11 Nov British Land recognised for promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace
The Social Mobility Foundation has ranked British Land 41st in the Social Mobility Employer Index 2019, which recognises companies that have taken the most action to improve social mobility in the workplace.
The Index was created by the Social Mobility Foundation in 2017 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.
British Land has been recognised as a Top 75 employer for the commendable work it has taken to tackle this and enable those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to succeed.
Measures taken by the company to improve social mobility include transparent and unbiased recruitment practices that encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds, proactively seeking talent from a wider pool of people and supporting Pathways to Property, a programme which aims to widen access to the real estate industry.
Our focus on creating a culture that encourages diversity and inclusion includes supporting associations such as Stonewall, Real Estate Balance, 30% Club, EW Inclusive Culture and OUTstanding. In 2017, we were the first listed property company to achieve the National Equality Standard.
Chris Grigg, CEO, British Land said: “Diversity and inclusion is central to driving innovation, understanding our customers and ultimately the success of our business. We work very hard to ensure that British Land is an organisation where people feel free to bring their whole selves to work and I am delighted that our efforts have been recognised for the second year running.”
David Johnston OBE, chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, said: “We are delighted to see more and more employers every year taking part in our Social Mobility Employer Index. The quality of submissions this year meant we have increased the size of our Top list from 50 to 75 and it shows the very wide range of organisations trying to make progress on social mobility. Whilst no employer would say they have cracked their social mobility challenge, all of the employers in the Top list – along with those that didn’t quite make it – should be congratulated for the efforts they’re making to ensure their organisation is open to talent from all class backgrounds.”
The Rt Hon Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility Foundation, added: “Social mobility is becoming a cause for more and more of our country’s top employers. When politics is weak, society needs to be strong – so it is welcome a growing number of employers are stepping up to the plate. They recognise the need to open their doors to a wider pool of talent both to address growing public concerns about unfairness and to reap the business benefits from having more diverse workforces. The onus is now on all of our country’s top employers to do the same.”