
• We are launching a service to provide emergency childcare for our people.
• Progress against key performance indicators is reported quarterly to our CEO and his executive team.
• 20 graduates are being recruited this year from China.
• We are establishing a coaching programme to support senior women selected for partner assessment.

Ends

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About Deloitte
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte & Touche LLP, which is among the country's leading professional services firms.  Deloitte & Touche is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu ("DTT"), a Swiss Verein whose member firms are separate and independent legal entities.  Neither DTT nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other's acts or omissions. Services are provided by member firms or their subsidiaries and not by DTT. Deloitte & Touche LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. 

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.