Apprentice Diversity Recruitment Focus at Ibstock

Ibstock, one of our Strategic Partners, is aiming to increase their focus on its apprenticeship programmes and diversity recruitment.

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, diversity is not just a buzzword; it’s essential for fostering innovation and driving success. At Ibstock, we recognised that our recruitment processes needed to be improved to drive further inclusivity. As a business, we aim to create an environment where everyone feels valued and can thrive—especially in our apprenticeship programmes.

Our Apprentice recruitment practices at Ibstock were revealing a glaring issue: a lack of diversity among our candidates. This underrepresentation meant we were missing out on the unique perspectives that come from varied backgrounds and experiences. This not only limited our talent pool but also affected team dynamics and creativity.

Additionally, unconscious bias was creeping into decision-making processes. Without proper training, hiring managers unconsciously favoured certain profiles over others, leading to missed opportunities for exceptional talent who could enrich our teams.

To tackle the issue of diversity in our recruitment process, we implemented several key initiatives. First, we revamped our job descriptions to use inclusive language that appeals to a broader audience. Next, we established diverse interview panels. This ensured various perspectives were represented during candidate evaluations and helped mitigate unconscious bias.  Finally, all hiring managers underwent training on unconscious bias to enhance their awareness and decision-making skills.

The changes we implemented in our diversity recruitment strategy have led to significant improvements at Ibstock. By prioritising diverse interview panels, we ensured a broader range of perspectives during the hiring process contributing to more balanced decision-making.

Our focus on unconscious bias training has transformed how our hiring managers approach recruitment. Moving forward we are equipped with tools and insights that challenge preconceived notions and stereotypes, allowing for fairer evaluations of candidates.

The results speak volumes: overall, we have seen an increase of 11% in female hires and an increase of 22% compared to the previous year among our ethnic minority hires.

If you want to be part of the solution to build a better construction industry, please get in touch here.