Cerebral Palsy
As EY's clients become more global and expand into new markets, they expect us to be equally diverse.
Diversity is about differences, and inclusiveness is about leveraging these differences to achieve better business results. EY is committed to creating an environment where all our people feel, and are, valued, are able to bring their differences to work each day, and always contribute their personal best.
Each of us is different, and at EY we value and respect individual differences. We think broadly about differences, including background, gender, ethnicity, nationality, generation, age, working and thinking styles, religious background, ability and technical skills, plus differences according to service line, sector and function.
Diverse teams are proven to stimulate innovation and new ways of problem solving. But they need an inclusive culture to help them function at their best.
Making sure that all our people’s voices are heard and valued not only helps attract and retain the best people, but also it helps get better answers for our clients and our organisation.
Starting with Arthur Young, EY has always embraced differing abilities. Trained as a lawyer, Arthur was deaf with low vision and he wasn’t able to comfortably practice. He turned to finance and the new field of accounting to build his career
Our founder, Arthur Young’s “disability” drove him to innovation and entrepreneurship, which played a pivotal role in the development of our firm.
MyPlus Recruiters' Club Most Successful Business-wide Engagement Award
Business Disability Forum Awards
1 - Executive Champion - Iain Wilkie, EY Partner, for his work with the EY Stammering Network.
2 - Career Development - Bridge the Gap, a six-month personal and professional change programme for disabled employees.
European Diversity Award for 'Outstanding Employee Network Group of the Year'.
For global business services giant EY, a positive approach to disability is key to securing the very brightest talent.
Diversity has long been part of EY’s DNA. “The best teams consist of people with a range of skills and expertise, who come from different backgrounds,” says senior partner Iain Wilkie. “We need that diversity in order to reflect our customer base. It puts us in a stronger position to take on the challenges that the market presents.”
Nevertheless, the past five years have seen a shift in attitudes. Where once the focus was on gender, ethnicity and sexuality, it has now expanded to include disability, as Iain explains. “Five years ago disability was more of a medical/legal issue for us. We’d look at how we could meet people’s needs, and whether we were meeting the criteria set out in the Disability Act. Of course we still do those things but we have a very different attitude to it. Disability is now core to our strategy.”
EY’s AbilitEY network was set up to ensure that the principle guides all aspects of the consulting giant’s activities.
The network consists of six groups, each focused on a specific disability: autism; mental health; mobility; stammering; hearing impairment; and dyslexia. The groups meet regularly to share ideas and discuss issues. The outputs then feed into EY at an organisational level. “It gives us the wherewithal to talk to EY leadership in a meaningful way about challenges and opportunities,” says Iain. “It’s a brilliant way for us all to gain insights into how we can help people with visible and invisible disabilities achieve their full potential.”
This approach to disability is driven by the recognition that many people with disabilities also possess notable abilities, talents and skills that are absolutely relevant to EY’s work, and help to give them a competitive edge.
To take just one example, people who are deaf will often have a real talent for reading body language and facial expressions: vital in an industry that depends on excellent, intuitive communication. More generally, says Iain, “we also find that people who have had to overcome barriers are more resilient and better able to empathise.”
It’s no surprise to hear then that EY is keen to tap into all available sources of talent, including people with disabilities.
“Our priority is very simple: to recruit the most talented people,” says Business Development Director James Bennett. “We need the right mix of talents and the right mix of people to succeed in an increasingly diverse global marketplace.”
The company is committed to providing comprehensive support for candidates, from the beginning of the selection process and beyond.
As well as practical workplace adjustments, a mentoring service for new employees pairs them with more senior colleagues who’ve had experience of working with a disability. Training in inclusivity began with senior partners, and has since cascaded throughout the business. “This is an exciting time for EY, particularly in terms of disability,” says UK disability lead Rukasana Bhaijee. “It’s a business priority now, not an HR initiative.”
Looking ahead, the aim is that in five years, time there will be no need for the AbilitEY network to exist, because everyone in the company is confident and knowledgeable about disability and long-term health conditions. “We’re not there yet,” says Ian. “The onus remains on AbilitEY to raise awareness of health issues and encourage more positive attitudes. But we’re making good progress.”
Now, the focus of the organisation is not just on supporting individual needs: it’s about shaping a culture that is genuinely inclusive of everyone.
As Rukasana puts it, “It’s about changing the image and language around disability, moving from suffering to strength and productivity. It’s no longer about managing disability, but about finding ways to unleash talent and realise potential.”
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We encourage you to be open about your disability so we can support you through the application process and ensure you have the right level of adjustments needed
Be open
There is a dedicated section on our application form where we invite candidates to share information about a disability or long term health condition and whether any adjustments are required to support them during the recruitment process
Be vocal
All candidates who complete this section will be contacted by our Student Recruitment team either by phone or email depending on your preference. Any conversations we have with you about your disability will be treated with confidentiality
At EY, we’ve always focused as much as we can on what our people ‘Can Do’ rather than what they ‘Can’t Do’, whilst not pretending that any of us are perfect!
We know that experiencing health and disability challenges often changes us and that, whether we’re born with or acquire our physical, mental or other conditions, we’ll develop skills and resilience to adapt to them. Focusing on strengths in this way is really important to changing culture and careers for the better. These are the strengths we look for:
Diversity and inclusiveness is at the heart of the firm’s culture, and within student recruitment we are keen to tap into all available sources of talent, including people with disabilities. Here we have given details on how we can help you before and during the application process.
Attending an event
We run a number of events at our offices, on campus or in schools. When registering for the event you’ll be able to specify any adjustments you’ll need on the day and someone from the team will be in touch to discuss this with you.
Applications
We accept applications across all of our programmes for those who consider themselves to have a disability. We are able to make reasonable adjustments within the student recruitment process to ensure that you have the best chance of success.
Process
At EY we understand that there’s not a “one size fits all” approach to adjustments. When making your initial application we invite candidates to specify whether you require adjustments to the process. We’ll also ask how you’d like to be contacted to discuss any adjustments.
All candidates who complete this section will be contacted by a member of the student recruitment team to discuss the process in more detail and allow you to specify specific needs at each stage of the process. We’ll then confirm the adjustments with you before you complete that stage.
We understand that it can be difficult to talk about disability, however it may be beneficial for you to be open about your disability so that we can support you through the process and ensure you have the right level of adjustments. Any conversations we have with you regarding disability and adjustments will be treated confidentially.
While we don’t specify any adjustments to the process, common requests that can be accommodated are:
Additional time
This can be provided for the online testing, written assessments and increased preparation time for exercises at our assessment centre.
Hard copy
We can arrange for hard copies of materials for assessments, or for materials to be adapted (e.g. increased font size).
Logistical changes
We can arrange for additional breaks during the assessments or separate rooms.
The student recruitment team at EY are continually working to enhance our approach towards disability. Within our strategy we cover three main themes: Attraction, Collaborations and Enable.
Attraction
We work closely with the Ability EY network to create profiles and case studies to be used in our marketing materials. Our teams out on campus are trained to have “disability confident” conversations.
Collaboration
We are a sponsor of the MyPlus Students’ Club, and our process has been audited by an external consultant to ensure we are providing a great candidate experience for those requiring adjustments. As a firm, we have a long standing commitment to a number of disability organisations such as the Business Disability Forum in the UK.
In April 2017, we teamed up with Deaf Unity to run a mock assessment centre for deaf candidates. This enabled us to have a better understanding of the adjustments needed for profoundly deaf candidates.
Enable
We have a continued focus on improving our team knowledge, training and application process ot ensure we are able to provide appropriate adjustments and support during the process.
Talk to us
If you want to know more, or discuss your application in more detail please contact us on eystudentrecruitment@uk.ey.com or on 0800 289208.
EY can offer a superb working environment, thanks to our commitment to flexibility, inclusiveness and development. Here are some examples of support and adjustments we have provided to graduates;
Ben joined EY as a Graduate nine years ago and now co-chairs EY’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Network. EY provides Ben with sign language interpreters who accompany Ben when he attends training courses and a palantypist who converts speech to text during conference calls and other meetings which helps him to participate.
Riyaz joined EY in April 2016 in the Tax team based in Leeds. Some of the adjustments that EY implemented include purchasing JAWS screen reading software which enables him to use all necessary programs on his computer. He has also been provided with the use of a PA which enables him to avoid the obstacles posed by his visual impairment. His PA assists him with basic sighted tasks such as printing and scanning etc.
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