The firm says the partnership will give Deloitte’s recruiters a range of standardised data on candidates’ economic background and personal circumstances, allowing them to make more informed choices about candidates by considering the context in which their academic achievements have been gained.

The announcement marks the start of Deloitte’s first social mobility week and is part of a package of measures which the firm hopes will help it to access a deeper pool of talent, while also contributing to the societal challenge of improving social mobility by increasing opportunity for and investing in the development and training of young people.

David Sproul, senior partner and chief executive of Deloitte UK, said: ‘Improving social mobility is one of the UK’s biggest challenges. For us, there is also a clear business imperative to get this right. In order to provide the best possible service and make an impact with our clients, we need to hire people who think and innovate differently, come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a range of perspectives and experience into the firm.’

‘Contextualisation allows us to recognise these important qualifications for young people, while also ensuring that for example, 3Bs at A Level in a school where the average student achieves 3Ds, is identified as exceptional performance.’

The other measures announced by Deloitte include the introduction of school and university-blind interviews to help prevent unconscious bias and ensure that job offers are made on the basis of present potential, not past personal circumstance. Interviewers no longer have access to details of an applicant’s school or university until an offer has been made.

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