Once again Enterprise has been recognised as an employer that provides an equal chance for everyone to succeed regardless of their background or circumstance.
Enterprise has been ranked one of the Top 15 Employers, for the third consecutive year, in the Social Mobility Employer Index 2019. The list ranks the top 75 UK employers who have taken the most action to improve social mobility in the workplace in what is believed to be the world’s only Social Mobility Employer Index.
The Index is the creation of the Social Mobility Foundation and ranks Britain’s employers on the actions they are taking to ensure they are open to accessing and progressing talent from all class backgrounds.
Employers are assessed on everything from the work they do with young people and their apprenticeships, through to their recruitment and selection processes and how people from lower income backgrounds progress up the ladder within their organisations.
125 employers from 18 sectors, who collectively employ over 1.1 million people in the UK, answered around 100 questions across 7 different areas. Over 14,000 employees also took part in a voluntary employee survey.
Enterprise has been ranked #11 in the Index for the commendable work it has taken to tackle this and enable those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to succeed. Measures we have taken to improve social mobility include continuing to work with external organisations such as Bridge Builders to improve the employment prospects of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Also, encouraging applicants to register their interest for a role and talk to one of our Talent Acquisition team before sharing any educational background information. Over the past 12 months the application and acceptance rate from those applying from both Russell Group and non-Russel Group universities remained practically equal, indicating an unbiased process.
Ashley Hever, Talent Acquisition Director, said: “ Being the first in my family to go to university I personally understand the challenges of leaving university and not having a career that you can walk straight into. It’s so important to me to be leading Enterprise’s recruiting efforts knowing that we are welcoming to all candidates, and not being concerned about where you studied or your background.
Diversity is part of our cultural compass at Enterprise and this isn’t something new, from my first day in the company 19 years ago diversity was always integral to our business. We want our 490 branches to have employees that reflect those communities. Research shows that businesses with a diverse workforce prove to be more successful.”
Being ranked #11 in the Social Mobility Index shows just how much Enterprise is committed to being an inclusive place to work, assessing people only on their talent and their willingness to do well in the company.
Interested in being part of a welcoming, award-winning business? Search and apply for our graduate roles based in any one of our 470 branches and offices across the UK.