The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has welcomed Baroness McGregor-Smith CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) to discuss employment issues faced by black and minority ethnic (BME) workers.

Baroness McGregor-Smith, Chief Executive of Mitie, a British strategic outsourcing company, is leading the government’s review into the progression of BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) employees, and will meet the REC and a selection of its members to gain expert knowledge of the hiring process and to discuss the role recruiters can play in challenging discrimination and unconscious bias in the workplace.  

Baroness McGregor-Smith joined Mitie in 2002 and was appointed as CEO in 2007. She is one of a small number of women holding the position of Chief Executive in the FTSE 250 or FTSE 100 and is the first Asian woman to be appointed in such a role within that group of companies. Since joining, she has seen Mitie grow its revenue from £0.5bn to over £2.0bn, continuing its unbroken track record of profit and revenue growth.

In 2015, the difference in employment rates between the overall population and ethnic minorities was 11.1 percentage points, according to statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions.

“We believe that jobs transform lives and so we are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to succeed,” REC Chief Executive Kevin Green said. “Employers and recruiters have a special responsibility to create inclusive workplaces and to ensure good recruitment practices.”

“The business case for getting this right is obvious. We have record employment in the UK and skills shortages in most sectors. Employers need to be as effective as possible at attracting talent from all parts of society,” Green said.

“We welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important initiative. Recruiters have an important role to play in challenging bad practice while also promoting open and transparent selection for all roles. Through the Good Recruitment Campaign we are actively working to champion the importance of workplace inclusion to organisational success.”

“I am determined that this review will help to remove the barriers in the workplace that prevent individuals of all backgrounds from fulfilling their potential – these actions will deliver long-term social and economic benefits for the UK,” Baroness McGregor-Smith CBE, said.

The McGregor-Smith review is part of the government’s BME 2020 plan, which aims to improve labour market outcomes for those from BME backgrounds. This includes increasing the proportion of apprenticeships taken up by young people from BME backgrounds by 20%, increasing the number of BME students going to university by 20%, and increasing BME employment by 20 % by 2020.