New research has indicated that London law firms are particularly unlikely to employ white, working class candidates because of their accents, regardless of their ability to do the job in question.
According to a survey published this week by City University's Centre for Professional Service Firms, over 90 per cent of the 130 participating lawyers had fathers who had previously worked in senior roles in the sector.
"There was one guy who came to interviews who was a real Essex barrow boy – and he had a very good CV, he was a clever chap – but we just felt that [there was] no way we could employ him," one respondent told author Dr Louise Ashley.
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Seven out of ten people interviewed as part of the study were privately educated, while the report also uncovered a preference for applicants who studied at either Oxford or Cambridge.
Entrepreneurs concerned about the impact of restrictions on hiring from overseas could benefit from taking part in the Employing and Vetting Non-UK Nationals event, which will be held in central London next May.
Posted by Cameron Thomson
