We are a Top 50 employer for social mobility for second year in a row
We have been ranked as one of the Top 50 employers in the Social Mobility Employer Index 2018.
Having a workforce that is diverse in terms of social background is as important to employers as being diverse in terms of gender and race, and the Index has assessed us on the actions we are taking to ensure we are open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds.
We have been ranked 20th in the Index for the commendable work we have taken to tackle this and to enable those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to succeed. Measures taken to improve social mobility include:
Targeting our outreach work at schools with above average levels of Free School Meals/low levels of attainment with a focus on Social Mobility Cold Spots;
Offering higher apprenticeships and bucking the general trend, which sees the majority of organisations offering apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3; and
Removing name, grades and university attended from all stages of the recruitment process for our graduate and apprentice programmes. As a consequence, offers were made to individuals who would not have been recruited under the previous grade requirements.
Neil Morrison, Director of Human Resources, said: "We're delighted to have been named as a top employer in this year's Social Mobility Index. At Severn Trent we're proud of our commitment to improve social mobility within our workforce and work hard to ensure no employee or candidate receives any less favourable treatment, directly or indirectly,
because of their socio-economic background or social connections.
"Diversity of talent brings different ideas and perspectives which improve how we work as a company and enables us to understand and meet the needs of the communities we serve. We want to recruit and employ the best people possible, regardless of their background."
More than 100 employers from 18 sectors, who collectively employ over a million people, entered the 2018 Index. It is a voluntary and free of charge survey that assesses employers across seven areas, including the work they do with young people, their recruitment and selection processes and how people from lower income backgrounds progress
within their organisations.
Our success in the Index was announced at a launch event at the City of London Corporation.