I was one of five siblings in a three-bedroom terraced house in East London. No-one I knew went to work in a suit and university was never really on the cards. That was how it was – the rest of our street was the same.
But I had two hidden weapons. I was good at maths and I knew how to adapt to different environments. These have served me well, both at the start of my career as a junior Chartered Accountant and in the intervening years before being made Managing Partner.
Roll forward several decades, and I now consider myself hugely privileged. I am lucky enough to spend time with top thinkers and highly influential leaders
In the early days, there were times when my insecure side made me question whether I should be among all these brilliant people, but I quickly realised that they were working out how to navigate the world just as much as I was.
We need to put aside the stereotypes we’re bombarded with and get to know those who have different backgrounds to our own. So often, we find we have a surprising number of things in common and that there are many ways we can support one another.
And that’s what I want young people who come from under-represented groups to know. Try to see past your own background and remember that you have as much to give the workplace as anyone else.
I generally feel positive about where we are heading in terms of diversity at work. We are a more inclusive society and most business leaders now recognise the benefits of having a wide range of employees. The internet too, despite its failings, can help level the playing field for those who are less privileged.
However, as someone in a leadership position, I do feel a huge weight of responsibility to shape the workplace in the right way for the next generation of young people. I’m concerned about the level of student debt graduates are saddled with and, as far as I can see, no employer has yet found an entirely successful way to filter and select candidates perfectly; for example, how to identify and balance the skills of introverts and extroverts for the benefit of the team?
I’m comforted though by excellent initiatives, such as JS Group’s Diversity into Work taskforce, of which BDO is a part. With the other members of the taskforce, we’re exploring new ways of recruiting under-represented groups onto corporate graduate schemes and learning what works from some of the best in the world.
Paul Eagland is the Managing Partner of accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO LLP which employs 7,500 people in the UK. The firm is a member of the BDO international network which provides business advisory services in 164 countries.
