Willmott Dixon was the UK’s highest placed construction company in the FT’s annual list of the top European leaders for workplace diversity and inclusion, coming 43rd overall out of 850 organisations ranked for their approach to inclusivity.

Construction's top 22 companies in the Diversity leaders list 2021

It’s the second appearance for the Letchworth Garden City headquartered construction firm in the Diversity Leaders list, which ranked companies for their approach to diversity following online responses from over 100,000 employees at 15,000 companies across 16 European countries.

The 15,000 companies were scored on employee feedback to specific questions which, along with the opinions of human resources and recruitment experts to refine the analysis, enabled the number to be whittled down to the top 850 companies that featured on the Diversity Leaders 2021 list. Willmott Dixon was also one of only 13 UK companies that appeared in the top 50.

With the spotlight increasingly on companies to demonstrate how their activities make a positive impact on society and in communities, an important benchmark for this is how they promote an inclusive work environment. That is why the FT list is an important indicator of business performance.

It’s the third major national accolade this year that recognises Willmott Dixon’s people-first approach. The company was ranked 5th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work for list and was also named in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women list.

Willmott Dixon has pledged to have 50/50 parity of gender across all management levels by 2030 and is rolling out a series of initiatives to support inclusivity. Rick Willmott, group chief executive, said:

"Our position in the latest FT Diversity Leaders list again puts construction on the corporate map as an industry that is making huge strides in its approach to diversity and inclusion. This is important, as our industry is facing a skills shortage, so broadening the talent pool available is fundamental to ensure a sustainable flow of future skills.

"The Diversity Leaders 2021 list FT's shines a welcome spotlight on the business imperative of workplace diversity which will serve as an inspiration to us in how we continue to be a company where our people feel valued and a key part of our growth. Successful companies are those that provide a diverse and inclusive environment where people feel challenged, contented and included within complementary teams, which is something embedded in our values.”