The people in any business are the critical element in providing a competitive edge. As you will see in this report which contains excellent examples of best practice, a diverse workforce does not just make good business sense, it makes societal sense as well. It’s the smart thing to do.
At Baker & McKenzie, we openly acknowledge that our people are our greatest asset and as the first truly global law firm, the diversity of our people has helped us to navigate across borders, cultures and practices with ease. Our commitment to inclusion and diversity is what makes us who we are. We believe that diversity makes us stronger. It makes business sense to recruit from the broadest pool of talent, to recruit and retain a diverse workforce which is reflective of our clients and to create an inclusive workplace where diverse talent can thrive.
We are extremely proud of the environment we have developed in which we value difference and we strive to ensure our people can be themselves at work. This ethos is driven by firm leadership: each member of our Global Executive Committee has a diversity related performance goal.
We know that organisations work best when people with different backgrounds and multiple points of view are brought together. Diversity of thought fuels innovation and higher quality and is essential to enabling businesses to share best practice and meet the rapidly changing needs of their clients. Our clients tell us that they expect their advisers to mirror the diversity of their market and today’s professionals are also looking to be part of an organisation that fosters a culture of equality.
We are extremely proud to support this report. We are in the fortunate position to learn from and share our own experiences with clients who share our stance on inclusion and diversity, and this report further endorses our view that those businesses who get this right will be the success stories of the future.
Claudia Prado, Member of the Global Executive Committee, Chair of the Global Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Paul Rawlinson, Managing Partner, London Office.