Private practice failing the diversity agenda
The public sector is home to the most diverse legal community in the UK. The results from our latest workplace study ‘A ticking time-bomb’ reveal that almost two thirds (64%) of public sector organisations that employ lawyers believe they have a successful process in place to recruit a diverse workforce. In stark contrast to this, only a quarter of legal firms could make the same boast.
The in-house legal community came out in between, with around four out of ten (39%) reporting that they are successful in recruiting a diverse section of the legal workforce.
The advantages of a diverse workforce have been proven time and again
This highlights an issue that has been one of the hottest topics in legal recruitment over the last twelve months. There are growing concerns that the sector is lagging far behind the rest of British business in meeting diversity goals.
Our report revealed that the legal sector is doing little to address the issue. Of those that are actively looking to attract a diverse workforce, the tactics used are neither far-reaching not particularly innovative, being largely limited to advertising widely and having an equal opportunities policy in place. Large sections of the legal community are doing nothing at all to face the problem.
Alison Burgin, Executive Director, Legal, at Badenoch & Clark, comments: “The advantages of a diverse workforce have been proven time and again by many industries and employers throughout the UK. However, it’s a lesson that seems to be failing to make an impact in the legal world. The public sector is leading the way, but the rest of the market is showing little sign of following.
“Many employers simply don’t see it as a problem, but without engaging with various parts of the workforce they are leaving themselves open to missing out on the best talent. The pool of candidates is much more diverse than it was ten years ago, but that simply isn’t being reflected in hiring patterns. Unless employers, and private practice employers in particular, do something to target a much more diverse candidate base, they could find themselves in a position where they are overtaken by more forward looking firms with a wider array of talent.”
About the Survey
The research quoted above comes from a Badenoch & Clark report entitled ‘A ticking time-bomb’. It is based on responses received from 900 legal employers and employees, gathered through telephone and face to face interviews. The research covered employees as well as HR, line managers and partners across a broad range of legal sectors and levels of seniority across England and Wales.
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