News
Top companies sign up for plan to create a fairer recruitment society.
Published on 13th January 2012 by William Guy
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Firms such as Tesco, Barclays and Coca-Cola have settled on the Government's Business Compact, which calls for them to recruit "fairly and without discrimination" by using application forms that don't allow candidates to be screened out due to the school they attended or their ethnicity.
Other elements of the agreement include advertising work experience placements to people of different backgrounds online and in academic institutions, instead of giving places to "informal contacts", and paying for support or paying the national minimum wage to interns.
The compact is part of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's social mobility plan, which plans to create a "what you know, not who you know" recruitment culture.
Clegg commented: "Working with the coalition, the biggest hitters in British business are helping lead the way to a fairer, more open society.
"By opening their doors to young people from all walks of life, this marks the start of a culture shift among major employers, driven by the belief that ability and drive should trump connections and privilege."