Finding a diverse employer

If you’re preparing to graduate, then you will already embody the Essex spirit. You’ll challenge convention, you’ll be bold enough to ask questions and you’ll know all about making change happen., but how do you find an employer to match these values? Here are our top five tips for finding a diverse and inclusive employer:

1. If you identify as disabled, look out for employers who are part of the Disability Confident Scheme. This is a nationally recognised way to ensure that an application and recruitment process is fair, and shows an employer is ready and able to make reasonable adjustments to support you to apply and when you start work.
2. Check their website. Read the ‘about us’ section and make sure that you feel comfortable with what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Are they using inclusive language? Do they talk about inclusion, equality, and respect? Is their language positive about embracing differences? Do they offer mentoring, support their employees to obtain qualifications, or run employee networks? Trust your instincts here, you’ll know if it feels right to you.
3. Check out their social media presence and the way they present themselves visually. Are they sharing opinions and ideas that you’re comfortable with? Do they use a diverse selection of people in their branding? Can you imagine yourself embodying the brand they’re presenting?
4. Chat to someone who works there. LinkedIn is a great platform to get a sense of the employees in an organisation. You can even get in touch with someone from the company via the staff list and ask them what it’s really like to work there. Ensure your questions are polite and carefully worded, and if the member of staff you choose doesn’t want to engage, just move on.
5. Be wary of company reviews on sites like Glassdoor as they often highlight the good and bad extremes of a recruitment process; there’s nothing like networking and getting to know people in the company to get the real information. Check out the Social Mobility Index: this is a real indicator of employee best practice, not just in recruitment, but also in how employers support employee progression. Chat to us and meet employers at our events. We regularly hold events with employers who want to meet you. Over the next month we’ll be hosting two courses which will give you the opportunity to ask questions about diverse and inclusive employers to careers experts, employers and people who work for them.

• Diversity & Inclusion Workplace Opportunities: Debunking Myths & Exploring the Benefits
• Celebrating Diversity & Inspiring Underrepresented Talent: Alumni Panel Event