Breaking down barriers to accountancy - Forvis Mazars joins new Purpose Coalition

Outreach is the starting point for attracting talented young people into the accountancy profession and is vital to developing a diverse talent pipeline.

Carrying out outreach interventions in schools, universities and local communities in areas that are underrepresented in our sector can help firms reach a more diverse pool of potential candidates. It can also help to break down preconceptions about our profession and encourage young people from a wide range of backgrounds to consider a career in accountancy. 

‘Forvis Mazars is leading by example’

We are featured in the Breaking Down Barriers report as a case study for the work we have been doing to engage the many stakeholders that are involved in supporting a child’s early career pathway.

Parents and carers are invited to attend our office open evenings to ensure that all parties can gain an understanding of the routes into accountancy profession.

The report also highlights our work with a range of suppliers who have a focus on social mobility, such as Amazing Apprenticeships and The 93% Club, which enables us to reach students who may not have considered a career in professional services.

Our partnership with IntoUniversity

Our work to engage underrepresented groups is also featured in the report, including our partnership with IntoUniversity which is a charity that supports young people across the UK who face personal or systemic barriers to education and employment.

We work with IntoUniversity across 10 of our UK offices, supporting student mentoring programmes, dynamic business simulations, career workshops, and initiatives like the Innovation x Corporate Sustainability Hackathon.

With outreach being the first stage, it is vital that young people who are inspired to enter the accountancy profession are then able to access equal opportunities to gain insights that will benefit them when applying for roles at the recruitment stage.

By taking part in work experience programmes, apprenticeships, mentoring schemes and internships, students can gain practical hands-on experience that gives them a greater insight into our profession, and help them make informed decisions about whether they want to pursue a career in accountancy.

Best practice - Forvis Mazars’ work experience programme

Our virtual work experience programme is featured in the report as an example of best practice.

Open to all, the programme offers an innovative way of providing access to our profession by removing the financial and location barriers associated with attending in-person programmes.

This is part of a suite of internship, work experience and insight programmes that we offer to provide an insight into the corporate world and teach key skills to school leavers and students from all backgrounds.

The report also highlights our long-standing partnership with Access Accountancy whereby we run in-person, paid work experience programmes across all of our UK offices. Students take part in business simulations and employability skills workshops, as well as learning about our different service lines.

One of the outcomes of the roundtable discussions was the agreement amongst the coalition members that accountancy firms must rethink the ways that recruitment is carried out within our sector.

Fair and transparent recruitment practices must be implemented across our industry to ensure that roles are accessible to all candidates regardless of their background. This will not only foster greater diversity within the profession, but will also be of long-term benefit to accountancy firms by bringing diverse perspectives and innovative outlooks.

The coalition recognised the need for recruitment practices that are strengths-based and consider the whole individual, rather than focusing solely on academic credentials.

Best practice - embedding inclusivity throughout our recruitment processes

The report spotlights our commitment to fair and inclusive recruitment processes, including the work we have been doing around contextualised recruitment. This offers candidates who are applying for early careers roles the opportunity to provide relevant information about their background which can help to create a more balanced view of the individual’s attributes and experiences.

In our early careers recruitment we no longer ask for CVs, candidates are instead asked to complete an application form. We run blind assessment centres and interviews to avoid unconscious bias in the selection process. We have also redesigned our job descriptions with simplicity and gender neutrality in mind.

Candidates receive personalised feedback and insights on how to improve throughout the process and bespoke adjustments are also available for those who require support. Assessors and interviewers undergo inclusive hiring training to ensure the process is fair and consistent for all candidates.

Supporting people from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups to enter our industry is only part of the equation; firms must also ensure that there are opportunities to progress into senior positions.

During the roundtable discussions, the coalition agreed that access to transparent information about the values and behaviours that are needed to progress is crucial in providing confidence that the system is fair and opportunities are distributed equitably.

The need for transparency around career progression, setting out clear expectations and career pathways, is an essential element of promoting greater access to opportunity within the sector.

There was a consensus amongst coalition members that skills development is of particular importance, especially training programmes that help to develop softer skills such as networking, negotiating and communication. This ensures that every individual has access to the same information, and those without family connections or contacts in the industry are not at a disadvantage.

As a firm we have some exciting plans focused on this particular area which we will be launching in the coming months, so please keep a lookout to learn more.