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Diversity in the workplace

What can you do to create a diverse workforce? Our collection of best practice guides will show you how to promote and protect diversity.

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ICAEW resources

FCA proposals aim to support diversity and inclusion
  • Article
  • 06 Dec 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
Concerns that financial services organisations are paying lip service to D&I have prompted proposals that strengthen the regulator’s expectations around non-financial misconduct.
Deaf accountant challenges workplace mindsets
  • Article
  • 30 Nov 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
For profoundly deaf accountant and disability awareness trainer Sarah Petherbridge, workplace adjustments are easy wins. But as International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December highlights, changing mindsets to be more inclusive is a work in progress.
Dispelling the urban myths about apprenticeships
  • Article
  • 21 Nov 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
BPP’s Laura Beswick chose to participate in Rise because she wants to educate young people that university isn’t the only option to secure a professional career.
Rise: social mobility programme sets sights on expansion
  • Article
  • 08 Nov 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
The ICAEW-backed initiative wants to reach 50,000 young people from deprived backgrounds, equipping them with life and work skills. ICAEW Chief Executive Michael Izza explains the importance of this ambition.
ICAEW celebrates gender diversity progress
  • Article
  • 03 Nov 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
Most recent submission to the Women in Finance Charter shows that women hold 54.6% of senior roles at ICAEW.
Diversity analysis of ICAEW probate firms highlights progress
  • Article
  • 14 Sep 2023
New report presents a useful snapshot of the diversity of accountancy firms amid growing recognition of the need to create a workforce that can meet the changing requirements of an increasingly diverse society.
ICAEW student council Jas Rayat vice chair, Bejay Mistry, president MCASS
Student societies: everyone’s welcome
  • Article
  • 04 Sep 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
When it comes to diversity and inclusion, the ICAEW Student Council (ISC) and student societies lead by example, giving students a voice and helping to drive change.
ICAEW continues commitment to initiative to open up diverse talent pool
  • Article
  • 24 Aug 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
Three young people tell ICAEW how the 10,000 Black Interns initiative helped them to overcome fears, network and gain the confidence to set their sights on a career in accountancy.

Industry press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a hand-picked collection of industry press articles as a benefit of ICAEW membership. If you are unable to access an article, please see our Online resources troubleshooting or contact library@icaew.com.
Exclusive Why diverse teams reduce errors
  • Article
  • 01 Dec 2023
  • Heidi Grant, David Rock
Recent studies, including mock juries and simulated markets, reveal that diverse teams improve discussion, reduce errors, and excel in decision-making. Diverse teams promote constant re-examination of facts, objectivity, and careful information processing, preventing biases and errors. Gender and cultural diversity in leadership also correlate with increased innovation and new product development.
Exclusive The power of one: A memorial to Dr.Larzette Golden Hale (1920-2015)
  • Article
  • 01 Dec 2023
  • Brandi L.Holley, LaToya L.Flint
This paper memorializes a remarkable figure in accounting history and showcases the power of one individual to impact society. Although Dr. Larzette Golden Hale was the first Black female certified public accountant (CPA) to also earn a Ph.D. in accounting, her influence stretched far beyond these lofty accomplishments. Her life's work as an accounting educator is even more impressive considering the systemic obstacles to achievement faced by both Black people and women of the time.
Exclusive Women trust employers less than men
  • Article
  • 01 Dec 2023
  • Wenny Katzenstein, Ashley Reichheld, Emily Werner
The article discusses the reasons that women employees tend to trust the company they work for less than their male counterparts. The authors relate various ways in which women are treated differently than their male colleagues, even when it comes to equity and inclusion programs designed to redress such inequities. They outline three strategies that may help increase trust in female employees.
Exclusive Investment and career insights from women in asset management
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2023
  • Erin Allen, Samantha Cleyn, Shannon Lewis, Bonnie Li, Asma Panjwani
Five women from BMO's Global Asset Management team provide insights from their paths into a career in asset management. Although they come from different career backgrounds, they have a mutual love of the pace, excitement and learning opportunities the industry offers. Here they share their top tips for success in asset management.
Exclusive Microaggressions in the Accounting Academy: The Black experience
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2023
  • Phebian L.Davis, Denise Dickins, Julia L.Higgs, Joseph Reid
Black Americans are underrepresented members of the US accounting academy. By interviewing Black accounting faculty about their experiences during their doctoral education and institutional hiring and promotion processes, the authors have discovered stories of degradation, stereotyping, and exclusion (i.e., microaggressions) that participants report negatively impact their views of the academic accounting profession and increase their turnover intentions.
Exclusive JPMorgan exec says 'Wall Street 2.0' will be better for women
  • Article
  • 04 Oct 2023
  • Kyle Campbell
Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of asset and wealth management at JPMorgan, delivered a keynote speech reflecting on her career in finance at American Banker's 'Most Powerful Women in Banking' Conference 2023. The article gives quotes from her talk, which discussed the advantages of remote working for women in the workplace, as well as the importance of being curious and becoming a subject matter expert.
Exclusive Tailored flexibility
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2023
  • Danielle Lee
There is no one blueprint for cultivating a female-friendly workplace, as the top firms on Accounting Today's 2023 Best Firms for Women list emphasize, but as accounting practices attempt to sketch out a better culture for attracting, retaining and advancing women, lessons can be learned from the list's winners. The article features quotes from the top three ranked firms from the 2023 Best Firms for Women list, providing insights into how they are successfully fostering an inclusive workplace for women.
Exclusive Fortune's Most Powerful Women in business (MPW) 2023
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2023
  • Maria Aspan
Article celebrating the top 100 women in business in 2023. The list's new global scope and bigger scale recognize the international nature of top executives' work - as well as the near-record number of women who are leading companies in the US Fortune 500 and the Fortune Global 500, the largest companies in the world.
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You are permitted to access articles subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

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Articles and books in the Library collection

The ICAEW Library & Information Service holds a print collection of over 45,000 books and around 160 current professional journals. For information on borrowing books from the Library please contact us or see our guide to book loans. You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

The good governance guide to boardroom dynamics
  • Library book
  • 2021
  • J.Cross
This book looks in detail at issues that affect the board both on an individual and group level. Key topics such as board diversity, technical competence and personal characteristics are addressed, as is the concept of emotional intelligence (EQ), which is crucial to successfully working in a boardroom setting. As well as offering practical direction on how best to work with others and manage talent, it provides guidance on how to maintain personal resilience and develop behavioural agility.
Employment law and pensions
  • Library book
  • 2016
  • D.Pollard
Contains sections giving an overview of pensions provision in the UK, automatic enrolment, employers and pension obligations, unlawful discrimination and pensions (including sex discrimination and age discrimination), employment contracts, employer's powers and consultation, TUPE and pensions and cessation of employment and pensions.
A white-collar profession: African American certified public accountants since 1921
  • Library book
  • 2002
  • P.Whitcomb
This book chronicles the stories of several of the pioneering African American men and women who managed to surmount the obstacles to becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and whose history has been all but ignored.

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

Reports and surveys

Selected links to guidance, statistics and reports on diversity in the workplace.
Navigating barriers to senior leadership for people from minority ethnic groups in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies
  • Website
  • Cranfield University
Commissioned by the FRC and conducted by a research team from Cranfield University and Delta Alpha Psi Services, this research looks at the challenges and opportunities that minority ethnic individuals might experience in progressing to the boards of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.
European Women on Boards
  • Website
Founded in 2013 EWOB 'directly supports the European Commission in achieving the targets set by the new EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025' and is committed to help corporations make the change by developing talents and skills of senior businesswomen. EWOB publishes the Gender diversity index.
Women in the boardroom: a global perpective
  • Website
  • Global Centre for Corporate Governance
Sixth edition of the report by the Deloitte Global Centre for Corporate Governance, first published in 2011 and last updated in 2019, giving an overview of current initiatives around the world to increase the number of women serving on corporate boards.
Race in the workplace: The McGregor-Smith Review
  • Website
  • GOV.UK
Independent review by Baroness McGregor-Smith considering the issues affecting black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in the workplace. The report makes recommendations for improving recruitment processes, supporting progression and ensuring inclusive workplaces.
Women on boards reports
  • Website
Government hub page for reports relating to Lord Davies of Abersoch's Women on Boards review (published 2011), including the annual review and 5 year summary. See also our page on Women on Boards for further background and information.
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Related topics

We also maintain separate web pages on these topics:
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Board diversity
Considerations and guidance for corporate governance professionals on boardroom diversity.
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Discrimination
Find out more about the law on discrimination with our selection of articles, links and guides to best practice and regulation.
Diverse office workers
Diversity and inclusion
Articles, books and online resources providing background information and guidance on making a workplace more diverse and inclusive to the people who work in it.
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Employment tribunals
Employment tribunals hear claims regarding disputes in the workplace. On this page you can find articles, books and online resources providing guidance and background information.
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Women in business
A collection of books, articles and guides on topics of interest to women working in business and accountancy.

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Information, insights, guidance and networking opportunities on a range of industry sectors and at various stages throughout your career.
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Some of the content on this web page was provided by the Chartered Accountants’ Trust for Education and Research, a registered charity, which owns the library and operates it for ICAEW.