Willmott Dixon is UK’s Lead for Diversity in Poll

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24 November 2020

Willmott Dixon was the UK’s highest placed construction company in the FT’s annual list of the top European leaders for workplace diversity and inclusion, coming 43rd overall out of 850 organisations ranked for their approach to inclusivity.  

It’s the second appearance for the Letchworth Garden City headquartered construction firm in the Diversity Leaders list, which ranked companies for their approach to diversity following online responses from over 100,000 employees at 15,000 companies across 16 European countries.

The 15,000 companies were scored on employee feedback to specific questions which, along with the opinions of human resources and recruitment experts to refine the analysis, enabled the number to be whittled down to the top 850 companies that featured on the Diversity Leaders 2021 list. Willmott Dixon was also one of only 13 UK companies that appeared in the top 50.
 

"This is important, as our industry is facing a skills shortage, so broadening the talent pool available is fundamental to ensure a sustainable flow of future skills."
 

– Rick Willmott
Group Chief Executive, Willmott Dixon

Creating an Inspiring Benchmark for Equality

With the spotlight increasingly on companies to demonstrate how their activities make a positive impact on society and in communities, an important benchmark for this is how they promote an inclusive work environment. That is why the FT list is an important indicator on business performance.

It’s the third major national accolade this year that recognises Willmott Dixon’s people-first approach. The company was ranked 5th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work for list and was also named in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women list.

Willmott Dixon has pledged to have 50/50 parity of gender across all management levels by 2030 and is rolling out a series of initiatives to support inclusivity. Rick Willmott, Group Chief Executive, said: "Our position in the latest FT Diversity Leaders list again puts construction on the corporate map as an industry that is making huge strides in its approach to diversity and inclusion. This is important, as our industry is facing a skills shortage, so broadening the talent pool available is fundamental to ensure a sustainable flow of future skills.

"The Diversity Leaders 2021 list FT's shines a welcome spotlight on the business imperative of workplace diversity which will serve as an inspiration to us in how we continue to be a company where our people feel valued and a key part of our growth. Successful companies are those that provide a diverse and inclusive environment where people feel challenged, contented and included within complementary teams, which is something embedded in our values.”
 

Diversity and Inclusion for the Future

Many companies will have a lot of different focuses for progressing their business in 2021, however balancing opportunities for different backgrounds is still vital, especially as many bring skills from other industries with shifts caused by the pandemic. The government have updated their requirements, coming into effect 1 January 2021, for procuring investment from the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. Previously, CSR only needed to be considered to make a claim to the program, which aims to support sustainable development – now organisations must prove how they will deliver on social value. This could include how staff from the EU are contracted. As of 1 January 2021, the process for hiring from countries within the EU will also change significantly. As free movement into the UK ends and a new system will introduce job, salary and language requirements for entry, FMs will have to change the way they hire from the EU.

Picture: an overlay of a handshake on top of a diverse collage of people.

Article written by Bailey Sparkes | Published 24 November 2020

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