Some 34 recruitment agencies including Taylor Root, Michael Page, Hydrogen and RedLaw have already signed up.
The Recruitment Agency Race Fairness Commitment requires signatories to: ensure candidate pools match the UK ethnic diversity; take time to explore contextual backgrounds and experiences of diverse candidates; and demand factual feedback on candidates not hired (‘didn’t fit’ and ‘something is not quite right’ are often code for bias).
Sarah Langton, global head of recruitment, Clifford Chance, said: ‘Many law firms are reliant on recruitment agencies, and getting the agencies aligned with our approach to inclusion and committed to similar reporting processes is essential.’
The five law firms―Ashurst, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith Freehills, Slaughter and May and Travers Smith―were also founding members of the Race Fairness Commitment.
