On the 21st October, Bright Network and Macquarie hosted a session at the Illuminate Summit, discussing innovative ways in which companies can ensure equity of opportunity for underrepresented groups. We were joined by Emma Cahill to present how Macquarie are working with Bright Network to create a workplace in which everyone is valued and where diversity is embraced.

Macquarie has a longstanding commitment to their D&I strategy and creating equal opportunities for all in order to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions for their clients. Already, there are 76 languages spoken across Macquarie’s global team, and its Board of Directors consists of 46% women. 

However, Macquarie strives to achieve further inclusivity across all levels of their business. The firm’s partnership with Bright Network focused on tailored and authentic engagement with students and recent graduates. This included: 

• Hyper-targeted digital activity engaging diverse applicants, with a particular focus on female and black heritage Bright Network members
• CV screening and cognitive testing, paired with coaching, to ensure that all candidates, regardless of background, could put their best foot forward, and Macquarie established a shortlist of perfect fit candidates
• Maintaining high quality candidate experience throughout the hiring process via one-to-one guidance calls and regular informational webinars

Macquarie have sought to improve D&I across a full range of their programmes, working with Bright Network to engage diverse talent through hyper-personalised approaches, including coaching, upskilling and opportunity sharing. Macquarie have additionally worked with Bright Network as a Premium Employer, making use of the Talent Tracker tool to understand the wider graduate hiring landscape and trends across different demographics, as well as gaining from our full support with the early application stages. 

The results speak for themselves: 

• Of their latest hires, 75% were female
• They received 411 applications to their coaching programme 
• They achieved 879 page impressions, 69% of which were from members with a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background

These results highlight the impact that data-led, personalised engagement can make and how our partnership with Macquarie has moved the dial in improving D&I strategies within the finance industry. We’re delighted that Macquarie share our mission to connect the next generation, regardless of background, with opportunities, insights and advice to succeed as the workforce of tomorrow.

“The Talent Tracker has been an absolute game-changer for me… I get asked for data all the time from my key stakeholders in terms of how we’re tracking, who we’re attracting, are our messages getting in front of the right people... - I’ve now got the ability to go into that tracker and see that data live…” 

- Emma Cahill, Macquarie