Diversity and inclusion is still facing an uphill battle in the accountancy profession and there needs to be a change of thinking at senior leadership levels, argues Jo Howell, recruitment manager of Cathedral Appointments
Financial services and accounting are two areas of the job market that are struggling to keep up with the positive wave of change sweeping our nation when it comes to increasing efforts around diversity and inclusion. As a sector, our line of work is still heavily male dominated, with women only making up 12.6% of leadership roles – a worrying statistic.
Gender diversity isn’t the only problem the sector is facing either. Ethnic minorities are also greatly underrepresented, with BAME leaders only making up 6.7% of leadership roles.
Companies that encourage and create a more diverse workforce are more likely to outperform their non-diverse competitors. The financial success of diversity stems from aspects such as greater innovation, a wider range of perspectives, a more rewarding culture and greater learning and development opportunities.
