AtkinsRéalis first engineering firm to achieve Platinum Standard for equality, diversity and inclusion

AtkinsRéalis has become the first firm in the UK engineering sector to achieve the Clear Assured Platinum Standard accreditation, recognising the company’s commitment to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I).

The ED&I accreditation – assessed by the Clear Company following an in-depth, evidence-based assessment – is given to organisations that include diverse talent in every aspect of their operational performance and have leaders who proactively challenge themselves and their teams to be more inclusive.

There are 450 organisations in the Clear Assured community, around 280 of which have been assessed, and AtkinsRéalis is one of three to achieve the preeminent Platinum Standard, after receiving Gold in 2021.

The Platinum accreditation was awarded based on AtkinsRéalis’ progress and impact with ED&I initiatives across several areas, including allyship, industry impact, inclusive recruitment and inclusive policies and procedures.

Richard Robinson, AtkinsRéalis President – UK and Ireland, said: “Our Clear Assured Platinum accreditation reflects the progress we have made with our ED&I initiatives in recent years, through more inclusive policies and using our voice to effect change in the industry.

“Developing ED&I across the engineering sector is vital to diversity of thought and there is always more we can do to improve our culture and that of the wider industry. We will use the Platinum Standard to continue to positively influence our people, clients and other organisations, to ensure our sector is an attractive, inclusive and progressive place to build a rewarding career for everyone. We have firm foundations in place with an established strategy that weaves ED&I into everything we do.”

Kate Headley, Clear Company Director and Co-Founder, said: “AtkinsRéalis’ unwavering commitment to their Clear Assured journey has been exemplary. Seeing sector leaders take such a pragmatic, reflective and astute approach to meeting every element of the required criteria demonstrates how their dedication to ED&I has truly become embedded across the organisation. We are delighted to award their Platinum accreditation.”

The Clear Company’s assessment of AtkinsRéalis highlighted ED&I across four key themes:

1. Allyship: AtkinsRéalis has invested significant resources in supporting and educating employees about what it means to be an ally (i.e. supporting under-represented groups), how to have difficult conversations, and how to coach people to feel more engaged and empowered. This has facilitated enhanced interaction between underrepresented groups and senior leadership, with a clear focus on sharing lived experiences and exploring how the company can continue to be more inclusive.
    
2. Industry impact: AtkinsRéalis made an external ED&I impact by increasing awareness of inclusive design, fostering diversity of thought in the industry, and proactively considering the needs of future generations. Examples include education outreach by supporting the UK Governors for Schools programme, mentorships through Women in Rail, industry-leading diversity in early careers intake, communications on how to improve passenger journeys, supplier diversity commitments, among others.
    
3. Inclusive recruitment: AtkinsRéalis is committed to inclusive recruitment practices, resulting in more diversity of talent and internal progression. Full employee recruitment audits have been completed, leading to role interviews better balancing behaviour and competency assessments, and the upskilling of hiring managers for inclusive recruitment delivery.
    
4. Inclusive policies and procedures: AtkinsRéalis has made substantial changes to its policies to align them with an evolving culture. Employee-led policy revisions addressed issues such as flexible bank holidays, faith differences, family leave, and maternity pay, which improved talent attraction and retention.

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