LEADERSHIP
“INCLUSION ENHANCES TALENT ATTRACTION AND RETENTION”
Claire Parker, Global Head of DE & I, JLR
Q. WHERE DOES STRUCTURAL CHANGE LOOK DIFFERENT FROM SURFACE-LEVEL INITIATIVES?
» JLR’ s approach to DE & I goes far beyond one‐off initiatives; it is embedded into the structures, systems and long‐term strategy of the business. One of the clearest examples is our commitment to transparency and accountability: we publish our gender pay gap annually and have voluntarily published our ethnicity pay gap for three consecutive years despite there being no legal requirement to do so. This signifies genuine ownership of progress and a willingness to be held to account.
Structural change can also be seen in policy design. Our recruitment systems, parental leave and menopause policies go far beyond statutory requirements; and our significant investment in inclusive workwear including maternity wear and hijabs ensures colleagues feel supported in the everyday reality of their roles.
Our long-term targets ensure DE & I is tied to strategic workforce planning rather than one-off campaigns. We’ ve built partnerships with organisations such as STEM Women and Bright Network and the Amos Bursary, a charity which provides career development support to students from African and Caribbean backgrounds, to build sustainable pathways for future diverse talent entering engineering and technical fields.
We also recently launched Create Possible, a free skills programme for schools designed to inspire pupils with real-world resources to help close the UK STEM skills gap- building on the company’ s wider commitment to advancing youth futures.
The JLR Foundation, provides grants to non‐profit organisations which support children and young people to thrive in school, access opportunities outside of school, and make successful transitions between education and employment.
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