Exacerbated by lockdown, it’s become increasingly challenging to benchmark which initiatives are really moving the dial on D&I and social mobility. Fewer face-to-face meetings and the virtualisation of events have also made it more difficult to share best practice within the HR community. This is compounded by the shifting landscape for job seekers.
So now, thanks to a new initiative from Bright Network, HR professionals and recruitment leads across the UK are currently taking part in the D&I Barometer. An ongoing challenge for organisations that champion diversity, inclusion and social mobility is understanding where, relative to peers, they are leading the way and in which areas there might be gaps.
Bright Network, working in the early career space, conducted research with our 400,000+ members to better understand the current feeling amongst the student and recent graduate community. The most telling statistic is the dramatic fall in confidence amongst students – in a survey of 2,715 respondents, only 37% feel confident about securing a graduate role after university. This is down from 57% pre-pandemic.
Last term, 90% of students felt that it would be a challenge to connect with employers, a trend we are seeing continue into 2021. This lack of connection can be most detrimental to those students without family or friend networks in place to advise on their career options, such as introducing them to different sectors – such as investment bank, law, consulting – which would otherwise seem alien.
97% of students believe that companies have a responsibility to help them upskill and boost their employability, which in many instances means providing exploratory introductions to a company or industry, as well as demonstrating accessibility through role models and relatable case studies.
For the short and mid-term, there is no doubt that HR departments will be finding innovative ways to engage job seekers and their graduate recruits. The D&I Barometer aims to level the current gaps in understanding by providing a practical guide as to where an organisation’s current initiatives place them and suggested actionable next steps.
You can take your complementary D&I Barometer here.
*The process is entirely confidential, and no details will be shared with other parties.
Partner
Bright Network is the UK’s largest careers network that uses proprietary data and technology to connect its 400k+ members with over 250+ employers including Google, Accenture, Goldman Sachs, PwC and Bain & Company.
Bright Network partner firms find the talent they need to grow their businesses and help students from diverse backgrounds fulfil their potential.
Over the last decade, the network’s unique member model provides the UK’s best and brightest graduates, with the highest quality careers advice and support through a digital platform, dynamic events and personalized advice one-on-one advice.
