Recommendation 3

There is still a long way to go to ensure the civil service retains and promotes those from different backgrounds. The more diverse an organisation, the better decisions it makes. The civil service has made a commitment to be more diverse at all levels across both departments and functions. To achieve this the Cabinet Office says it has made its recruitment processes fairer. This includes changes to how and where jobs are advertised, and to how interviews and selections are conducted. Functions are also now setting clear standards in relation to recruitment in order to try and address inconsistencies in the process. The Cabinet Office believes these changes will help to ensure that people from different backgrounds are encouraged into the civil service. Alongside this, the Cabinet Office is aware of the need to improve the retention and progression of minority groups. Whilst we welcome the Cabinet Office’s commitment to diversifying the civil service, more needs to be done to improve the intake and retention of minority groups and those with different socio-economic backgrounds. Recommendation: The Cabinet Office should write to us within three months setting out detailed and broken-down information on the retention and progression of staff from different backgrounds and its plans for further reform in this area.