The Recruitment Diversity Report: Hiring Diverse Talent in 2023

Following the Black Lives Matter campaign and the inequalities exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, companies are investing more in their inclusion initiatives than ever before. Businesses are aiming to improve the representation inside their organisations and strive to build welcoming employer brands that openly support causes driving equality.

However, the best intentions do not necessitate the best results, and particularly when it comes to recruitment. Companies across industries and specialisms are struggling to recruit talent from different backgrounds despite active and significant investment.

We surveyed business leaders across the UK to find out more about their challenges and the improvements that could drive success. This report reveals the exact challenges experienced by business leaders when recruiting diverse talent, and the reasons behind these challenges, to deliver actionable insights for better recruiting success.

Download the free report to discover:

• Where and why companies are failing to engage diverse candidates
• Where diverse talent is lost and gained at different stages of the recruitment process
• What diverse talent actually wants compared to business leaders’ perceptions.

Here’s how Executives, CTOs and HR leaders can improve their hiring processes and recruit skilled diverse talent across their organisations.

Hiring Diverse Talent in 2023

Whilst the lack of diverse representation at most levels in most industries is well known, the events of 2020 and 2021 saw diverse professionals impacted like never before:

• Women in the UK were overwhelmingly more likely to lose their jobs, furloughed or made redundant than their male colleagues
• BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) workers faced a disproportionate risk of losing their jobs after furlough ended
• Budget and resource cuts damaged progress on many existing D&I initiatives even though urgent focus is required.

Challenges with Diverse Recruitment

Leadership roles are reported by business leaders as the most challenging area for which to recruit diverse candidates. Even in 2021, only 5% of UK SMEs are BAME-led and 2% of FTSE 250 CEOs are female. At the heart of business in London, two thirds of experienced non-white professionals regularly face racism across the city and particularly in Canary Wharf. The difficulties of recruiting into more senior roles are partly explained by the severe absence of role models and a greater likelihood of discrimination than a positive working experience.

Tech is reported as the second most difficult area for which to recruit diverse candidates. Only 19% of UK tech specialists are female, and in Europe only 17%. Fewer BAME IT specialists reach manager levels than their white peers despite often being more qualified: over 80% of BAME tech specialists possess relevant degree and higher level qualifications compared to just over 60% of white colleagues in the same or similar job roles.

How Businesses Can Improve their Recruitment Processes

The report findings show that business leaders on average have some understanding of what candidates want from a new role, but that they underestimate the importance of flexibility and autonomy in the minds of potential employees. Companies are aware of the importance of career development, but must actively and regularly invest in employees and must communicate this investment to engage potential hires.

With the vast majority of business leaders struggling to recruit diverse candidates across different departments and levels of seniority, a variety of potential solutions can help approach the problem from different angles.

Download the free report to discover:

• The specific challenges hiring managers are most likely to encounter when recruiting diverse talent
• Reasons behind candidate attraction challenges at different stages of the hiring process
• The four steps every business can take to improve its recruitment strategy for diverse candidates and applicants of all backgrounds.