The community for today’s
early talent leaders

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Welcome to Illuminate community

The world is changing faster than ever before. For today’s students and graduates, they are entering a changing job market, for which many feel unprepared. Employers are tasked with finding the best, most relevant candidates, to build their future, diverse workforces. Illuminate shares insight, research and stories from the country’s leading employers, as well as the voice of today’s students and graduates to help you drive forward effective hiring strategies.

Have a look at the video to the right to find out more.

Three pillars of the Illuminate Community

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Advocacy
If you’re responsible for early talent, you are positioned to be an enhanced DEIB advocate: passionate about the space and equipped with the skills to lead a strategic shift in your organisation.
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Innovation
Technological advances, new strategies and data-led insights are the toolkit of today’s DEIB leaders. Together, we can accelerate our growth and transform how we support the next generation.
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Belonging
Creating and developing a culture that is authentically inclusive: an environment where each and every employee can bring their authentic selves to work.

DEIB in action

Discover the insights, experiences and journeys of today’s leading employers, alongside today’s students and recent graduates.

DEIB in action

Discover the insights, experiences and journeys of today’s leading employers, alongside today’s students and recent graduates.

What did we discuss at the Illuminate Summit?
What did we discuss at the Illuminate Summit?
Back in 2018, Bright Network’s Illuminate community was launched, with just 20 employers.
The pandemic and Gen-Z
The pandemic and Gen-Z
The pandemic has changed the very meaning of the word normal across industries and organisations globally. Graduating during a pandemic...

Gen Z 101

Hear directly from Bright Network’s members – their ambitions, concerns and expectations of employers.

Gen Z 101

Hear directly from Bright Network’s members – their ambitions, concerns and expectations of employers.

Representation
Representation
We asked our members what effective representation in the workplace looks like.
Salary transparency
Salary transparency
We asked our members how important salary transparency is to them when applying for a role.
Concerns about the application process
Concerns about the application process
We asked our Gen Z members what concerned them the most about the application process for graduate schemes and graduate jobs.
Mental health in the workplace
Mental health in the workplace
We asked our members what mental health support looks like to them, and how employers can best support employees in the workplace.
Flexible working
Flexible working
We asked our members whether flexible working is a key requirement in their first graduate role.
Encouraging authenticity
Encouraging authenticity
We asked our members how employers could encourage them to be their most authentic selves in the workplace.
What members think about authentically inclusive applications?
What members think about authentically inclusive applications?
When asked what phrases make them feel an organisation is being authentically welcoming, our members said...
Graduate jobs in the new normal
Graduate jobs in the new normal
When asked what an ideal graduate role looks like in the ‘new normal’, and what benefits and responsibilities they are looking for, our members said...
Which DEIB initiatives resonate with students
Which DEIB initiatives resonate with students
When asked what type of Inclusion & Diversity initiatives would encourage them to research into a firm further and apply, our members said...
The importance of Job Descriptions
The importance of Job Descriptions
When asked why the language used in a job description is important to them, our members preferred...
Barriers to Success
Barriers to Success
We asked our members what the biggest barriers are to pursuing their desired career path...

Research corner

Data-led insights from over half a million students and recent graduates.

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Data-led insights from over half a million students and recent graduates.

Race, diversity & inclusion report
Race, diversity & inclusion report
The murder of George Floyd brought the conversation around systematic racism to the forefront of every HR professionals agenda.
What do graduates want? 2021/22
What do graduates want? 2021/22
The past year has been like no other for students and recent graduates - youth unemployment is high, graduates' confidence is low...
Campus and careers research September 2021
Campus and careers research September 2021
Students are back on campus, there are more opportunities than ever for graduates and employers are exploring new ways to engage potential hires.
A bold vision for the future of graduate careers
A bold vision for the future of graduate careers
The Bright Network Manifesto is the roadmap to ensure that today’s students and recent graduates can flourish in their early career and the UK’s leading employers...
How leaders can drive social mobility
How leaders can drive social mobility
Discover the 10 key actions for today's employers in order to support and drive social mobility in early careers.
Advocacy in action
Advocacy in action
This report seeks to understand the opportunities that employers have to support and engage with the LGBTQ+ community in the post-pandemic world.

Champions of change

Members of the Illuminate community share their stories, learnings and advice.

Champions of Change

Members of the Illuminate community share their stories, learnings and advice.

Katie George talks about the inclusive workplace
Katie George talks about the inclusive workplace
Katie George is a talent and inclusion advisor, with extensive industry experience.
Championing change, with Clyde & Co
Championing change, with Clyde & Co
Bright Network and Clyde & Co’s award-winning partnership started 5 years ago, and in that time...
Ensuring equity of opportunity, with Macquarie
Ensuring equity of opportunity, with Macquarie
Macquarie has a longstanding commitment to their D&I strategy and creating equal opportunities for...
Hiring diverse talent: A ‘business imperative', with EY
Hiring diverse talent: A ‘business imperative', with EY
Over the past 7 years, we have been working with EY to support our joint mission to find diverse talent, with particular focus on...
Setting the Stage with Gowling WLG
Setting the Stage with Gowling WLG
Bright Network’s partner organisation, international law firm Gowling WLG, share how they are championing diverse candidates from pre-application through to...