KPMG UK is a values-led business and part of a network of member firms based across the globe, committed to creating an inclusive environment where all colleagues thrive and reach their full potential, whatever their identity or background. This is fundamental to our success as a business.
We are committed to acting on things that matter to our people, and we have introduced a variety of interventions in line with our IDE (Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) strategy to support the career progression of our ethnic minority and Black heritage colleagues, creating equal opportunities for all. We are proud to be recognized as an ‘Outstanding Employer’ and understand the importance of driving change. The matrix has been key in holding us accountable and benchmarking these interventions so we can continue to strive for excellence.
We empower our colleagues to come as they are and have award-winning programs such as GROW, aimed at colleagues from historically under-represented groups, helping to diversify our talent pool for senior positions. We also have our critically acclaimed Black Lives Action Plan (BLAP). BLAP was launched in June 2020 to attract, retain, and progress Black heritage colleagues and was recently refreshed, recognizing that we are on a continuous journey to improve. The matrix has offered recommendations, helping us benchmark our performance. This allows us to target resources in areas of greatest need, learn from each other, and strive to achieve a fairer future for all.
At KPMG, our Board and Executive Committee (ExCo) have ultimate responsibility and accountability for achieving our bold and ambitious Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) targets through to 2030. These targets underpin our firm’s IDE strategy and support us in creating systemic change for the better.
Our 16 employee networks hold events to raise awareness about ethnicity-related matters to foster a more inclusive culture. The networks support our firm-wide IDE strategy and provide meaningful input and implementation of actions. Events include Black History Month with our African and Caribbean Network, as well as lunch and learns with our South Asian Network and China Club. Many of the networks collaborate to host intersectional sessions on collective experiences of our people.
Over 1,000 people in KPMG have signed up for our Black Heritage Allyship Programme – now on its fourth cohort – which pairs people together to mentor, sponsor, and learn from each other. From the first and second cohorts alone, 32% of the Black heritage colleagues have gone on to gain a promotion within 12 months of completing the programme. Building on this success, we launched a Cross-Company Allyship Programme, which opens the opportunity for KPMG and client mentors and mentees to gain experiences and access networks from outside of their own organizations. 45% of cohort 1 and 39% of cohort 2 mentees got promoted or moved laterally. The programme has recently expanded to The Netherlands and Canada, with over 1000 members and 40 organizations participating.
These remarkable achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the valuable contributions and backing from our allies, networks, and leadership. We are proud of the progress KPMG is making to build a more inclusive workplace and a fairer future for all, while also acknowledging we still have important work to do to drive racial equity even further for our colleagues, clients, suppliers, and communities. We are delighted to receive recognition as an Outstanding Employer. We are committed to incorporating recommendations from the matrix, helping to consistently enhance and maintain KPMG as a place where our people can come as they are and thrive in the workplace.
