Firms need to do more than tick the diversity boxes in today's market, says Margaret Mannell
Here’s a little challenge. Visit 20 major UK law firms’ websites and see how many of them don’t refer to their commitment to “diversity”. I’m pretty sure you won’t find a single defaulter and that’s how it should be. But it’s one thing to “tick the diversity box” and quite another to genuinely embrace diversity and recognise its fundamental contribution to the health and continuing success of a legal practice.
Reality and rules
Of course, diversity-related employment policies—in simple terms, formal recognition and accommodation of difference in the workplace—are now underpinned by legislation. Even if they weren’t, diversity makes obvious business sense. Organisations need talented people and it’s absurd to reject talent simply because of irrational prejudice.
Commercial DNA
From my perspective, although UK law firms have made great strides in this area, they still tend to approach diversity in a rather mechanical fashion whereas, for their US counterparts, diversity is largely part of their commercial
