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DEI Surveys for Law Firms

Beyond Compliance: DEI Surveys for UK Law Firms

How Divrsity DEI Surveys solve your SRA compliance issue, and offer actionable insights into Inclusion, Equity, Bias and Belonging

16 Jan 2025 by Mark Holt

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are essential in today’s legal industry, especially in the UK, where law firms operate under specific requirements set by regulatory bodies. As competition for clients and top talent intensifies, law firms are recognizing the value of fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. However, it’s not just about compliance or maintaining appearances. A genuine commitment to DEI can significantly impact everything from firm culture and reputation, to client satisfaction and long-term growth.

One key element in any DEI strategy is gathering data, and that’s where running regular diversity and inclusion surveys becomes invaluable. In particular, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requires all regulated firms to collect and report on certain demographic information—including ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, caring responsibilities, sex, gender identity, and some elements of social mobility. These mandatory data points help the SRA measure diversity across the legal profession.

However, this requirement barely scratches the surface of what constitutes a truly inclusive workplace. The Divrsity Platform enables law firms to go much further: surveying not only on basic diversity characteristics, but also on neurodiversity, mental health, physical characteristics and, more importantly, inclusion, equity, bias, and belonging.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore why UK law firms should be running regular diversity and inclusion surveys, how these surveys align with (and expand upon) SRA requirements, and why some firms may initially feel nervous about collecting more than the mandatory data. By the end, you’ll understand how leveraging a platform like Divrsity can help you comply with SRA obligations, nurture a genuinely inclusive workplace, and forge a path toward measurable, lasting improvements in DEI.

1. The Evolving Landscape of Diversity and Inclusion in Law Firms

1.1 Rising Expectations from Clients and Society

In an increasingly interconnected world, law firms in the UK are facing heightened scrutiny about their diversity and inclusion practices. Clients—especially large corporations—are more frequently demanding evidence of diverse representation and inclusive policies from their legal providers. With social awareness rising, stakeholders expect law firms to uphold standards that reflect modern societal values. As a result, failing to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion can cost law firms not just their reputation, but also potential business opportunities.

1.2 Talent Attraction and Retention

The legal industry has long been known for its high-pressure environment, competitive nature, and relatively traditional working culture. Nevertheless, emerging generations of lawyers, paralegals, and other professionals increasingly prioritize inclusive workspaces. They are more likely to join and stay with firms that demonstrate meaningful diversity and inclusion commitments rather than mere token efforts.

By running regular diversity and inclusion surveys, law firms can gather concrete data to:

Identify areas of growth (e.g., representation gaps in certain ethnic groups, potential bias in hiring or promotions).
Address workplace culture challenges that contribute to staff dissatisfaction and higher turnover rates.
Develop targeted strategies to attract and retain top talent from diverse backgrounds.

1.3 Regulatory Compliance—A Baseline, Not an Endpoint

The SRA plays a pivotal role in shaping the legal profession by setting standards that promote public confidence and uphold professional integrity. The mandate for law firms to regularly collect and report basic diversity data serves as a strong impetus for UK law firms to at least begin thinking about DEI. However, the SRA’s focus remains primarily on diversity—capturing data on demographics such as ethnicity, age, disability status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, sex, gender identity, and social mobility factors. While fulfilling these requirements is crucial, limiting your firm’s DEI efforts to SRA compliance alone is a missed opportunity. True DEI goes beyond ticking boxes; it involves actively listening to people’s experiences, identifying hidden barriers, and cultivating a firm-wide culture of respect and belonging.

2. Understanding the SRA Requirements

2.1 What the SRA Asks For

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requires all regulated firms to collect and report data on the following characteristics:

Ethnicity
Disability
Sexual orientation
Age
Religion or belief
Caring responsibilities
Sex
Gender identity
Some elements of social mobility (e.g., type of school attended, parental education levels)

The rationale behind these requirements is to help the SRA—and consequently, the broader legal profession—understand how well law firms reflect the diverse population they serve. The data can illuminate patterns of underrepresentation, structural biases, or lack of opportunities for certain demographic groups.

2.2 Limitations of SRA’s Focus on Diversity

While these demographics provide a snapshot of a law firm’s overall workforce composition, they do not tell the whole story. Diversity alone doesn’t guarantee inclusivity, equity, or an absence of bias. Individuals from underrepresented groups may still experience microaggressions, unequal access to promotion, pay disparities, or a lack of a sense of belonging, all of which are not captured by demographic data alone.

Moreover, important aspects of identity, such as neurodiversity, mental health, and physical characteristics, are not covered comprehensively by SRA’s guidelines. By focusing primarily on who is represented in the workforce, the SRA’s framework can inadvertently overlook how these individuals are treated or how inclusive and equitable the environment feels to them. That’s where a broader survey approach, such as that provided by Divrsity, comes into play.

2.3 Reporting Format and Compliance

Firms typically must submit their collected diversity data to the SRA in a prescribed format. One significant advantage of using Divrsity is that it allows instant uploading of survey data in the correct format for SRA compliance. This streamlines what could otherwise be a cumbersome data management process, saving your firm time and reducing the risk of errors.

3. Going Beyond Diversity: Inclusion, Equity, Bias, and Belonging

3.1 Defining Inclusion, Equity, Bias, and Belonging

Inclusion: Ensuring that everyone, regardless of background or demographic characteristics, feels valued and integrated into the firm’s culture.
Equity: Providing fair and impartial access to opportunities and resources, recognizing that different people face different barriers or challenges.
Bias: Both conscious and unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect decision-making, often unintentionally disadvantaging underrepresented groups.
Belonging: The sense that individuals feel accepted for who they are and can contribute to the organization without needing to hide or downplay aspects of their identity.

3.2 The Importance of a Holistic DEI Approach

When law firms only collect demographic data to meet minimum requirements, they risk missing out on critical insights. True progress in diversity and inclusion arises when the organization examines not just who is present, but also how they experience the workplace. For instance:

Are female lawyers receiving the same mentoring and promotional opportunities as their male counterparts?
Is there parity in pay across various ethnic groups and job roles?
Do neurodiverse employees feel supported with appropriate accommodations?
Are employees with certain disabilities comfortable disclosing them, or do they fear stigma?
How well does the firm’s leadership reflect the wider workforce in terms of background, perspective, and experiences?

By collecting data on inclusion, equity, bias, and belonging, your firm can uncover systemic issues that are often invisible when you focus solely on demographics. This deeper level of insight enables you to take targeted actions that foster genuine cultural change rather than superficial compliance-based measures.

3.3 Divrsity’s Expanded Focus

Unlike basic SRA surveys, Divrsity captures a broader array of data points, including neurodiversity, mental health, and physical characteristics—alongside the standard demographics required by the SRA. Additionally, Divrsity delves into employees’ perceptions of fairness, opportunities, workplace relationships, psychological safety, leadership support, and a host of other inclusion-related factors.

With automated results analysis and AI-driven insights, Divrsity can generate a data-driven Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan that addresses gaps in inclusion, equity, and belonging. This plan can be especially powerful for law firms seeking to differentiate themselves in a competitive market by demonstrably prioritizing staff well-being, client satisfaction, and overall excellence.

4. Benefits of Running Regular Diversity and Inclusion Surveys

4.1 Data-Driven Decision-Making

Running regular surveys provides a continuous feedback loop that helps law firms make data-driven decisions about hiring, retention, and promotions. Rather than guessing whether new policies are effective, firms can measure the real-world impact by comparing survey results over time. If you notice that employees from certain backgrounds consistently report less satisfaction or a lower sense of belonging, you have clear evidence that targeted interventions are necessary.

4.2 Uncovering Hidden Barriers and Biases

Without anonymous surveys, many underrepresented individuals may hesitate to voice concerns due to fear of retaliation or being labelled as “problematic.” Anonymity encourages honesty, allowing your firm to uncover the real issues employees face. For example, data might reveal that female associates with caring responsibilities feel pressured to work overtime, or that LGBTQ+ employees don’t feel comfortable being “out” at work. Identifying these hurdles is the first step toward dismantling them.

4.3 Tracking Progress Over Time

DEI improvements rarely happen overnight. Regular surveys help law firms establish baselines, set achievable goals, and track progress toward those goals. Moreover, the ability to analyze trends helps firms see if certain interventions are working, if new problems emerge, or if issues recur in different forms.

4.4 Enhancing Reputation and Client Relationships

A law firm that demonstrates a transparent commitment to DEI—and backs it up with concrete data—sends a strong message to clients, partners, and prospective hires. In a competitive legal market, going beyond minimum compliance can differentiate your firm as innovative, forward-thinking, and socially responsible. Clients who value diversity in their supply chain are increasingly choosing law firms that can prove they walk the talk, rather than just paying lip service to the concept of inclusion.

4.5 Boosting Employee Engagement and Morale

When employees feel genuinely included and see that leadership is actively measuring, evaluating, and acting on DEI issues, it increases overall engagement and morale. People want to work where they are respected, see opportunities for growth, and feel safe voicing their perspectives. High engagement leads to improved productivity, better collaboration, and a more positive work environment—an asset in a field as collaborative and people-driven as the legal profession.

5. Addressing the SRA Requirements with Divrsity

5.1 Streamlined Data Collection

Divrsity’s survey platform includes template questions that align exactly with SRA’s reporting requirements, as well as enabling data to be segrated by SRA role categories, office, region and other useful dimensions. Firms can instantly upload data in the correct format, alleviating administrative burdens. This convenience is often a significant selling point for firms eager to comply without sacrificing accuracy.

5.2 Beyond the Basics: Neurodiversity, Mental Health, and More

In addition to ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, etc., Divrsity also collects information on neurodiversity, mental health, physical characteristics, and multiple other dimensions of identity. By offering a more holistic view of your workforce, you can gain deeper insights into how best to support all employees.

5.3 Automated Insights and AI-Generated Action Plans

After surveys are completed, Divrsity’s AI analyzes both the quantitative data (e.g., percentages, statistical correlations) and qualitative data from open-ended responses. The platform then generates a data-driven Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, highlighting key areas of concern and recommending targeted steps to address them. This analysis saves law firms substantial time in manually reviewing survey data and ensures that insights are consistent, thorough, and free from human error.

5.4 Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting

DEI efforts require consistency and follow-up. Divrsity’s real-time dashboard allows you to monitor DEI metrics continually, spot emerging trends, and benchmark against historical data. This functionality is especially useful for large law firms with multiple offices, where DEI challenges can vary significantly from one location to another.

6. Why Some Firms Are Nervous About Running More Comprehensive DEI Surveys

Despite the clear advantages of collecting more expansive DEI data, not all law firms feel comfortable taking that step. Here are some common concerns:

Fear of Non-Compliance or Legal Risks - Legal practitioners are inherently risk-averse, and DEI data collection can appear fraught with potential pitfalls if the data is not handled properly. Some worry that collecting sensitive information (e.g., mental health, sexual orientation, or neurodiversity) might open the door to discrimination claims if the firm doesn’t properly secure, handle, or use the data. However, by using a secure platform like Divrsity, which anonymizes and encrypts data, the risk of misuse is significantly reduced.
Confidentiality and Data Security - Law firms thrive on confidentiality. Any data collection process that seems to threaten employee anonymity can generate mistrust and low participation rates. The fear is that even aggregated data might inadvertently reveal individual identities—especially in smaller firms where a single individual from a particular group can be easily identified. Hence, it’s crucial to use a survey platform that aggregates data in ways that protect confidentiality and comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR. That's why Divrsity is Obsessed with Anonymity and shields you from all GDPR concerns
Potential for Negative Exposure - By diving deeper into inclusion, equity, bias, and belonging, law firms may discover uncomfortable truths about their organizational culture. Some fear that these insights might harm their brand if shared publicly or if employees leak the results. Yet, many clients and stakeholders appreciate transparency and a willingness to address systemic issues. The real reputational risk lies in ignoring problems that eventually surface in other ways—think high turnover rates, negative Glassdoor reviews, or damaging discrimination cases.
Commitment to Change - Collecting comprehensive DEI data creates an implicit commitment to act on that data. If a law firm is not prepared to invest time, resources, and leadership attention to make meaningful changes, running an extensive survey might feel like an empty gesture that could backfire. On the flip side, a firm that truly values DEI will see rich data as an opportunity for real improvement.
Resource and Time Allocation - Law firms often operate on tight schedules and budgets, and the idea of devoting resources to comprehensive DEI surveys might seem daunting. However, one of the key advantages of using Divrsity’s platform is the automation of data analysis and action planning, substantially reducing the labor-intensive processes associated with traditional surveys.

7. Mitigating Concerns and Ensuring Success

7.1 Ensuring Anonymity and Trust

Anonymity is paramount to gaining honest insights. Divrsity uses multiple data protection strategies, including encryption and anonymized reporting, to ensure that no single individual’s identity can be inferred from the results. For additional peace of mind, smaller law firms might consider grouping certain demographic responses until they reach a threshold number of respondents, thus further safeguarding individual identities.

7.2 Transparent Communication

Before launching a DEI survey, communicate openly with your teams:

Explain the purpose of the survey—why the data matters and how it will be used.
Emphasize confidentiality and the measures taken to protect privacy.
Outline the steps you’ll take after collecting the data, including the creation of action plans and the commitment to improvement.

This transparency builds trust, encourages participation, and sets the stage for a genuine DEI initiative rather than a box-ticking exercise.

7.3 Leadership Support

Firm leaders must be vocal and visible champions of the DEI process. Without buy-in from the top, the survey results may gather dust, and employees will quickly sense a lack of genuine commitment. Leadership involvement should include:

Actively promoting survey participation.
Discussing DEI topics openly and candidly.
Prioritizing action items that emerge from survey findings.
Allocating budgets and resources to support necessary changes.

7.4 Regular Follow-Up

Running a single survey without follow-up actions or subsequent surveys can be counterproductive, leading employees to feel like their input was ignored. Establish a DEI task force or internal working group that reviews the data, liaises with Divrsity’s AI-generated recommendations, and drives tangible change. Regular updates on progress can keep employees engaged and showcase the firm’s dedication to sustained improvement.

7.5 Strategic Action Plans

Once you have the insights from your DEI survey, focus on developing an action plan with clear objectives, timelines, and accountability measures. For example:

Hiring and Recruitment: Partner with more diverse talent sources or implement blind CV reviews to reduce unconscious bias.
Retention and Promotion: Conduct equity audits on pay and promotion processes to identify disparities.
Training and Awareness: Offer unconscious bias training, mental health awareness programs, or neurodiversity workshops.
Work Environment: Adapt working practices to be more flexible, such as remote or hybrid options, which can help those with caring responsibilities or disabilities.
Monitoring and Reporting: Continue to evaluate how new policies affect your firm’s DEI metrics.

8. Building a Culture of Authentic Diversity and Inclusion

8.1 Beyond Compliance

While regulatory compliance is non-negotiable, it’s essential to see it as the starting point rather than the endpoint. A firm that embraces a holistic approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion can expect a more engaged workforce, a stronger competitive advantage, and an enhanced reputation that resonates with clients and the public.

8.2 Shared Responsibility

Fostering a genuinely inclusive culture isn’t solely the job of HR or leadership. Every individual—from junior associates to senior partners—should feel responsible for contributing to a climate of respect and fairness. Regular surveys can reinforce this sense of collective ownership, as employees recognize that their feedback shapes the firm’s policies and day-to-day environment.

8.3 Taking Advantage of Technology

Modern technology makes it easier than ever to gather, analyze, and act on DEI data. Divrsity’s AI capabilities not only simplify the survey process, but also provide tangible action items that can be customized to fit your firm’s unique needs. By incorporating such tools, law firms can consistently measure what matters and respond proactively to issues as they arise.

8.4 Looking to the Future

As the legal industry continues to evolve, clients and employees alike will prioritize organizations that demonstrate meaningful commitment to DEI. Firms that fail to adapt risk being viewed as outdated or indifferent to critical social issues. On the other hand, embracing a fully realized DEI strategy positions your firm to thrive in a modern, globalized legal market.

9. Conclusion

Running regular diversity and inclusion surveys is a pivotal move for any UK law firm that aims to stay compliant with SRA requirements, build an inclusive workplace, and maintain a competitive edge. While the SRA requires data on specific demographic characteristics—ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, caring responsibilities, sex, gender identity, and social mobility—these metrics alone provide only a partial view of the firm’s DEI landscape. True inclusion, equity, and belonging require digging deeper into the day-to-day experiences of all employees, including their mental health, neurodiversity, and broader physical characteristics.

By partnering with a platform like Divrsity—which offers automated results analysis, verbatim response interpretation, and a data-driven Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan—law firms can seamlessly meet SRA obligations and, more importantly, gain actionable insights into the nuances of their organizational culture. While some firms may be hesitant to move beyond the SRA’s basic requirements, citing fears over data security, potential negative exposure, or resource allocation, these risks are well mitigated through careful planning, transparent communication, strong leadership support, and robust technology solutions that prioritize anonymity and data protection.

In an era where clients demand greater accountability and employees seek workplaces that genuinely reflect modern values of equity and respect, regular DEI surveys stand out as a powerful tool. They not only help firms identify and address systemic issues but also foster a culture that values continuous improvement. Ultimately, the decision to invest in comprehensive DEI data collection and analysis signals that your law firm is serious about creating a thriving, forward-thinking environment. The benefits—improved talent retention, stronger client relationships, enhanced innovation, and a more positive public image—will far outweigh the initial uncertainties.

If your firm is looking to go beyond mere compliance and truly lead the way in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Divrsity can be the catalyst you need. By capturing a broad range of demographic data and deeper insights into inclusion, equity, bias, and belonging, you can shape strategies that not only satisfy the SRA’s requirements but genuinely transform your firm’s culture, performance, and overall success in the UK’s competitive legal landscape.

Note: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered legal or regulatory advice. Please consult with the relevant authorities for the most up-to-date guidance and requirements.