+
Be accountable
5
We are committed to being transparent about progress towards meeting our partnership targets. As we move into year two, our partnership comprises 17.8% female partners and 2% ethnic minority partners. This is a slight regression but we know that progress will not be linear year on year.
Key numbers:
ethnic minority partners
2%
female partners
17.8%
Status: in progress
Lateral recruitment
Outreach
See our progress
promote our virtual trainee experience app to make careers more accessible, irrespective of location
or background.
Trainee recruitment
We said we would:
See our progress
explore the use of online assessments toensure that candidates progress in the mostfair and transparent way.
See our progress
launch a new Macfarlanes Legal Academy focusing on school students in social mobility “cold spots” nationwide.
when recruiting lateral hire partners, review the market to ensure we have identified any candidates from an underrepresented background.
•
See our progress
continue to focus on the recruitment of trainees from under-represented groups, through targeted attraction and partnering with specialist diversity organisations;
•
See our progress
explore the use of online assessments to ensure that candidates progress
in the most fair and transparent
way; and
•
•
See our progress
reshape our outreach strategy encompassing a range of schemes which will enable students to experience what it is like to work at Macfarlanes. A priority will be to ensure that we are reaching and supporting more students from underrepresented groups including socially mobile candidates and those from ethnic minority backgrounds; and
•
•
See our progress
ask recruitment agencies to sign up to a new policy, identifying the widest talent possible for our roles;
•
ask these agencies to report on the diversity
metrics of the candidates they have put forward. If an agency continually falls short, we will discontinue our relationship;
•
See our progress
work with agencies who specialise in recruiting candidates from underrepresented groups where possible; and
•
See our progress
ask practice areas to set pipeline diversity targets for their groups;
•
See our progress
work to improve retention of our female and ethnic minority employees by analysing our data;
•
See our progress
ask an external consultancy to review our people processes and practices;
•
We said we would:
See our progress
ask each practice area to report to the firm’s management board every six months on progress against its targets. A summary will be presented at the partner and firm conferences each year.
•
See our progress
ask business services departments
to review the breakdown of gender and ethnicity within their departments and monitor the progression of these populations; and
•
See our progress
explore the use of online assessments toensure that candidates progress in the mostfair and transparent way.
See our progress
run our reverse mentoring programme with a second cohort available firm wide, to build on the positive impact of the first cohort of reverse mentoring pairs.
•
See our progress
deliver firmwide workshops to open up conversations about race and the experience of being a minority; and
•
We said we would:
set ourselves targets of at least 35% female partners and at least 10% ethnic minority partners by 2030.
To ensure we remain on track, we have set interim targets of at least 30% female partners and at least 7% ethnic minority partners by 2026.
We will review these targets annually.
•
We said we would:
provide everyone in the firm with regular
updates on our actions and progress.
•
collaborate with clients and other firms to learn from each other and enable improvements across the legal
sector; and
•
publish an annual Race Fairness Commitment report;
•
See our progress
work with a leading data analytics specialist to track our progress and inform our actions;
•
We said we would:
In the 2021/2022 campus season our graduate recruitment team delivered 104 outreach events, of which 34% had a specific diversity focus. Forty four per cent of the universities that the team worked with this year were non-Russell group (an increase of 6% since last year).
The team also launched "Your Macfarlanes" this year - a unique platform that enables future trainees to keep in touch with the firm and act as a social platform allowing them to get to know their cohort and connect with current trainees and others across the firm. Through Your Macfarlanes they can also join some firm wide events. The aim is to help all future trainees to feel more included from their very first day.
Key numbers:
diversity focus
34%
outreach events
104
Key numbers:
first year scheme hires
40%
app downloads
818
Through our first year skills development programme, we support students across seven non-Russell group universities in social mobility cold spots nationwide as identified by the Social Mobility Commission. In 2021, 73% of these students applied for our vacation scheme.
The process for the second year is underway.
We will be interviewing 34 students and 14 of these students will join us 15 – 19 August 2022.
Key numbers:
of students applied
73%
non-Russell group universities supported
7
We welcomed our first cohort of 25 year 12 students from London Academy of Excellence (Newham), Oriel High School (Crawley) and WQE Sixth Form (Leicester). The majority of the students were from underrepresented groups. They marked their ethnicities as: Bangladeshi (20%), Black (12%), Indian (20%), White British (24%).
This year's cohort joined skills workshops, had a week's work experience and received individual support from Macfarlanes' mentors.
From September 2022 we are supporting an additional cohort and accepting direct applications from students nationwide.
Key numbers:
first year scheme hires
40%
app downloads
818
Status: target met
This year we have developed relationships with a number of specialist agencies.
One example is Tarnjeet Purewal at Latitude Legal who we have engaged to help us identify senior candidates from underrepresented groups.
Key numbers:
first year scheme hires
40%
app downloads
818
Status: in progress
Twenty of our top recruitment agencies have signed up to the new policy this year.
In year two we will be monitoring their metrics and continue to approach additional agencies with whom we have a significant relationship.
Status: target met
During 2021, Howlett Brown consultancy reviewed the language and messaging of our people policies, particularly from a diversity and inclusion perspective, as well as recommending the introduction of additional policies e.g. adjustments, speaking up and fertility.
Howlett Brown also advised on the creation of a new partnership candidate briefing document which was used for the first time this year by the associates put forward for partnership
Status: target met
By September 2021, diversity partner champions had been confirmed.
Each practice area had set partnership targets for their group and developed a "people plan" to help them achieve these. Each practice's report was then reviewed by Policy Committee in October 2021.
Status: target met
Directors have discussed their departmental plans in conjunction with performance check-ins.
Also gender and ethnicity reports have been prepared for the Directors of each business services team.
Regular monitoring of recruitment and progression practices are already in place, and we are putting more emphasis on regular feedback and career conversations. This analysis will continue for year two.
Status: in progress
External consultant Laura Durrant worked with practice heads and diversity partner champions in November 2021 and April 2022, delivering four hours of workshops to assess progress against each of the "people plans".
Updated people plans were prepared and reviewed by Laura who prepared a summary report for Policy Committee
In May 2022, the diversity partners champions came together to form the new Diversity Champions Committee, which will enable regular sharing of best practice.
In June and July 2022, diversity partner champions are reporting back to Policy Committee on actions, challenges and progress.
Monitoring of the people plans will continue during year two and the next set of updated reports will be prepared in October 2022.
Status: in progress
MentorMacs, our reverse mentoring programme, launched again in April and runs until December 2022.
Fourteen pairs of reverse mentors and partner mentees are participating, across a broad spectrum of diversity characteristics, many with intersectional perspectives.
Key numbers:
pairs of reverse mentors and partner mentees
14
non-Russell group universities supported
7
Status: target met
We were advised that these firm wide workshops will be most effective once 80% or more of the firm have completed part one of the Conversations about race programme (watching the five short videos).
In November 2021, 75% of the firm had done this. However, given the number of recent joiners and some people leaving, this number currently stands at 61%. Reminders are being circulated.
Status: not met
During 2021/2022 we have worked with Pirical to analyse our diversity data. We also now have a data team within the HR function and we will continue to monitor our data in year two, to inform our actions.
Status: target met
We submitted our data for the Race Fairness Commitment's first full report, which was published in October 2021.
We are working on the data collection for year two reporting.
Status: target met
We are part of the steering committee for Legal CORE (collaboration on race and ethnicity).
We have participated in a sector-wide "think tank" and shared best practice with 25 other law firms e.g. in relation to reverse mentoring.
Status: in progress
Firm wide updates have been provided at this year’s Firm Conference and Town Hall. Most practice areas have also had at least one team meeting presentation or discussion forum to share ideas and to learn more about the actions being taken within their team. These will continue for year two, particularly at the practice/department level.
If you have comments or suggestions on the progress of your team, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
See our progress
Gender and ethnicity partnership targets
Action plan 2021—2026
Year one update - 2022
+
Progress the diversity of the partnership
1
+
Progress diverse recruitment and attraction
2
+
Ensure equality of opportunity and progression
3
+
Understand each other
4
+
Be accountable
5
+
Understand each other
4
+
Ensure equality of opportunity and progression
3
+
Progress diverse recruitment and attraction
2
-
Progress the diversity of the partnership
1
+
Be accountable
5
-
Understand each other
4
+
Ensure equality of opportunity and progression
3
+
Progress diverse recruitment and attraction
2
+
Progress the diversity of the partnership
1
-
Be accountable
5
+
Understand each other
4
+
Ensure equality of opportunity and progression
3
+
Progress diverse recruitment and attraction
2
+
Progress the diversity of the partnership
1
+
Be accountable
5
+
Understand each other
4
-
Ensure equality of opportunity and progression
3
+
Progress diverse recruitment and attraction
2
+
Progress the diversity of the partnership
1
+
Be accountable
5
+
Understand each other
4
+
Ensure equality of opportunity and progression
3
-
Progress diverse recruitment and attraction
2
+
Progress the diversity of the partnership
1
Status: in progress
We have been investigating whether online assessment platforms are better from an inclusion perspective.
There are conflicting conclusions from research available at the moment. We will keep this concept under consideration for year two.
Between October 2021 and June 2022, 818 people downloaded the Macfarlanes trainee experience app. In year two we will be upgrading to a new version which will enable us to identify locations and users from social mobility cold spots.
Forty per cent of our first year insight scheme hires downloaded the app in advance of their telephone interview and 35% of our vacation scheme cohort downloaded the app prior to their assessment day.
Status: Target met
Since May 2021, new potential partner roles are subject to a mapping exercise to review the market for all possible candidates and the Lateral Recruitment team produce a report for the practice area.
Status: in progress
Status: in progress
See our progress
See our progress
See our progress
See our progress
See our progress
Status: in progress
In May 2021 we launched our Partnership Targets Action Plan which sets out how we plan to improve representation of female and ethnic minority lawyers in our partnership as well as to continue to drive inclusion across the firm. We are now reporting on the actions that are underway one year on.
Click on the ‘+’ icons to navigate through the document and see our progress.
Key numbers:
ethnic minority leavers
24.5%
ethnic minority new joiners
21.3%
Monitoring our data over the last year (1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022), we have tracked the monthly averages as per below:
Ethnicity
On average, each month:
Status: in progress
Gender
On average, each month:
Fee earners
Business services
22% of business services identify as coming from an ethnic minority background
17.1% of fee earners identify as coming from an ethnic minority background
2.0% of our ethnic minority population and 1.2% of our white population left the firm
1.7% of our ethnic minority population and 1.3% of our white population left the firm
New joiners comprised 1.0% of our ethnic minority population and 1.7% of our white population
New joiners comprised 2.8% of our ethnic minority population and 1.7% of our white population
Our ethnic minority population decreased at a rate of 1.0% and our white population grew at a rate of 0.5%
Our ethnic minority population grew at a rate of 0.9% and our white population grew at a rate of 0.4%
Our ethnic minority population decreased at a rate of 1.0% and our white population grew at a rate of 0.5%
Our ethnic minority population grew at a rate of 0.9% and our white population grew at a rate of 0.4%
New joiners comprised 1.6% of our female population and 1.2% of our male population
New joiners comprised 2.6% of female fee earners and 1.1% of male fee earners
1.3% of our female population and 1.8% of male population left the firm
1.6% of our female fee earners and 1.1% of male fee earners left the firm
70.0% of all business services (including PAs) were female
49.7% of fee earners were female
Business services
Fee earners
Status: Target met
Status: target met
Status: target met
If you have comments or suggestions on progress, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
If you have comments or suggestions on progress, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
If you have comments or suggestions on progress, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
If you have comments or suggestions on progress, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
If you have comments or suggestions on progress, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
If you have comments or suggestions on progress, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
If you have comments or suggestions on progress, please speak to a member of the Inclusion and CSR team, your HR business partner or your diversity partner champion.
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