Brodies LLP is the third highest-ranked Scottish business in a league table of the 50 UK employers who have taken the most action to improve social mobility in the workplace.
The Social Mobility Employer Index, which is believed to be a world-first, places Scotland's largest law firm 39th in the league table.
The index ranks private and public sector organisations according to the action that they have taken to encourage social mobility by attracting and nurturing talent from all backgrounds, and is a joint initiative between the Social Mobility Foundation and the Social Mobility Commission, in partnership with the City of London Corporation.
The aim of the Social Mobility Employer Index is to encourage firms to share their initiatives and progress in becoming more inclusive employers and to reveal which sectors and companies are taking the issue of social mobility most seriously.
Nearly 100 employers from 17 sectors, who collectively employ just under one million people, submitted entries about their practices and procedures in areas such as work with young people, recruitment, selection and progression.
Brodies, which has offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Brussels, was a founding member of PRIME, a pioneering initiative by the UK's leading law firms to encourage greater diversity in the legal profession by offering quality work experience and continuing support to young people from less privileged backgrounds.
The firm currently works with schools in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen to help promote the initiative to their students. To date, seven of its former PRIME students have secured places at university to study law.
Brodies, which employs more than 600 staff, is also committed to its work with school pupils through the Career Ready programme - a UK-wide charity linking employers with schools and colleges to open up the world of work to young people.
Career Ready is aimed at those students who are less confident, perhaps not strong academically and from low income families who need the guidance and opportunity to compete for a career on a more level playing field.
Brodies has been working with this programme for the past two years, mentoring students and offering them valuable work experience in its Edinburgh office.
In addition, Modern Apprentices have been employed at Brodies since 2013 and all vacancies within the firm's support functions are assessed before recruitment begins to see whether an apprentice would be suitable.
To date, seven apprentices have worked for the firm.
The Top 50 Social Mobility Employer Index ranking
- Grant Thornton UK LLP
- KPMG UK LLP
- Skanska UK PLC
- Standard Life
- Deloitte UK
- J.P. Morgan
- PwC
- Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP
- WM Morrisons Supermarkets Plc
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- Baker McKenzie
- Civil Service Fast Stream and Early Talent
- Fujitsu
- Ministry of Justice
- Pinsent Masons LLP
- EY
- Burges Salmon
- Aspire Housing
- Clifford Chance
- Linklaters LLP
- Rolls Royce Plc
- Lloyds Banking Group
- EDF Energy
- O2
- Herbert Smith Freehills
- Hogan Lovells International LLP
- Simmons & Simmons
- BBC
- Eversheds Sutherland LLP
- Aberdeen Asset Management
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- Freeths LLP
- Barclays Bank Plc
- National Grid plc
- The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- M&G Investments
- HM Revenue & Customs
- Severn Trent
- Brodies LLP
- HM Treasury
- Bank of England
- CH2M
- HFW
- Ministry of Defence
- Schroders
- DLA Piper
- FDM Group
- Charles Russell Speechlys
- Department for Education
- Stephenson Harwood
