Diversity
Introduction
Withers is committed to providing a supportive and tolerant culture while strengthening its determination to be the best. To be the best in everything it does the firm recognises that it needs to draw upon a broad pool of talent so that we reflect the diverse spectrum of our clients and we continue to be forward thinking in delivering innovative solutions to our clients. We also recognise that respecting people's individuality and fostering a culture of inclusion are the foundation of any retention strategy.
What do we mean by Diversity and Inclusion?
In articulating what we mean by this we acknowledge that Diversity means the ways in which we differ from each other and that we all hold individual beliefs and values, and that we come from a range of backgrounds. Diversity includes visible differences such as age, gender, ethnicity and physical appearance, as well as less visible differences such as one's sexual orientation, religion, nationality or view points and education, which shape the way we are and our perception of others.
Inclusion means creating a supportive workplace environment by removing barriers which might exclude people simply because they are different. It means supporting our employees and partners by giving them the opportunity to develop skills and achieve their potential. We aim to provide a broad range of policies, practices and procedures to help create a better working environment for all our people.
What are we trying to achieve?
In order to be clear about what we are trying to achieve we will endeavour to make progress against the following objectives:
• widen the immediate and prospective talent pool from which we select our best people
• raise aspirations and provide opportunities for access to the legal profession
• maintain a supportive and tolerant culture in which all our people can achieve their potential and contribute in different ways to the success of the business
• create a culture of inclusion and respect
• have a workforce which reflects the diversity of our clients and our communities.
How are we going to achieve this?
Withers has a Diversity Committee which meets regularly to promote the objectives outlined above. The Committee is made up of staff and partners and is championed at Partner/Counsel level. The Committee Group recognises the importance of monitoring and measuring its activities so it can benchmark progress against its stated objectives.
Our commitment to Diversity
Each year our staff are asked to acknowledge their understanding of and commitment to the Firm's Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy as part of our annual audit.
In 2011 we plan to introduce an online diversity training programme reinforcing our policy and commitment amongst the workforce. All new joiners will also receive this as part of their induction programme.Our Supervisors and Partners receive more bespoke training to ensure they understand their obligations in implementing our Equal Opportunities and Diversity policy and how to instil/promote these values in the workplace.
In addition, all interview panelists are trained in the Firm's approach to diversity and given guidance on our structured skill based approach to interviewing.
Partnerships and Initiatives
We are members of the Black Solicitors' Network and participate in the annual Diversity League table.
We continue to support the African Caribbean Diversity (ACD) mentoring programme. Over 30 members of staff (both support and fee-earners) have volunteered to be mentors to young people aged between 14 and 18 over a two year period. The programme's aim is to raise the educational aspirations of black and ethnic minority students from London borough state schools. In partnership with ACD we have hosted the launch and the annual Career ‘Speed-Dating' events.
We also fully support the Diversity Access Scheme in association with The Law Society to sponsor a student selected from a disadvantaged background through their LPC. The recipient also has the opportunity to spend time at the firm learning about the role of a lawyer.
We work with Prospects in the City to visit schools and present talks to 14-18 year olds about careers in the legal profession. Whilst established to promote better access to the industry for all, often participating schools have a high proportion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We sponsor the Hidden Brain Drain Taskforce, whose focus is women and minorities as unrealised assets.
We are committed to our programme of internal work/life balance seminars to cater for the diverse needs of our staff. So far, these include specific seminars for our parent, female and male populations as well as those for the broader demographic.
Promotion and Access to Development
Opportunities for promotion are communicated and made available to all staff on a fair and equal basis. A skills framework is used in all promotion, appraisal, and pay discussions to ensure a consistent and fair approach across the Firm.
Selection of candidates for promotion to 'Of Counsel or Partner' status is undertaken by a panel of Withers' Partners, whose selection decisions are based upon technical expertise and pre-defined partner competencies.
Training is made available to all staff and Partners in line with our business needs. Training needs are recognized formally via our appraisal process, which is objective and skill based, to ensure a fair and equal approach.
Recognition for Diversity
In the past we have received external recognition for having a high percentage of female Equity Partners and have been ranked top amongst law firms for the diversity in the sexual orientation of our staff.
Current Workforce
We monitor our workforce on an on-going basis. Click here for a breakdown of the diversity of our London based staff and Partners.