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To support our continued commitment to gender diversity and reducing our gender pay gap, we offer enhanced parental and adoption leave, supporting with up to six months full pay. We are fortunate to have several active and passionate advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion among our people. We still have lots more to do as a business and within the industry, but we aim to make diversity, equity and inclusion central to everything that we do, affirming our commitment to being Inclusive by Design. We continue to partner with organisations that help to break down barriers, promote social mobility, and provide greater representation of marginalised groups in our industry. Over the last financial year, we have partnered with: • LGBT Great • City Hive • #10,000blackinterns • Investment20/20 • Neurodiversity in Business • Girls Are Investors (“GAIN”) • Talking Talent • Women in Finance Charter • Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse
Trainees join on an initial 12-month, fixed- term contract. During this time, they are assigned to a specific business area and gain the key skills required to carry out their role. They also attend events hosted by Investment20/20 which are designed to help build and develop wider industry knowledge and professional skills. The premise of the scheme is to encourage people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to pursue a career in wealth management. For school leavers, the traineeship offers an alternative to university, providing a valuable career path. At Brooks Macdonald, this initiative enhances diversity at the entry level and allows us to develop young talent with no prior experience, positively contributing to the broader community.
Eight new graduates joined us in September 2023, with seven enrolled on apprenticeships, and one completing a professional qualification relevant to their role. Our application process was designed to remove as much bias as possible from the selection process and to align fully with our guiding principles and Group capability framework. We used a video application process, on the Modern Hire platform, and engaged Thrive to provide psychometric testing. We looked to recruit graduates across our investment management, marketing, research, and risk and compliance teams, and had more than 700 applicants across all graduate roles. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DE&I”) We aim to nurture a culture that values and supports our people and their views, regardless of their background. We are committed to creating a culture that is Inclusive by Design, in which the diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds of our people are valued and appreciated. Our Inclusive by Design philosophy aligns with our guiding principles of acting with honesty, fairness and clarity in everything we do, fostering a more inclusive culture, and driving sustainable long-term success by attracting and retaining top talent from all backgrounds.
As part of our commitment to Inclusive by Design, our recruitment process is designed to ensure we hire the right talent for the role, regardless of race, religion or belief, sexuality, age, disability, gender, gender identity, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. We welcome talented people from all backgrounds who live and breathe our guiding principles and are focused on making a difference for our clients. We value different ways of working and actively promote flexible working. We encourage diverse representation through gender-balanced shortlists and interview panels and, as part of our performance management framework, our balanced scorecard for senior managers includes specific objectives to increase diversity in individual teams. We believe this approach will create a truly diverse workforce. We have a suite of policies to support nurturing an inclusive culture, including: • Domestic abuse
Graduate trainee programme
As part of our Early Talent recruitment strategy, we partner with organisations such as Investment20/20 to ensure we continue to recruit from diverse backgrounds. As a firm, we are committed to improving both demographic and cognitive diversity of future recruits and breaking down barriers in the wealth management industry.
• Menopause at work • Mental health at work • Dignity at work • Gender transitioning guidance
• Family leave to include, miscarriage, still birth, abortion and babies born prematurely or with health issues
Brooks Macdonald Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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