Wales & West Utilities: Opening Doors to Diverse Talent
Wales & West Utilities: Opening Doors to Diverse Talent
At Wales & West Utilities, the purpose is to serve communities safely, reliably and sustainably. To do this well, the organisation recognises the need for a workforce that reflects the diverse communities across its network and a recruitment approach that enables people from all backgrounds to access opportunities to thrive.
Wales & West Utilities has undertaken a comprehensive review of its attraction, recruitment and development processes to remove systemic barriers and actively widen participation. This includes simplifying entry routes, removing unnecessary qualification requirements, embedding inclusive language and imagery, and ensuring that flexibility, accessibility and fairness are built into every stage of the candidate and colleague experience.
This forms part of a wider commitment to building an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe, supported and able to be themselves at work.
Actions Wales & West Utilities has committed to as part of the Opening Doors campaign:
Ask all candidates if they need any adjustments at every stage of the process
Wales & West Utilities proactively asks all applicants if they require any reasonable adjustments at the application, interview and onboarding stages, normalising conversations around accessibility and removing the onus on candidates to disclose or advocate for support.
The Recruitment Team will proactively follow up with candidates who indicate that they may require adjustments, to discuss their needs in detail and outline the next steps in the process. This engagement is typically conducted by a member of the Recruitment Team, who will agree any appropriate and reasonable adjustments in advance of assessment.
Adjustments that have been implemented to date include providing interview questions in advance to support preparation, offering interviews via online platforms where this is more accessible, and allowing additional time or alternative formats where appropriate.
These measures have helped to create a more inclusive and supportive recruitment experience, enabling candidates to present their skills and experience more effectively. As a result, the process has become more accessible, improved candidate confidence and performance, and supported more equitable outcomes across a diverse range of applicants.
Wales & West Utilities is proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. Alongside adjustment conversations, applicants are informed about flexible working practices and any special requirements that may be needed throughout the application and interview process. The organisation has also begun voluntarily collecting diversity monitoring data, enabling it to better understand where it is performing well and where further focus and improvement are required.
Advertise and accept applications across different media
Recognising that not everyone can apply online, Wales & West Utilities has expanded the ways in which candidates can access and apply for roles. Applications can now be made online, over the phone or via post, helping the organisation reach individuals who may otherwise be excluded due to digital access, confidence or accessibility barriers.
This approach is particularly important within operational and trainee roles, where talented individuals may not traditionally engage with standard recruitment channels. Between 2024 and 2025, Wales & West Utilities saw a 47.1% increase in external applications, reinforcing its belief that inclusive recruitment design directly contributes to widening the talent pool and attracting people who may not previously have considered a career within the utilities sector.
Provide training on inclusive recruitment and ensure your employees understand your commitment to inclusive recruitment
Wales & West Utilities recognises that inclusive recruitment must be underpinned by an inclusive culture led by confident, capable people managers. The organisation has embedded unconscious bias training into its Management Development Programme and continues to strengthen its approach through targeted learning interventions that support inclusive leadership, fair recruitment practices and effective conversations across the colleague lifecycle.
The updated Management Development Programme includes a focus on behaviours, wellbeing, psychological safety and the neuroscience behind inclusive leadership. This equips managers not only to lead diverse teams effectively, but also to make fair and objective decisions throughout the recruitment process, including inclusive shortlisting, structured interviewing and the support of new starters. Inclusion Awareness sessions have also been introduced to build confidence and capability across the organisation, ensuring colleagues feel equipped to contribute to equitable recruitment and selection practices.
To support both recruitment and retention, Wales & West Utilities delivers varied development programmes aligned to clear action plans and defined targets. This includes the Aspiring Managers Programme, which supports succession planning by helping colleagues progress into management roles, and the Inspiring Leadership module, which focuses on psychological safety, openness and creating purpose.
Together, these initiatives ensure that inclusion is embedded not only in progression and development, but also in how individuals are attracted to, assessed and welcomed into the organisation.
How has Opening Doors helped?
By aligning its activity to the Opening Doors principles, Wales & West Utilities continues to build a recruitment and development approach that supports long-term workforce resilience, reflects the communities it serves and enables everyone within the organisation to succeed.
